What are the responsibilities and job description for the Core Full-time Faculty - Curriculum Coordinator, Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program position at Southern California University?
Job Title: Senior Director of Strategic Project Management and Operational Integration
Department: Office of the Provost
Reports To: Executive Director of Demand Generation and Portfolio Strategy
FLSA Status: Exempt Location: Remote
Position Summary
The Senior Director of Strategic Project Management and Operational Integration serves as a key leader in driving university-wide initiatives with a focus on strategic integration, operational excellence, and cross-functional coordination. This role oversees the successful project management of newly acquired businesses, program and geographic expansion, leads continuous improvement of core university processes, and ensures alignment with institutional goals and regulatory standards.
The Senior Director partners closely with senior leadership, faculty, staff, and external stakeholders to manage high-priority initiatives such as operational implementation teams, data governance practices, new location expansion, and major improvement projects. The ideal candidate is a results-oriented project leader with exceptional communication and collaboration skills, a strong analytical mindset, and a proven track record of delivering complex initiatives in dynamic environments.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of strategic projects, including the integration of newly acquired business units into the university’s operational and academic framework.
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Serve as project lead for major cross-functional initiatives, execution of project teams/committees, data governance efforts, and enterprise-wide upgrades. Support includes but is not limited to:
- New Program Launch Planning Committee (PLP), the ExTeam, Data Governance Committee
- Support includes all areas of the institution including Finance, Clinic, and Accreditation as examples
- Establish, track, and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess project outcomes and ensure alignment with institutional goals.
- Facilitate process improvement initiatives to optimize university operations, reduce inefficiencies, and ensure best practices.
- Provide structure, tools, and oversight to ensure successful project governance, documentation, timelines, budgets, and resource allocation.
- Collaborate with senior leadership to develop and refine project charters, scopes, and deliverables aligned with strategic priorities.
- Partner with IT, institutional effectiveness, finance, and academic affairs to ensure seamless coordination across all university departments.
- Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement through inclusive leadership and transparent communication.
- Serve as a thought partner to university leadership on long-term planning, operational integration, and change management strategies.
- Ensure compliance with all institutional policies and applicable federal, state, and accreditation requirements related to projects.
- Potential to build and lead a team in the future to support the successful execution and scaling of key initiatives as the function grows.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, higher education, public administration, or a
related field.
- At least 7 years of progressively responsible project management experience, preferably in a university or similarly complex organization.
- Demonstrated success in managing enterprise-level projects involving diverse stakeholders and complex systems.
- Proven ability to develop and implement measurable goals and deliver results on time and within budget.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrated ability to build relationships and influence across all levels of an organization.
- Experience with data governance and process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma).
- High degree of professional integrity and sound judgment.
- Proficiency with project management tools and platforms (e.g., Asana, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Jira).
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s degree in business administration, project management, public administration, or
a related field.
- PMP® (Project Management Professional) or other professional project management certification.
- Experience in M&A integration within an academic or nonprofit setting.
- Familiarity with higher education compliance, institutional research, or accreditation requirements.
Work Environment and Physical Demands
This position is primarily sedentary and performed in a professional office environment. Some travel and evening/weekend work may be required for project deadlines or stakeholder meetings.
SCU Core Values:
- Integrative Health: We teach, learn, collaborate, and lead by creating an open environment for multiple disciplines and professionals to bring their shared and unique skills together for the benefit of patients and students.
- Evidence-based Practice: We value a culture of inquiry, assessment, research, scholarship, and judicious use of current best evidence to inform our decisions and work.
- Health Equity: We value people’s health equally. We want all individuals and communities to have a fair and just opportunity to be healthy.
- Inclusivity: We welcome and celebrate the breadth of human diversity, including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, culture, socioeconomic status, spiritual and religious belief, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, and geographic background. Inclusivity broadens perspective in our reasoning and leads to better representativeness in our conclusions, more ingenuity in our problem solving, and greater equity in our care.