IT Project Administrator

The Johns Hopkins Center for Technology in Education (CTE) is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of children and youth, particularly those with special needs, through teaching, research, and leadership in the use of technology. To help carry out this mission, CTE develops a variety of web applications, mobile apps, online professional development, and large data systems that support the work of students, teachers, educational leaders, and policy makers. CTE is looking for mission-driven problem-solvers who can thrive in our diverse, collaborative, fast-paced, and results-driven work environment. We value innovation, creativity, integrity, and a shared commitment to the children and youth that we ultimately serve. In return, we offer employees the opportunity to be part of the Johns Hopkins community and to take advantage of our generous benefits package, which includes affordable health-care options and tuition assistance for employees and their families.

This position will manage various CTE technology projects. A proven background in business analysis, requirements gathering, project planning, project execution management, and project resource management is required. The successful candidate will have a strong knowledge of software implementation lifecycles and have experience leading multiple software and/or hardware implementations. Candidate will also develop and maintain key relationships with a broad range of CTE leadership, staff, faculty, researchers, and contractors/consultants and act as a primary project technical contact for key stakeholders.

Specific duties & responsibilities:

• Work with CTE’s ‘technical product managers,’ and other project stakeholders across departmental teams, to develop and track detailed business requirements for multiple projects with sometimes conflicting timelines and priorities; from concept to launch.

• Utilizing Agile and Scrum methodologies to guide the development of CTE technical systems, ensuring quality control of the process, and suggesting enhancements to the process and methodologies as appropriate.

• Work with the project team and CTE technical staff to develop and track detailed technical requirements.

• Build and maintain project plans and report on project progress, milestones, and deliverables.

• Serve as a professional source of advice and assistance on managing technical projects; train and coach other project leaders about the most important elements of technical project management, and assist them in addressing the elements

 of the process that overlaps with other project team roles.

• Design and produce reports, agendas, and minutes for technical project team meetings; set up and facilitate meetings where needed.

• Maintain project document archive in central location, including meeting notes, key decisions, technical and business requirements, work orders, technical scopes of work, and project plans.

• Facilitate the resolution of problems and issues related to conflicting technical requirements, overlapping timelines, conflicting priorities, and other cross-project issues that require coordination of staffing, timeline, and resources.  Ensure the

 proper communication of problem resolutions and decisions made.

• Work with and/or manage the consulting and technical development services of vendors, including the development of and adjustments to a project scope of work, contract and work order, and the allocation of resources to vendors.

• Research and evaluate software, products and systems, including coordinating vendor demonstrations. May include testing on-line applications, contacting systems administrators, and interviewing students, teachers, and administrators.

• Internal department support; mentoring new or junior staff, improving methodologies and processes, and providing support for conferences, CTE-led meetings, and other presentation activities.

Minimum qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, or related field. Five years of technical project management experience required.

Preferred qualifications:

Master’s degree preferred. 7+ years of professional experience with 3+ years’ experience managing complex interdepartmental projects.

Special knowledge, skills, and abilities: 

• Excellent understanding of business complexity and project interdependencies.

• Must have a strong understanding/experience with User Experience, development for mobile devices, development of web applications, preferably in field related to education.

• Exceptional interpersonal skills. Must build strong relationships with partners. High degree of empathy for colleagues and stakeholders with less experience or understanding of technology products, systems, and databases.

• Effective, organized, and concise written and verbal communicator with executive presentation skills.

• Attention to detail and proven execution capabilities. Demonstrated ability to multitask and prioritize diverse tasks. Proven ability to work under pressure, owning and meeting critical deadlines.

• Ability to thrive in an unstructured, fast-moving and constantly evolving high growth environment.

• Extensive knowledge, and success with leading efforts in system configuration, solution design, testing and implementations.