Planning and Projects Specialist, College of Medicine

Planning and Projects Specialist, College of Medicine Primary Purpose: The Planning and Projects Specialist will lead and support priority planning and implementation initiatives for the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) program, with a primary focus on Year 2 planning and implementation. Reporting to the Program Manager, with an oversight from the Academic Director, this role is responsible for moving projects from concept to execution by designing processes, coordinating activities, documenting decisions, and ensuring timely delivery of agreed-upon initiatives. The Specialist will work closely with academic and administrative leaders to take forward work that has been scoped or identified and ensure it is implemented effectively, allowing leadership to focus on strategic decision-making rather than day-to-day execution. Nature of Work: This position reports to the Program Manager and works in close collaboration with MPAS academic leadership, faculty, staff, and internal and external partners. The work is diverse and fast-paced, requiring knowledge of university operations, project management, process improvement, change management, information synthesis, and clear written communication. The Planning and Projects Specialist plays a key role in coordinating and implementing program initiatives, policies, and operational frameworks related to Year 2 delivery. The role requires sound judgment, a high degree of organization, and the ability to work independently while maintaining strong collaboration with multiple stakeholders. Success in this role requires comfort working in an evolving environment, managing projects that are progressively refined, and translating high-level direction into concrete plans, tools, and deliverables. Confidentiality, discretion, and alignment with institutional processes and priorities are critical. The successful candidate will be able to manage the complexity of academic and clinical education projects within a health system context and work effectively with faculty, staff, and partners to develop solutions that are practical, well-documented, and broadly understood. Typical Duties or Accountabilities: Planning, Projects, and Implementation  Lead and support planning and implementation activities related to MPAS program delivery, including clinical education, operations, and administrative readiness Conduct environmental scans, prepare current- and future-state maps, and document process or policy recommendations Translate direction and decisions into actionable project plans, timelines, and deliverables Initiate actions required to achieve project goals, monitor progress between meetings, and report on status, risks, and next steps Process Design and Documentation  Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs), operational frameworks, documentation, and training materials Support early-stage operations to ensure stability and readiness prior to hand-off Lead process mapping, gap analysis, and workflow redesign to improve efficiency and effectiveness Coordination and Facilitation Coordinate and facilitate meetings, working groups, and committees as required Set agendas, prepare materials, capture decisions, and document follow-up actions Communicate with stakeholders to understand current realities, design future-state processes, and ensure plans reflect key perspectives Transition to Permanent Operations Transfer completed initiatives to Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, or other portfolios with clear documentation and guidance Provide training, operational support, and transition assistance to ensure continuity and sustainability Reporting and Evaluation Prepare concise briefing notes, progress updates, dashboards, and post-implementation summaries for program leadership Track deliverables, timelines, risks, dependencies, and resource needs Recommend improvements and next steps based on lessons learned Education: Bachelor’s degree required (business, public administration, education, health administration, or related) Master’s degree or advanced project-management training (PMP, PROSCI, Lean) is an asset Experience: 5+ years related experience in progressively responsible roles within a public, post-secondary, or similarly complex organization Demonstrated success implementing new initiatives, programs, workflows, or systems Skills: Possess a high standard of professional integrity with the ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive matters diplomatically and discreetly Excellent interpersonal, communication (oral and written), organizational and analytical skills, as well as a strong ability to take initiative and be self-directed Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple tasks with tight timelines and competing demands Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively Strong attention to detail, creativity, flexibility and problem-solving skills Ability to understand a wide range of campus needs and issues and to support the development of policies, procedures and solutions to address them Ability to research and effectively present information Ability to understand and achieve resolution on complex issues and provide timely and accurate information Ability to use a range of software packages, including the Microsoft Office suite – advanced word processing, spreadsheets, electronic calendars and e-mail