Senior Project Planning Specialist

Position: Senior Project Planning Specialist

Location: London, Ontario

Position Type: Full-time, 3-year renewable contract.

Hiring Range: $65,733 - $82,115

Application Deadline: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 11:59PM.

About Ivey Business School:

Ivey Business School acknowledges and respects the traditional lands of the Anishinaabek, Haudenosaunee, Lūnaapéewak, and Attawandaron peoples, where Western University and Ivey Business School are located. This land continues to be home to diverse Indigenous peoples, whom we recognize as contemporary stewards of the land and vital contributors of the community.

Ivey Business School (www.ivey.ca) at Western University (www.uwo.ca) is Canada’s leading provider of real-world, case-based business education. Drawing on extensive research and business experience, Ivey’s faculty provides the best classroom experience, equipping students with the knowledge, skills, and capabilities they need to confidently take on today’s leadership challenges and opportunities through Case-Method Learning. Ivey offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as Executive Education at campuses in London, Toronto, and Hong Kong.

The IT department at Ivey Business School plays a pivotal role in shaping the institution's technological landscape, constantly engaging in exciting and innovative activities. Ivey’s IT professionals are at the forefront of ensuring that students, faculty, and staff have access to the best technologies and services. They create and maintain advanced educational platforms, enabling remote and hybrid learning, while also enhancing in-person classroom experiences through interactive tools and digital resources.

Position Overview:

As a member of the Information Technology team at Ivey, the Senior Project Planning Specialist plays an integral role in the planning, implementation, and tracking of multiple IT projects. In the position of Senior Project Planning Specialist, they are tasked with ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and meeting required specifications. Serving as the primary point of contact for stakeholders, including clients, team members, and vendors, they lead cross-functional teams to ensure successful project delivery while managing project risks, issues, and changes. Thriving in a fast-paced, dynamic, and team-oriented environment, they are passionate about project management in higher education. If they are excited about the opportunity to work for Canada’s most prestigious business school, alongside the brightest staff, students, and globally recognized faculty, then this is the place for them!

Responsibilities:

1. Project Management

• Define project scope, goals, and deliverables that support business goals in collaboration with stakeholders.
• Develop detailed project plans, timelines, and budgets, and monitor progress against these plans.
• Coordinate resources across multiple projects and ensure that they are aligned with project goals and objectives.
• Lead project teams, including technical and business resources, and manage project stakeholders' expectations.
• Identify and allocate the necessary resources for the project. Ensure that the resources are utilized efficiently to meet the clients'/customers' requirements and deliver the project within the agreed-upon timeframe.
• Identify and manage project risks, issues, and changes and develop contingency plans to mitigate these risks.
• Communicate project status, progress, and issues to stakeholders regularly. Schedule project meetings as needed.
• Develop and maintain project documentation, including project plans, status reports, and risk and issue logs.
• Ensure project deliverables meet the required quality standards.
• Manage project budgets and track project financials.
• Ensure compliance with project management methodologies, tools, and processes.
• Act as a trusted advisor and maintain regular contact with the client, providing the status of the project progress, communicating any changes or issues, and addressing any concerns raised by the client.
• Track the status of deliverables and any decisions made regarding Project Change Requests and outstanding issues.
• Manage requests for scope changes from stakeholders, such as additional features or modifications. The incumbent may need to negotiate these changes, considering the project's constraints, budget, and timeline.
• Prepare project status reports for stakeholders and ensure the effective alignment of resources to best support the attainment of the objectives.
• Negotiate with vendors to expedite the delivery of a project. Effectively communicate to the vendor regarding any project's urgencies, constraints, or finding a mutually beneficial solution that ensures timely delivery without compromising quality or incurring excessive costs.
• Liaison between the project team and vendors, ensuring effective collaboration, managing expectations, and overseeing the vendor's contribution to the project's success. Ensure that vendors are accountable, deliver high-quality products or services, and maintain a productive working relationship throughout the project.

• Contribute to IT Roadmap of Products and Services.
• Collaborate on creation of and priority setting for projects on the I.T. roadmap.
• Collaborate on the development of the IT Roadmap of Products and Solutions.
• Maintain documentation and integrate the documentation with other areas of IT.

Qualifications:

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in IT project management, preferably in software development.
• Experience with project management software, such as Jira, Microsoft Project, and collaboration tools, such as Microsoft Teams.

Skills and Abilities:

• Strong understanding of project management methodologies and tools, such as Agile and PMBOK.
• Proven track record of successfully managing large and complex IT projects, delivering projects on time, within budget, and meeting the required specifications.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Ability to work independently, to plan, be proactive and suggest improvements.
• Ability to ensure expenditures and resources are within allotments, and to make appropriate modifications when required.
• Knowledge of common project obstacles and necessary controls and contingency plans that will help address them.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders.
• Exceptional time management and organization skills, and demonstrated capability of managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Team player, willing to actively contribute to all activities and events related to assigned projects and client success.
• Self-learner who constantly looks to improve their professional practice through research and exposure to new ideas.
• PMP or Prince2 certification is an asset or willingness to complete.
• Hours may vary (including evenings and weekends) from time to time with approaching deadlines.

What We Offer:

• Flexible or hybrid work plans for many roles
• A collaborative and engaging work culture
• Opportunity to join a community of people-focused professionals
• Market competitive compensation with annual increases available
• Generous benefits package with employer-paid premiums, including a comprehensive Health and Dental Plan, Health Care Spending Account, short- and long-term disability programs, no waiting period required.
• Enhanced mental health benefits coverage and resources.
• Life and AD&D insurance for you and your family.
• Out-of-country travel insurance.
• Employee and Family Assistance Program.
• Pregnancy and Parental top-up leave program.
• A generous group retirement savings plan with 7.5% employer contributions.
• Vacation starting at 15 days per year plus 2 paid Ivey Personal Days.
• Paid time off during the School’s December holiday closure.
• Numerous campus-wide arts, culture, and sport events.
• Supports for professional development and career progression opportunities.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Ivey:

Ivey Business School is committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. Please explore Ivey’s EDI homepage for more information on Ivey's commitment to EDI, to read about Ivey’s progress in the EDI Update, and to meet Ivey’s EDI Advisory Council members.

Ivey Business School invites applications from all qualified individuals. Ivey is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodation:
Prior to the next step in the recruiting process, we welcome you to inform us confidentially if you may require any accommodations in order to participate fully in our recruitment experience. Please contact us at careers@ivey.ca to notify us of any needs related to completing the job application, and/or throughout the recruitment process.

Application:

If you're excited about joining Canada's leading business school and meet the qualifications, please submit your resume and cover letter via the Ivey Careers page by the application deadline.

*Please note only selected candidates will be contacted.