Technical Project Manager

Position Summary:

The Technical Project Manager (TPM) leads the planning, coordination, and execution of technology project initiatives within the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU). Serving as a critical liaison between technical teams and stakeholders, the TPM ensures that projects align with the organization's strategic goals and operational priorities. With a solid technical background, the TPM effectively translates complex requirements into actionable plans, facilitating projects such as infrastructure upgrades, system modernizations, and software platform implementations.

Employing agile project management methodologies, the TPM manages multiple concurrent projects, utilizing modern and transparent toolsets to maintain clear communication and documentation. Regular responsibilities include developing comprehensive project plans, conducting status meetings, and proactively addressing potential barriers to project success. By fostering collaboration among internal teams, external partners, and vendors, the TPM ensures the delivery of high-quality, sustainable solutions that enhance the AIU's technological capabilities.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Lead and manage multiple concurrent technology projects using agile methodologies which may include modernization of internal systems, implementing internal software systems, supporting member schools through a shared services model.
2. Develop detailed project plans for the full project lifecycle, including defining project scope, objectives, timelines, and resource requirements.
3. Facilitate regular project management meetings by setting agendas, monitoring progress, documenting action items, and enabling cross-functional collaboration to effectively address issues, and ensure timely project delivery that align with the project goals.
4. Identify and mitigate project risks, ensuring timely resolution of issues.
5. Collaborate with stakeholders to gather and refine project requirements and use cases.
6. Utilize modern project management tools to maintain transparent and accessible documentation.
7. Provide user and system administration support for key business systems, including user account management, system configuration, integration management, and other processes, as needed.
8. Participate in the AIU’s Change Advisory Board (CAB) to support IT governance and change management processes by submitting, evaluating, and coordinating project-related changes, ensuring that implementation steps are documented and communicated.
9. Participate in the technical RFP process, including requirements gathering, vendor evaluation, scoring, and decision documentation.
10. Develop, maintain, and oversee comprehensive documentation for technology projects and internal processes, including creating detailed project plans, timelines, meeting notes, and status reports, as well as standard operating procedures (SOPs) and user guides.
11. Develop and maintain project templates, planning tools, and guides that can be reused by member schools.
12. Seek and spearhead opportunities to improve the efficiency of processes and system operations on behalf of department teams, program teams, and external stakeholders, including, for example, development of system integrations and the automation of routine tasks.
13. Maintain up-to-date records and follow all records and retention plans, policies, and procedures.
14. Provide support and be an available resource for the Technology Services Department and staff throughout the AIU, as needed.
15. Maintain a high level of confidentiality when communicating with AIU Administration and all key stakeholders.
16. Perform other duties as assigned by the Chief Technology Officer, Executive Director, or designee.

Qualifications:

1. Experience or strong interest and investment in public K-12 or early childhood education institutions, and a belief that all students can succeed when they have access to excellent education resources, teams, and systems.
2. 3 years of project management experience with a demonstrated track record of successful, timely delivery of project outcomes.
3. Fluency and demonstrated experience with agile project management approaches and tools.
4. Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Scrum Master (CSM), or equivalent project management certification required. Candidates without certification must demonstrate the ability and willingness to obtain certification within 24 months of hire.
5. Working familiarity—full proficiency not expected—with information technology, data management, and software development concepts, such as, but not limited to, SQL server and related tools, general server management, network administration, programming languages (Python, R, SQL, JavaScript), BI tools, cybersecurity tools and concepts.
6. Solid technical background with an ability to give instructions to a non-technical audience. Strong sense of personal accountability regarding decision-making and supervising department teams.
7. Experience working in a high-level collaborative environment and promoting a teamwork mentality.
8. Ability to predict challenges and seek to proactively head-off obstacles.
9. Demonstrated presentation and communication skills.
10. Ability to communicate cogent updates on the status and outcomes of projects to organizational leadership and project stakeholders with varying levels of technical fluency.
11. Strong appetite for learning new skills and systems, and an eager and persistent approach to problem-solving
12. Has an entrepreneurial nature—independently identifies project opportunities and operational efficiencies that align with strategic priorities and takes a leadership role in moving these initiatives forward.
13. Ability to comply with the AIU Conduct Policy.