Director, ERP Portfolio Management

Job Summary

The Director of ERP Portfolio Management will lead the CPS Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Modernization Program and processes, partnering closely with IT and business leadership from departments including Finance, Budget, Procurement, and Human Resources/Talent to ensure the successful delivery of our 4-Year ERP Modernization Program in alignment with CPS business initiatives and priorities.

Responsibilities

• Drive the planning, overall assessment, implementation, and execution of a highly-complex value-capture portfolio of ERP projects
• Recruit, onboard, and provide direction, guidance, and strong leadership to the ERP portfolio management team to ensure robust learning and career development consistent with the CPS values and mission ; foster collaboration and effective integration of efforts with division-wide initiatives
• Deliver excellent reporting and clear/concise communication to key stakeholders within and across the organization to ensure successful project completion
• Ensure that project results contribute positive business value and meet agreed-on scope, cost, schedule, and quality objectives all while providing effective project and program delivery
• Establish and maintain a standard project management approach to drive project initiation, planning, and execution, tailored to deliver innovative new technologies with timeliness, readiness and reliability
• Collaborate with the ITS department and functional leaders to ensure appropriate leveling and allocation of resources to projects and to resolve competing project needs
• Partner and collaborate with business stakeholders to define success metrics and criteria, project size and complexity, cost, urgency, risk, and stakeholder value
• Ensure that investments and initiatives in project management services are aligned with business strategy and priorities able to meet success parameters and ROI targets stated in the business case
• Incorporate industry best practices, define metrics and key performance indicators, and clarify ownership for delivery at all levels of the organization, driving for focused delivery based on commitments
• Monitor value metrics to make informed decisions that maximize returns across enterprise projects and programs
• Create and implement a systematic approach to improving project planning accuracy and project cycle time
• Drive the implementation of a resource management and reporting process to facilitate prioritization, management trade-offs, and efficient project intake based on changing functional needs, resource capacity constraints, risks, and interdependencies meeting deadlines
• Identify critical skills and competencies necessary for success in ERP roles and related positions; assess cross-functional project team capability and skill gaps (where present), and initiate activities to close those gaps; define specific improvement actions and recommend training to improve collaborative development and project results
• Effectively motivate team members and colleagues while pursuing opportunities for continuous improvement in department processes to drive a nimble and fast-paced business environment

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field from an accredited college or university is required. Master’s degree preferred
• Experience: Minimum of eight (8) years of relevant professional project and program management experience in roles with increasing complexity, including the following, is required:
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience working with ERP technical applications and/or information systems (or equivalent), including managing information technology projects, Oracle Cloud or SAP S/4 HANA Cloud
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in a supervisory/management position responsible for leading teams of direct reports in the ITS or technology field
• Experience managing enterprise-wide projects including a focus in Education industries, supporting Finance, Budget, Procurement, and Human Resources functions
• Experience leading projects and programs, both within and outside IT, that involved external providers
• Experience working on project and portfolio management resource planning, reporting, prioritization, and budgeting, and using related project and portfolio management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Clarizen, Jira, Azure DevOps, GanttPro, etc.)
• Experience leading multi-functional activities with accountability for portfolio, budgetary and resource allocation
• Minimum of ten (10) years of the above experience, including five (5) years in a supervisory/management position is strongly preferred
• Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities: Extensive knowledge and expertise in all areas of project management, including processes, systems development methods, organizational change management concepts, and business process improvement methods
• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and align/manage activities toward goal fulfillment
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to create and facilitate effective presentations and communicate technical concepts to non-technical partners
• Demonstrated business acumen; knowledge of operations, budget/finance, management and organizational development
• Strong leadership and team building skills, e.g. ability to develop high-performing teams united around a clear vision for serving schools and achieving student success
• Ability to build effective, collaborative relationships with a variety of stakeholders at all levels of the organization, including external partners, to ensure the entire system operates in the most effective manner possible to support schools and principals
• Ability to define problems, analyze data, and outline valid conclusions and action steps
• Capable of following Company policies and practices while representing CPS in an ethical and professional manner in all interactions with employees, governmental agencies, vendors, contractors, suppliers, students, and the Chicago community

Benefits

• Health & Wellness: Your Care, Your Choice
• Financial Security: Planning for Today and Tomorrow
• Work-Life Balance: Supporting Your Personal and Professional Life

Conditions of Employment

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency