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Project Manager

Stellenbosch
Salary: Market Related
Job Type: Permanent
Sectors: Management
Reference: ASI/331/1224

Apply before Jan 03 2025 | 13 Days left

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Vacancy Details

Employer: Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University

Institutional Strategy, Research and Analytics Division

Project Manager (Job Level 7)

(Stellenbosch Campus)

Ref. ASI/331/1224

The Institutional Strategy, Research and Analytics Division plays a critical role in and serves as a hub for advancing institutional strategy and upholding informational integrity. This is achieved through managing and supporting the strategy process, managing strategic and institutional projects and related processes, overseeing, unlocking, integrating and protecting institutional information, and fostering informed decision making to serve the vision of Stellenbosch University (SU).

Duties:

We’re looking for a dedicated and seasoned Project Manager with leadership attributes to join our team at Stellenbosch University to drive our projects to success through meticulous planning, effective execution, focused change management and strong stakeholder engagement. Our projects are multidisciplinary and diverse in terms of size, scope, focus/theme/field and stakeholders, but with the common thread that they are institutional and strategic in nature. Projects include, amongst others, the University’s vision and strategy planning (2016-2018), the University’s Centenary commemoration (2017-2018), repositioning the University’s radio station (ongoing), and creating a project and change management methodology and platform (ongoing). Construction and IT projects are specifically excluded.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Developing detailed project plans and schedules for diverse projects to ensure timely and successful delivery. Coordinating resources, setting milestones, and managing dependencies to keep projects on track (project planning and scheduling).

• Overseeing the day-to-day execution of projects, ensuring adherence to plans, budgets, and quality standards. Promptly addressing any issues that arise and adjusting strategies as needed to keep projects aligned with objectives (managing project execution).

• Leading and motivating a diverse project team, fostering collaboration and ensuring everyone is aligned with project goals. Providing guidance, support and feedback to help team members excel and contribute effectively (managing the project team).

• Engaging with both internal and external stakeholders to ensure clear communication and alignment with project goals. Building and maintaining strong relationships to facilitate cooperation and address any concerns or requirements (stakeholder engagement).

If you’re an organised and proactive project manager with a track record of successful project delivery and team leadership, who wants to enjoy the challenge of the University’s unique strategy environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Required Skills

Demonstrable Experience In Leading A Variety Of Projects, Differing In Scope And Size.
Experience In Using Collaborative Project Management Tools (E.G. Smartsheet, MS Project, Etc.)
The Ability To Communicate Effectively In A Multilingual And Multicultural Environment

Candidate Requirements

Requirements:

Essential qualifications and work experience:

We will consider applicants within the following variations in terms of qualifications and work experience:

• Variation 1: A Master of Business Administration (MBA) (NQF level 9), with a specialisation in project management, plus three years’ experience in project management; OR

• Variation 2: An honours degree or equivalent qualification (NQF level 8), some kind of project management qualification (e.g. a short course), plus five years’ experience in project management; OR

• Variation 3: A bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification, plus a postgraduate diploma in project management on an NQF level 8, plus five years’ experience in project management; OR

• Variation 4: A project management qualification on NQF level 8 at a higher education institution or professional project management institution, with seven years’ experience in project management.

In addition, applicants must have:

• Demonstrable experience in leading a variety of projects, differing in scope and size.

• Experience in optimally using collaborative project management tools (e.g. Smartsheet, MS Project, Asana, Wrike).

• The ability to communicate effectively in a multilingual and multicultural environment, specifically in English and Afrikaans.

Please note that applicants who do not meet all the requirements will not be considered.

Competencies

Technical competencies

All applicants must complete an online questionnaire that illustrates their understanding of the application of project management methodology and how they would apply it to projects within the University environment (excluding construction and IT projects). Applicants selected for an interview will also be required to complete psychometric tests before the day of the interview, as well as a practical assessment on the day of the interview.

Please copy the following link into your browser to access the questionnaire: https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/599dd12f31544e628aece3c7990b5530

Leadership competencies:

• Project and change management: The ability to manage assigned projects by applying principles, methods or tools for developing, scheduling, coordinating, monitoring, evaluating and managing project resources, including technical performance. The ability to manage a change process; the mobilisation of resources; removal of barriers/resistance to change.

• Financial management: Knowledge of the financial processes to justify and administer the financial budget. The ability to oversee the procurement process. The ability to monitor expenditure and profit to ensure sound fiscal responsibility.

• Impact and presence: The ability to command attention from others; projecting confidence; having a presence; coming across as energised, focused, credible and compelling.

• Strategic thinking: Demonstrate an understanding and insight of the vision, mission and long-term strategy of the University; actively contributing to the strategic direction of the organisation; formulating short-, medium- and long-term strategy to position the University in the marketplace.

• Analytical thinking: The ability to analyse and evaluate data methodically; reading with and drawing conclusions from facts and data.

• Resilience: The ability to deal calmly and effectively and prevail in stressful situations, taking a long-term view of success and failure in pursuing goals despite obstacles and setbacks, including the capacity to bounce back from adversity.

• Conceptual thinking: The ability to effectively utilise and apply abstract ideas and concepts; identifying underlying issues, patterns or connections.

• Building collaborative partnerships: The ability to build and effectively maintain relationships with others, including clients and stakeholders; engaging and influencing others in a collaborative way. The ability to confidently express one’s ideas and feelings in an open and honest way without putting others down or violating their rights.

• Accountability: Accepting full responsibility for one’s own actions, being reliable and taking ownership of the role; accepting the consequences of one’s actions without making excuses and/or blaming others.

Recommendations:

• Registration as a project management professional at a professional organisation for project management, e.g. PMI.

• Experience as a project manager in higher education.

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About Stellenbosch University

Stellenbosch University is recognised as one of the four top research universities in South Africa. It takes pride in the fact that it has one of the country’s highest proportions of postgraduate students of which almost ten percent are international students.

The University lies in the picturesque Jonkershoek Valley in the heart of the Western Cape Winelands. The University has ten faculties, of which eight – AgriSciences, Arts and Social Sciences, Education, Engineering, Law, Science, Theology and the larger part of Economic and Management Sciences - are located on the main campus in Stellenbosch with the Faculty of Health Sciences situated on the Tygerberg campus and the Faculty of Military Science in Saldanha. The University's Business School is situated at the Bellville Park campus.