WIDA Assessment Project Manager

Job Summary:

The Project Manager position is located within the Assessment department and will report to the Assistant Director of Assessment Operations. This position will be responsible for managing multiple, overlapping, phased projects for the operational work of a large-scale assessment. This includes planning, executing, monitoring, and closing out each of the phases of the project, for multiple testing years. This project is a high priority and requires inter- and intra-departmental collaboration, as well as working closely with external vendors. The project manager may also be responsible for other operations and/or research projects that are aligned with strategic goals for both WIDA and the Assessment department.

The Project Manager will coordinate project teams to ensure the identified deliverables and milestones are delivered on time, within budget, and meet the agreed upon scope. They will ensure stakeholders are knowledgeable about relevant project aspects and any specific requirements, as well as communicating others? roles and responsibilities to ensure project success. Their work will include providing administrative, logistical support such as booking/running meetings, setting agendas, and noting decisions/follow-ups, organizing files, and maintaining project trackers. They will also manage interdependencies among tasks in the larger project portfolio, and they will collaborate with their teams to determine optimal approaches to achieving project goals.

Working fully remote is an option for this position within the United States (working remotely internationally is not an option). Requests to work remotely would need to be reviewed based on the UW and School of Education (SoE) remote work policies and go through the SoE implementation process. To learn more about these policies, visit https://businessoffice.education.wisc.edu/human-resources/remote-work/. 

WIDA values linguistic and cultural diversity both as an end and a means for success in the field of education. As such, we strongly encourage applications from a diverse pool of candidates. For more information on WIDA's Mission and Values, please visit https://wida.wisc.edu/about/mission-history. 

Responsibilities:

Manages multiple projects simultaneously from start to finish or one large project impacting the institution at-large under general supervision.

• 40% Creates a project plan, monitors progress and performance against the project plan, and identifies, resolves, or escalates risks and issues
• 15% Manages the activities of outside contractors to ensure they are integrated into the project and that the organization receives satisfactory standards of service
• 15% Facilitates the estimation of project costs, resources, and time required to complete the assigned phase of a project and monitors activities, negotiates for resources, and assigns tasks to ensure these targets are met. Follows established change control processes if targets can no longer be met
• 10% Prepares regular reports to communicate the status of the project within and beyond the project team
• 20% Sets priorities, allocates tasks, and collaborates with project staff to meet project targets and milestones

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Education:

Required
Bachelor's Degree

Qualifications:

Required
- Minimum of 2 years of successful project management experience with basic understanding of project management methodologies
- Experience using project management software tools such as Smartsheet, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, and/or other similar resources
- Track record of completing projects according to outlined scope, budget, and timeline
- Experience providing some logistical, administrative support to your project teams
- Ability to convey complex ideas clearly, concisely, and concretely in written communication
- Ability to work collaboratively, solve problems creatively, and utilize strong interpersonal skills to achieve project success
- Ability to learn institutional processes
- Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams that include multiple internal and external stakeholders

Preferred
- Working experience with large scale assessment projects.
- Experience in projects related to language assessment, multilingual education, special education, or low-incidence disabilities.

Work Type:

Full Time: 100%

It is anticipated this position will be remote and requires work be performed at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Salary:

Minimum $72,000 ANNUAL (12 months)
Depending on Qualifications
This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please visit: https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/  https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf. 

Additional Information:

What is WIDA? For over 20 years, WIDA has provided a trusted, comprehensive approach to supporting, teaching, and assessing multilingual learners. We are an educational services organization that advances language development and academic achievement for multilingual children in early childhood and grades K-12. In short, we provide educators around the world with high-quality language standards, assessments, professional learning, and research. We are proud to be a part of the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) within UW-Madison's nationally ranked School of Education. Visit https://wida.wisc.edu/about/careers  and watch our Introduction to WIDA video to see why WIDA is an incredible place to work!

The Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER), established in 1964, is one of the first, most productive, and largest university-based education research and development centers in the world. WCER's researchers and staff work to make teaching and learning as effective as possible for all ages and all people. WCER's mission is to improve educational outcomes for diverse student populations, impact education practice positively and foster collaborations among academic disciplines and practitioners. To this end, our center helps scholars and practitioners develop, submit, conduct, and share grant-funded education research.

WCER's Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison and The Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER). Individual differences and group diversity inspire creative and equitable outcomes. WCER actively affirms values and seeks to increase diversity in our everyday interactions, practices, and policies.

For more information and news about our center, please go to https://wcer.wisc.edu/. 

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability during the recruitment process, please email education-HR.DDR@education.wisc.edu, and one of our Division Disability Representatives will contact you. More information can also be found at https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/. 

How to Apply:

Please click on the "Apply Now" button to start the application process. As part of the application process, you will be required to submit:

- A cover letter describing how your experience and qualifications meet the requirements of this position.
- A current resume or CV.
- A list of at least three professional references, including contact information.

A successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment.

Contact:

Kelly Krahenbuhl
humanresources@wida.us
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Project Manager II(AD016)

Department(s):

A17-SCHOOL OF EDUCATION/WCER

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

306330-AS

 

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence through diversity and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, click here

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability, you can find information about how to make a request at the following website: https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants/

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require you and your references to answer questions regarding sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department. Apply