[Hiring] Program Director @Ellucian

Role Description

The Program Director, Campus Modernization brings both talent and passion to drive project management for campus modernization initiatives within the Ellucian Managed Services (EMS) portfolio. The Program Director will work at a critical crossroads in the successful delivery of customer-side SaaS modernizations and operational initiatives that drive transformation for colleges and universities while partnering closely with EMS delivery team and the Professional Services PMO.

• Lead multiple projects through all phases of the Ellucian Implementation Methodology—from initiation and planning through execution, delivery, transition, and closure—ensuring successful outcomes aligned with contractual commitments.
• Build and maintain strong, collaborative working relationships with internal team members, client stakeholders, and cross-functional peers.
• Apply core project management disciplines, including quality management, risk mitigation, resource planning, and change control, while maintaining accountability for meeting scope, schedule, and budget objectives.
• Clearly communicate project plans, roles, constraints, milestones, and critical path activities to team members and stakeholders.
• Apply standardized project management methodologies, delivery frameworks, and tracking practices to develop effective project plans and deliver high‑quality solutions.
• Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate project risks while recognizing and leveraging opportunities.
• Co-lead project team status meetings to monitor progress, manage dependencies, and ensure milestones are achieved.
• Co-coordinate and manage both customer and internal resources to deliver a fully integrated end‑to‑end solution.
• Serve as a central point of contact for internal and external project stakeholders, ensuring alignment and responsiveness.
• Provide timely, proactive communication of project activities, decisions, and updates to all relevant parties.
• Deliver clear, concise, and actionable project status updates to management and executive stakeholders.
• Facilitate discussions with leadership and key sponsors to support decision‑making related to project constraints (time, cost, scope) while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction.
• Build and maintain positive professional relationships, acting as a change agent to guide customers through transformation and modernization initiatives.
• Lead project turnaround efforts when necessary, managing resources effectively and guiding cross‑functional teams in resolving risks and issues.
• Provide timely, constructive performance feedback to project team members to support professional development and project success.
• Enhance team performance and cohesion by fostering collaboration, offering mentorship, and motivating team members to ensure efficient project execution and a positive team culture.
• Mentor and guide a cross-departmental (EMS & PS) Community of Practice (CoP), who engage in ongoing collaboration, knowledge sharing, and skill development, with the goal of advancing both individual and group expertise.
• Assist in developing and maintaining a Community of Practice (CoP) library that includes shared resources, tools, methodologies, success stories, and best practices.
• Develop and refine EMS specific methodologies, tools, techniques, and evaluation criteria to drive consistent, high‑quality project outcomes.
• Successfully achieve project goals within a matrix‑managed environment, effectively coordinating across functional teams.

Qualifications

• Proven project management experience, ideally within SaaS or cloud implementation environments, leading complex, cross‑functional initiatives.
• Exceptional relationship‑building skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Advanced prioritization and problem‑solving abilities, including proficiency in root‑cause analysis and managing competing priorities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with an emphasis on clarity, professionalism, and impact.
• Demonstrated commitment to customer satisfaction and delivering high‑quality project outcomes.
• Demonstrated expertise in leading CRM or ERP SaaS implementation projects, with deep knowledge of cloud‑based project delivery practices.
• Proven experience managing key operational components that influence financial and resource forecasting, including but not limited to:
• Maintaining accurate, up‑to‑date project plans throughout the project lifecycle.
• Ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and engagement.
• Supporting accurate revenue recognition through timely review and approval of timesheets, expense reports, billing requests, and credit adjustments.
• Demonstrated experience leading projects with Ellucian solution set highly desirable.
• Willingness and ability to travel as needed to support business objectives and team activities.
• Current knowledge of use and trends of technology in higher education preferred.
• Demonstrable expertise in developing learning/enablement content at scale.
• Working experience within the higher education industry preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills required.
• Experience with Certinia is preferred.
• Experience with Smartsheet is preferred.

Benefits

• 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

Company Description

Ellucian powers innovation for higher education, partnering with approximately 3,000 customers across 50 countries, serving more than 21 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.