Executive Project Director

Position SummaryThis position will be the lead role on the project team, overseeing the Senior Project Manager, Change Manager, Training Manager, and Vendor Project Team, as well as part of the Revenue’s governance team directing the modernization project.  The Executive Project Director is responsible for overall management of the project. This position, under the direction of the Revenue Commissioner and Deputy Revenue Commissioner for Water, will lead a project team of 15-25 internal staff and interface with vendor staff responsible for the implementation and continuing support of the new system, consisting of multiple phases of Design and Configuration Development, System Testing, User Acceptance Testing, Training/Cutover, and Production Support. Essential FunctionsProject Management Responsibility for leading all aspects of the project over the entire life cycle (initiate, plan, execute, control, close) in multiple phases Ensures the project is delivered on time, within scope, within budget, and realizes defined project goals Ensures adherence to quality standards and assures deliverables match designs Ensure compatibility and consistency with existing architectural and enterprise standards, working closely with the Office of Innovation and Technology (OIT) Leadership Skills Analyzes complex business processes and leads process changes to implement best practices, realize operational efficiencies, and optimize system capabilities Works with Revenue management to determine interim and final operational models Perform cost/benefit analysis of actions and initiatives Utilize appropriate tools, track project milestones and deliverables, and estimate the resources and participants needed to achieve project goals  Prepares timely and concise status reports and/or dashboards for presentation to mid and senior level management  Provides strategic guidance to help resolve issues and meet project goals Make timely decisions regarding the project within the defined and approved scope, timeline, and resource constraints approved by the Revenue Commissioner and Steering Committee Facilitates decision-making and issue resolution in partnership with the Steering Committee and Revenue Commissioner, particularly those related to scope, budget, and required resources Communication Proactively communicates to Steering Committee, project team members and participants, and internal and external stakeholders Builds and maintains positive, collaborative relationships across organizations within Revenue and with other external stakeholders Consults with clients, staff, and stakeholders to resolve issues; organize, facilitate, and participate in meetings of stakeholder groups to identify needs and build consensus and collaboration; assist in clarifying expected outcomes and managing expectations; provide direction and support to project team Leads Organization Change Management (OCM) effort including planned communications and interactions with bargaining units, other City Departments, and external stakeholders Ensure effective communication between technical and non-technical functions Vendor Management Leads contract negotiation with potential vendors Oversee vendor activities and contract(s) including, holding vendor accountable for meeting timelines, milestones, and quality Administrative management Provides oversight of stakeholder tasks to ensure readiness for implementation Manages Revenue project team and resources Approves project milestones and invoices Prepares and gives presentations Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and AbilitiesStrategic mindset Strong leadership expertise Technical knowledge of modern utility collection practices and systems Effective organizational and interpersonal skills Demonstrated customer focus – evaluates decisions through the eyes of the customer  Excellent team player – collaborates well with others to solve problems and actively incorporates input from various sources Deep operational experience with state or large municipal utilities Strong technical knowledge of modern COTS Integrated Billing Systems Understanding of broad-based technology in multiple business applications and environments Knowledge and understanding with expertise in one or more of the following modules: customer data, billing, customer care, payment processing, and data transfer Understanding of, and ability to navigate in, large and complex organizations and work effectively across organizational boundaries Ability to translate complex technical and specialized business concepts between audiences of different knowledge levels