Fast Facts

Per Scholas is seeking a Director of IT Projects to lead and oversee the execution of IT initiatives while managing a team of project managers. This strategic leadership role focuses on ensuring effective project management practices and fostering continuous improvement within the IT department.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include overseeing IT project execution, managing stakeholder engagement, facilitating decision-making, and leading a team of project managers to enhance project delivery methodologies.

Skills: Required skills include experience with Agile and Waterfall methodologies, strong organizational and leadership abilities, analytical skills, and exceptional communication and customer service capabilities.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include at least 5 years of project management experience, minimum 3 years in a managerial role, PMP and CSM certifications, and proficiency in project management tools such as JIRA or Trello.

Location: This position is based in Atlanta, GA, with a hybrid working model requiring three days onsite.

Compensation: $115000 - $125000 / Annually

Position Title: Director, IT Projects

Location: Atlanta, Ga

Reports To: Executive VP Information Technology

Position Summary:

The Director, IT Projects at Per Scholas is a critical leadership role responsible for ensuring efficient and effective project execution for all IT projects throughout the ITS team. This role will work in close partnership with EVP, Information Technology, project sponsors/stakeholders, finance, and all other stakeholders to drive the successful execution of IT initiatives. The Director will perform continuous analysis and monitoring of active ITS projects to identify issues, risks, and opportunities for improvement, with a strong focus on maintaining rigorous tracking of projects from inception to completion. This role will lead a team of project managers – both internal and contractors – and will be known as a center of excellence for IT project management within the ITS team. This position reports directly to the EVP, Information Technology

Key Responsibilities:

IT Project Execution and Oversight:

• Oversee the execution of all IT-related projects and programs from inception to completion, ensuring alignment with Per Scholas strategies and goals.
• Set clear goals for IT programs/projects and track progress, identify setbacks, and monitor overall performance.
• Monitor IT project execution to ensure best practices are consistently employed.
• Facilitate resolution to escalated issues and risks specific to IT projects.
• Ensure business stakeholders are properly engaged throughout the IT project lifecycle.
• Manage the decision-making process for IT projects, which involves understanding competing points of view, reaching a consensus, and building alternatives.
• Work closely with IT teams to mitigate resource constraints and project issues.
• Partner with Finance when planning IT project budgets, ensuring policies are followed and maintaining rigorous financial tracking of IT projects.
• Manage vendor performance within IT projects.
• Oversee communications and change management for all ITS projects, advising stakeholders of their responsibilities when project ownership is outside of ITS.

IT Portfolio Support:

• Collaborate with the Director of Project Management (if applicable) to review IT project interdependencies and articulate trade-offs with prioritization decisions.
• Provide input and support for improving the IT project intake processes, including leading discovery efforts when needed.

IT Project Process Improvement:

• Constantly improve and adapt IT project management methodologies and delivery practices, such as Agile, to adopt best practices for most efficient and effective delivery of projects across ITS.
• Suggest innovative plans and processes to improve IT project management functions within the ITS team.
• Develop work systems and processes that effectively drive productivity for IT projects throughout Per Scholas.
• Develop standard communication and change management practices for ITS to engage the user community more effectively on IT initiatives.

Leadership and Team Development (for IT Project Managers):

• Lead a team of IT project managers, including direct reports and contractors.
• Manage direct reports, including performance reviews, work assignments, and time management.
• Responsible for developing, motivating staff members, and providing guidance to the IT project management team.
• Develop a team that embodies Per Scholas values, engages with the rest of ITS as peers and partners, and encourages effective data usage across the organization.
• Create tools, templates, and standards that project managers would adopt to ensure consistency and quality in IT project execution.
• Be a great manager by developing your staff and nurturing the next leaders on your team. Define career paths and pave the way for success through constant and ongoing mentoring and coaching.
• Ensure proper staffing for the team and create an exciting atmosphere to better attract, recruit, and retain IT project management talent.

Qualifications:

• Proven experience of at least 5 years as a project manager using Waterfall and Agile methodologies and related tools, specifically focused on IT projects.
• Minimum of 3 years as a manager of project management staff.
• A strong business acumen with a strategic ability.
• Excellent organizational and leadership skills.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and project management skills required, including a thorough understanding of how to interpret business needs and translate them into sound IT project solutions.
• Excellent customer service and communication skills, including having an empathy mindset and being comfortable with conflict resolution discussions.
• Ability to contribute to the development of alternate approaches; make recommendations based on experience, risk, and business impact.
• Ability to interact professionally with diverse communities as well as various levels of leadership.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with proven ability to influence at all levels and lead cross-functional teams in an environment of competing interests and limited resources.

Preferred Certifications/Skills:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification 
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM) Certification 
• Experience with project management software such as JIRA, Atlassian Trello, Monday.com, SmartSheets, and Microsoft Project 
• Knowledge of Data-Driven Insights, Kanban, and Disciplined Agile Delivery 
• Strong understanding of Risk Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Strategic Communication, Change Management, and IT Portfolio Management 
• Familiarity with the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) 
• Experience with IT Vendor Management and Identity and Access Management 
• Proficiency in Office 365 and Google Admin Portal 

Compensation 

For this role specifically, the salary range is $115,000 - $125,000. The salary difference is typically determined by several factors, including the geography in which the selected candidate resides and alignment with qualifications and experience.

#LI-Hybrid (3-day onsite). This can vary depending on the demand