Fast Facts

Join Ellucian as a Program Director, leading complex SaaS implementations in the higher education technology sector. Drive project success and build strong relationships with stakeholders while managing resources and project goals.

Responsibilities: Lead multiple program workstreams through all phases of project implementation, ensuring successful delivery and customer satisfaction while managing project risks and resources effectively.

Skills: Significant experience in project implementation for CRM or ERP SaaS projects; strong knowledge of project management disciplines including quality, risk, and resource management.

Qualifications: Preferred certifications in cloud and project management disciplines; experience in higher education's industry and operational elements affecting financial forecasts.

Location: Remote, within the United States

Compensation: Not provided by employer. Typical compensation ranges for this position are between $120,000 - $180,000.

About Ellucian

Ellucian is a global market leader in education technology. We power innovation for higher education, partnering with more than 2,800 customers across 50 countries and serving over 20 million students. Ellucian's AI-powered platform, trained on the richest dataset available in higher education, drives efficiency, personalized experiences, and strengthened engagement for all students, faculty and staff. Fueled by decades of experience with a singular focus on the unique needs of learning institutions, the Ellucian platform features best-in-class SaaS capabilities and delivers insights needed now and into the future. These solutions and services span the entire student lifecycle, from student recruitment, enrollment, and retention to workforce analytics, fundraising, and alumni engagement. Ellucian's innovative solutions, vast ecosystem of partners, and user community of more than 45,000 provide best practices leading to greater institutional success and achieving better student outcomes.

Values Rooted in Purpose

We embrace the power to lead, the courage to innovate, and the determination to grow. At our core, we believe in humanizing our approach, recognizing that our people are our greatest strength. With a shared vision of transformation, we endeavor to shape a brighter future for higher education.

About the Opportunity

Ellucian is seeking an experienced Professional Services Program Director to join the North American field delivery team to lead complex systemwide SaaS implementations for colleges and universities. The Program Director will manage and lead high-priority projects including SaaS and Cloud implementations which often require considerable resources and high levels of complex functional and technical integration and knowledge. While not expert in the field, the expectations for candidates to fill this role include significant experience in all the areas below.

Where you will make an impact

• Lead multiple program workstreams through all phases of the Ellucian Implementation Methodology from initiation/planning through the execution and delivery of the contract concluding with project transition and close, ensuring a successful project.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with team members, client stakeholders, and peers.
• Apply Project Management disciplines such as quality, risk, resource, and change management while being accountable for meeting the time, cost, and scope of each project.
• Communicate the plan, roles, constraints, milestones, and critical path to all team members and project stakeholders.
• Understand and apply standard project management and delivery methodology and project tracking standards to build effective plans and deliver quality solutions.
• Anticipate and mitigate risks and identify opportunities.
• Lead project team status meetings to ensure the project milestones are met and dependencies are tracked.
• Manage activities of customer and resources to deliver a fully integrated solution.
• Act as a shared point of contact between internal and external stakeholders.
• Proactively and timely coordinate and communicate project activities to all involved parties.
• Provide management with an articulate summary of project status.
• Facilitate discussions with appropriate leadership and key sponsors to negotiate key decisions related to the triple constraints (time, cost, scope) while maintaining excellent customer satisfaction.
• Build and maintain positive professional relationships and function as the change agent for customers.
• Manage all resources when project turnaround situations occur. Lead cross-functional team resolutions to mitigate project risks and issues.
• Provide timely and constructive performance feedback regarding resources assigned to projects.
• Improve team dynamics and performance by building team cohesiveness through leadership, mentoring, and motivating to facilitate cooperation, ensure project efficiency, and boost morale.

What you will bring

• Significant skills/knowledge/experience in project implementation for CRM OR ERP SaaS projects
• Experience in several operational elements that affect financial and resource forecasts are on track; including but not limited to:
• Up-to-date accuracy of all project plans for the duration of the project
• Customer satisfaction
• Accurate revenue recognition, which requires timely review and approval of time sheets, expense reports, billing request documents, and credit requests.
• Accomplish project goals within a matrix-management environment.
• Assist Customer Relations team in developing solutions by providing knowledge and expertise during the sales cycle (this may include the ability to sell the value of project management services).
• Identify business growth opportunities by applying knowledge of higher education’s industry, business processes, and software products.
• Guide and mentor less experienced Project Managers
• Develop methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
• Certifications in cloud and project management disciplines that suggest expert level KSA’s for these areas.

What makes #Ellucianlife

• Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision 
• Flexible time off 
• Thrive Flex Lifestyle Account (LSA) that allows you to contribute towards your health, financial or learning interests
• 401k w/ match & BrightPlan - to help you save for the future
• Parental Leave
• 5 charitable days to support the community that supports us
• Telemedicine
• Wellness
• Headspace Care (mental health)
• Wellbeats (virtual fitness classes)
• RethinkCare & Wellthy– caregiver support
• Diversity and inclusion programs which provide access to internal employee resource groups 
• Employee referral bonuses to encourage the addition of great new people to the team
• We Foster a learning culture with:
• Education Assistance Program 
• Professional development opportunities

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