Job Description

Program Manager- R&D Modernization

Location: Chicago IL
Duration: 6 months

Description:
Job Purpose/Overview
This role is a Program Leadership role driving a portfolio of client\xe2\x80\x99s R&D Digitization and Digitalization activities to improve operational efficiencies and create value through digital solutions.
This role will serve as a key partner with multiple R&D stakeholders across levels, including the Client\xe2\x80\x99s R&D Leadership Team.
This role facilitates R&D modernization meetings, influences digitalization strategy shaping, and facilitates a governance structure within R&D Digital Transformation.

Key Responsibilities
This role reports to the Global Director of R&D Digital Transformation and works closely with relevant stakeholder groups to drive the Program Management Office (PMO) for R&D Modernization.
This role will be called upon to re-establish the Global R&D Program Management Office for R&D Modernization.

Expected core deliverables from the Program Manager include:
Establish R&D Modernization Mission Control and Program Management Office:
Lead the initiative to establish one source of truth for Client\xe2\x80\x99s R&D Modernization, which includes linking existing processes to output clear understanding of budget and resource management across portfolio of R&D Digital initiatives.
Expected scope includes creating appropriate dashboards and visualization tools to capture and track spending and FTE allocations to enable the R&D leaders to understand investment choices and benefits realized through R&D Digitization and Digitalization activities.
The PMO will partner with relevant resources as needed, including Finance, client Digital Technology, and R&D subject matter experts to curate the right suite of existing and new tools fit for purpose.
In order to maintain command of overall program progress, the Program Manager will perform duties that include coordinating the update of day-to-day workstream and project progress, providing PMO support, tools, and frameworks to ensure progress against deliverables is clear and measurable. PMO services with project teams include operationalizing progress reporting
tracking and visualizing benefits, issue capture and corrective action plan, and change management support with R&D stakeholders.

Facilitate the R&D Modernization Council: the purpose of the council is to manage stakeholder communications and expectations on Program progress across workstreams, seek decisions from key decision makers, where applicable, and communicate expectations and outcomes with project teams through appropriate communication mechanisms to maintain alignment, including visual dashboards and newsletters, etc.

Program Management Coaching and Project Management Support:
As digital activities span a nascent a Telecommunications and Media company of emerging Digital technologies within R&D, the Program Manager may need to step in to upskill teams on how to work through discovery of digital use cases per a data science framework, put parameters around executing test and learns, and build a roadmap path to scale.
This role will need to flex and role model project management approaches and structure to create a proxy for others to follow as the overall Program portfolio and platforms are built up.
Duties include running workshops to engage teams and doing roadshow events to spotlight use case successes to increase awareness and adoption.
This role may also be called upon to contribute expertise and program management to other \xe2\x80\x98added value\xe2\x80\x99 R&D Digital Transformation initiatives to ensure the success of the global R&D organization, including change initiatives.

Context and Scope
This role is a senior member of R&D Digital Transformation and serves as a business strategy partner to key functional teams on the ever present need to balance program delivery and prioritization of strategic initiatives.
This role will bring consistency to the team through establishing collaborative ways of working and applying situationally appropriate tools (e.g. meeting notes templates, action trackers, timelines, charters, presentation templates, meeting facilitation guides, reporting dashboards, stakeholder communication documents, etc.).
The PMO role is focused on the pursuit of continuous improvement of project management activities to maximize the team\xe2\x80\x99s inputs/outputs to achieve our business objectives faster and/or more effectively.
A Program Manager plays a critical role to ensure that team tacit knowledge is made explicit through the use of business tools for knowledge sharing (SharePoint, One Drive, One Note, etc.) and fosters a team culture of knowledge sharing to maintain business continuity in an environment of constant change in the Digital Transformation arena.

Job Specifications/Qualifications
Education & Professional Qualifications
Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s Degree in science, engineering, information technology or related digital field.
PMP project management certification (or equivalent) strongly preferred
At least 2 years\xe2\x80\x99 project management experience
At least 10 years\xe2\x80\x99 professional experience working in a technical environment and/or digital technology field

Knowledge / Experience
5 years\xe2\x80\x99 experience in project management and/or PMO preferred.
Basic awareness of digital technologies preferred.
These include simulation, basic data science capabilities and data analytics practices, automation applications (eg, digital workers, PowerApps), and/or artificial intelligence.
Must demonstrate excellence in project management skills and attention to details with strong track record of delivering complex initiatives.
Strong business acumen with ability to comprehend complex R&D initiatives and translate into manageable program scopes with clear deliverables and metrics of success.
Leverage Subject Matter Experts and applicable resources effectively.
Strong collaboration and influencing skills to be able to get work done through others.
Experience managing cross-functional and globally dispersed teams.
Comfort in navigating complex systems and processes, and in effectively scoping, shaping, and driving program and key activities to achieve deliverables on time and in full.
Advanced/Expert skill level in initiating continuous improvements and co-creating improved ways of working through strong collaboration, communication and project management.
Advanced in risk assessment and contingency planning.

Effective communication skills including:
Synthesizing qualitative updates across various teams into clear and concise reports
Ability to customize message to suit the audience from technical peers through senior business leaders
Effective stakeholder management to ensure program updates are cascaded accordingly
Strong organization skills, thoughtful decision making and ability to think on your feet

Key client Leadership Competencies (4-6)
Persuades: Using compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others.
Negotiates skillfully in tough situations.
Responds effectively to the reactions and positions of others.

Communicates Effectively:
Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
Attentively listens to others.
Is effective in a variety of communication settings, among diverse styles and position levels.

Business Insight:
Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization\xe2\x80\x99s goals.
Uses knowledge of business drivers and how strategies and tactics play out in the market to guide actions.

Manages Ambiguity:
Operating effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear.
Deals constructively with problems that do not have clear solutions or outcomes

Optimizes Work Processes:
Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
Separates and combines activities into efficient workflow.

Key Functional Competencies & Technical Skills :
Key R&D Functional Competencies & Technical skills
Framing Business Challenges
Communication of Research Outcomes
Risk & Opportunity Identification
Performance Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

Relevant Quantitative and Budget Information
Financial / Budget Impact
No direct Budget accountability for this role.
May influence
$1M budget spending for R&D Digital Transformation Department expenses; may support CAB projects

ICONMA