Project Manager - Resource Optimization (Finance)

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled Project Manager experienced in leading process improvement and operational efficiency projects with a focus on Resource Optimization. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing a detailed project plan, coordinating stakeholder engagement, monitoring and reporting progress, facilitating problem-solving, fostering team collaboration, and preparing progress reports and dashboards for the project. The Project Manager will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure project goals align with organizational priorities and deliver measurable outcomes.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate is a highly organized, results-driven professional with a strong project management and resource optimization background. This individual is adept at navigating complex challenges, implementing innovative solutions, and driving continuous improvement. The Project Manager will play a key in supporting initiative owners, project managers, and team leaders, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and ensuring project and program goals are met. Additionally, the Project Manager will help build, support, and enable a project management community of practice

Workplace Requirements:

This position is offered as a hybrid role (minimum of 2 days in the office per week). Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range:

$95,900 - $120,000

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, or a related field.
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted.
• Four or more (4+) years of experience in project management, with a focus on resource optimization, operational efficiency, or process improvement
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted

Skills

• Experience in stakeholder engagement, team facilitation, and problem-solving
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to address a wide variety of audiences
• Excellent leadership and organizational skills
• Skilled in assembling, motivating, and leading cross-functional teams for collaborative success
• Demonstrated project management ability to employ integration, scope, time management, cost, quality, human resources, communications, risk and procurement components
• Experience in managing and aligning expectations of multiple stakeholders, building and maintaining a positive working relationships across all constituencies
• Strong resilience, diplomacy, influence, relationship-building, and problem-solving skills across varied situations
• Keen grasp of interpersonal and impact awareness
• Skilled at resolving project issues, making informed decisions, and adapting to changes in project scope or resources
• Proficient in utilizing and managing project management tools like Asana and Jira
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and data visualization tools

Skills:

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and adapt to changing priorities.
• Proficiency in developing reports and dashboards to track project progress and outcomes.
• Ability to facilitate meetings and engage stakeholders at all levels of an organization.
• Excellent time management and multitasking abilities.

Preferences:

• Master's degree in Business Administration or a related field
• PMP (Project Management Professional) or CAPM (Certified Associate in Project Management) certification

Essential Functions:

• Partner with initiative owners, team leads, and project managers to identify risks, issues, and critical decisions. Track progress and ensure alignment with organization initiatives
• Monitor projects and programs across the project portfolio, creating dashboards and reporting mechanisms to track milestones, risks, and barriers
• Maintain a high-level overview of all ongoing projects and programs, identifying interconnectivity, evaluating competing priorities, and providing recommendations for mitigating risks and issues.
• Build and maintain partnerships with key stakeholders across the university or organization, ensuring effective communication and program success.
• Develop and implement an effective structure for functional team meetings to address cross-functional impacts and inter-team challenges across the excellence portfolios.
• Identifying barriers to success across the portfolio and escalating issues to leadership as needed.
• Prepare and present progress reports, dashboards, and performance metrics to leadership and key stakeholders.
• Support the adoption of best practices in resource optimization and operational efficiency.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and recommend solutions to enhance project outcomes.
• Mentors or leads a team of project resources and administrative staff
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.