MANAGER - IS PROJECTS

SUMMARY

The Manager - IS Projects will lead the direction of the IT Project Management Office (PMO) and coordinate financial stewardship for IT costs within the company.

This role will drive the strategy for project management systems and standard practices across the organization, while also focusing on optimizing IT resources and leading the IT organization towards project management best practices and modern agile methods.

The Manager - IS Projects will ensure that IS and IT project management practices and systems are operated and administered using best practices, track & report resource utilization and costs, plan and optimize IT service provider and employee resources, lead the IT service provider management function, coordinate IT annual budgeting in partnership with departmental leadership, optimize processes and systems used for executing IT accounting tasks, and provide other IT business and financial services as needed.

The Manager - IS Projects will also identify needed enhancements to policies, practices, and systems in support of project management, IT business / financial, IT service provider management, and contract management functions, and act as the primary lead in defining requirements, designing solutions, and executing changes in partnership with IT leadership.

This individual will apply proven communication, analytical, leadership, and problem-solving skills to help maximize the benefit of organizational directives and business goals.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

May include, but are not limited to, the following :

IT Project Management and Portfolio Process

Ensure compliance of Project Portfolio Management and Project Management (PPM / PM) process and tools with best practices and Westlake's methodology

Train and familiarize project management system users, ensuring consistent utilization of the system

Collaborate with IT and IS leadership to identify and implement system enhancements supporting process and operational changes

Drive improvements, optimization, and automation of project management processes

Project Management System Administration

Monitor and update projects and ideas to ensure conformity to field specifications that provide the required functionality and reporting

Administer system user access, including set up of new users, access changes, and terminations

Act as Project Champion for certain projects - Review stage advancement requests and advance the gate when all requirements are complete

Maintain project management system alongside the system vendor, including patches, updates, version upgrades, and other changes

Timesheet System Administration

Coordinate with IT and IS leadership to administer and configure timesheets system for entering contractor and FTE time against project, enhancements, and support functions.

Resource Supply & Demand Balance and Reporting

Coordinate with IT and IS leadership to compile Resource Supply & Demand Balance and Reporting (Individual & Role)

Corporate IT Annual Budget & Monthly Cost Allocations

Optimize and document processes and practices for monthly and annual cost accounting and budgeting functions within IT

Prepare, advise, and submit annual IT budgets in partnership with IT & IS leadership

Monitor monthly IT / IS costs against budget, identify significant variances, work with IT / IS leadership to document reasons for variances

Prepare and submit monthly IT / IS project services cost allocation reports to Corporate Accounting, allocating costs to individual business units, corporate functions and special projects

Compile Company IT / IS data for industry cost & benchmark surveys

Obtain, compile, submit data on survey form

Receive survey results from surveys and validate

Receive and distribute results to IT / IS leadership

IT Contract Execution Process & Management

Oversee and Manage the IT vendor contract process

Drive improvements to IT vendor contract management processes, practices, and systems, and help to drive adoption within IT / IS groups

Provide direction & coaching for contract management process analyst(s)

IT Contract Service Provider Management

Help define IT / IS resource requirements and work with IT service providers to address requirements

Track service provider performance vs. contracted metrics, work with provider to address under-performance

Track and manage service provider costs vs. contracted costs

Collaborate with vendors to prepare Statements of Work (SOWs) for new and renewed contractor resources

Collaborate with service provider to prepare SOWs for special projects

Monitor execution progress for provider SOWs

IS Invoice Approval & Accrual Reporting

Monitor and audit IS contract service provider costs

Report accrued hours and costs for periodic reporting

Compliance and Continuous Improvement

Comply with all Company policies and procedures

Support Company goals of continuous improvement and operational excellence at strategic and tactical levels

Review area of responsibility for improvement opportunities, initiate projects or communicate ideas to management, and actively participate in project teams

Supervision Duties

Provide direction and day to day supervision to one or more employee or contracted position

Provide performance feedback to direct reports, including annual goal setting, assessment against goals, direction on addressing performance gaps

Other responsibilities or tasks as assigned.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• College Degree or 7 years equivalent work experience in Computer Science, Business, or related discipline. Bachelor's degree in IT or business-related field of study preferred.
• At least 5 years team leadership experience.
• At least 5 years budgeting and financial reporting experience, and solid knowledge of accounting terminology, practices, and practical applications in IT environment
• Extensive knowledge of project management practices and systems. PMO certification is preferred, but not required.
• Excellent collaboration, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit; stand; walk; use hands to touch, handle, or feel;

reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch. The employee must regularly lift and / or move up to 10 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate as normally based in an office. Some of the work may be required in the operating units which can require usage of required PPE including safety glasses, hearing protection, etc.

May also result in exposure to outside elements and may require usage of stairs and elevators. Travel including air travel or auto travel may occasionally be required.