Project Manager (Finance)

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume in PDF format in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

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 with proven experience leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects that help organizations drive change and solve their most complex problems. The position will play a pivotal role in a new project management organization that has been created to manage a portfolio of projects supporting Rice University's strategic growth initiatives. The projects are multi-faceted and cut across multiple functional areas including infrastructure operations, administrative processes, technology and innovation, and financial management. Each project aims to transform the way we do business in order to support the growth of the University through operational efficiency, process improvement, and cost reduction.

The successful candidate will be responsible for developing project plans, coordinating stakeholder engagement, monitoring and reporting progress, facilitating problem-solving, collaborating with a diverse set of stakeholders, and preparing status reports and dashboards for leadership. The position will report to the Assistant Vice President of Financial and Operational Strategy in the Office of Budget and Finance.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, innovative problem solver, and is passionate about driving transformational change. They possess a background in strategy, operations, and/or financial management consulting and have a strong analytical and project management skillset and have experience serving as a trusted advisor to senior leaders. This individual is skilled at distilling complex ideas and information into clear and compelling presentations, can navigate shifting priorities with ease and is comfortable with ambiguity. They will also have experience leading small and large project teams with a proven track record of delivering impactful projects on time and under budget.

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

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree
• 4 years of experience in management consulting, strategy, or a related field.
• Skills:
  • Strong ability to communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders.
  • Skilled in navigating differing points of view with care, thoughtfulness, and attention.
  • Deadline-driven, meticulously organized, and able to multi-task and manage shifting priorities.
  • Comfortable navigating ambiguity and adapting to evolving situations.
  • Experience in project management and stakeholder engagement.
  • Leader and team player who also excels as a strong independent contributor.
  • Self-motivated and proactive.
  • Strong analytical skills and experience with complex data analysis.
  • Strong ability to create compelling presentations and develop clear storylines.
  • Creative thinker with the ability to develop innovative solutions to complex problems.
  • 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
  • Experienced in developing reports and dashboards to track project progress and outcomes
  • Ability to facilitate meetings and engage stakeholders at all levels of an organization

Preferences:

• Advanced degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in management consulting, strategy, or related field
• Expertise in applying leading consulting problem-solving methodologies or frameworks.
• Relevant certifications such as PMP, Six Sigma, Lean, etc.
• Experience with business intelligence tools (i.e.. Tableau, Power BI) and Microsoft Office suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)

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.