About this role
The PPM (Planning and Performance Management) Department engages in project management, planning, performance management, process development, and software tool development across every department and function of Region 3.
The Project Management Specialist will serve as an integral member of this team, bringing expertise in strategic planning, process improvement, organizational systems, and technology to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. This role will support the development and implementation of streamlined processes and innovative solutions that strengthen Region 3's internal operations and improve the quality of services provided to its school districts.
The ideal candidate for this position has experience taking complex tasks or systems and making them simple, designing and improving processes collaboratively, and working across department lines to share knowledge and improve access to information. The ideal candidate has experience building automations and user interfaces in Google Apps Script, or would be able to dive in and learn this skill set. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, proficiency in data and logic, and a willingness to quickly learn new skills to make informed recommendations and create design processes and tools to meet the needs of the Service Center.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's Degree required, Advanced degree preferred but not required
- Five or more years experience in business-focused positions involving project management, leadership, finance, or another related field
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Successfully design and monitor project management plans for initiative/projects for Region 3 and Region 3 school districts
- Analyze, design, and implement processes for Region 3 and Region 3 school districts.
- Operate and push forward the cycle of continuous improvement: Planning, implementation, review, and adjustment.
- Understand and routinely use multiple software platforms on a “power user” level including, but not limited to: Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Apps Script, AI Coding assistants, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft VBA
- Become fluent and share expertise in various technologies, software, and complex systems
- Understand basic financial and accounting procedures
- Communicate and present clearly, effectively, and succinctly, to both small and large audiences
- Collaborate with Region 3 staff and Region 3 school district leaders to implement performance planning for projects/initiatives
- Design, deliver, and facilitate high-quality professional development for adult audiences, both in person and virtually
- Connect with diverse audiences and understand complex and unique circumstances in order to support growth among individuals and across domains and contexts
- Coach, model and provide feedback on performance
- Manage multiple projects at once, track progress, communicate proactively, and meet deadlines
- Produce high quality work in diverse circumstances, including occasional short timeframes or periods of intense work
- Break down complex information into comprehensive parts, ask questions, synthesize and analyze.
- Influence others to achieve outcomes, both within and outside formal management structures
- Collaborative and results-oriented
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Demonstrates a growth mindset, desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback and continuously improve
- Strong sense of personal accountability; takes initiative to meet ambitious goals
All positions at ESC 3 are defined as security-sensitive. Security-sensitive positions are those which require employees to be entrusted with the certain types of data, whether electronic or in paper form. Those data elements, as defined by the ESC 3 Data
Classification and Handling Policy may include, but not limited to:
- Sensitive Personal Information (SPI)
- Personally, Identifiable Information (PII)
- Protected Health Information (PHI)
- Family Educational Records (FERPA Data)
- Federal Tax Information (FTI)
- HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability Accountability Act)
It is the employees on-going responsibility to safeguard this type of data and to report any instance of lost or stolen data.