Portfolio Manager

Job Summary
The Portfolio Manager for the Research and Core Technology portfolio has a key role in providing administrative leadership and support to drive the portfolio’s strategic initiatives in collaboration technologies, research data management, and IT infrastructure. This position provides support and advice to the portfolio director for a range of functions, including strategic and operational planning, budget management, identification, and implementation of new initiatives, as well as overseeing a variety of strategic projects. In addition to traditional administrative duties and in collaboration with other leaders, the portfolio manager will play a crucial role in evaluating service effectiveness, workforce planning, and overseeing partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the efficient delivery of services to advance the education and research mission of the faculty. This individual will work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to drive excellence and innovation within a dynamic and fast-evolving technology landscape.

Organizational Status
The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty—comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members—is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, 3 schools, and 25 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

The UBC Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The City of Vancouver is located on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory.

The Faculty of Medicine Digital Solution teams support provincially distributed medical school and faculty’s health research mission. The research and education mission of the faculty requires extensive collaborations across disciplines, health institutions, and health partners throughout British Columbia, Canada, and internationally.

This position sits within the Research and Core Technology portfolio that oversees the distributed education technology for the provincial medical school, faculty’s health research portfolio distributed across UBC and health sector research communities, and the IT infrastructure function. This position reports to the Associate Director, Research & Core Technology, and requires extensive contact with partners, faculty, staff, and students.

Work Performed

• Leads critical strategic, administrative, financial, and operational initiatives and identifies strategic issues that require the intervention of the portfolio director or senior leadership.
• Works with portfolio director in the development and implementation of short and long-term strategic plans. Monitor compliance with strategic and business plans in a regular and disciplined fashion, to ensure progress is made toward key objectives in a timely manner and that the momentum needed to drive these initiatives is sustained.
• Leads the development and implementation of practices, policies, procedures, and tools to ensure the effective, efficient management, accountability, and reporting of the unit.
• Provides operational leadership on changes required to meet initiatives, enhance productivity and to streamline business processes; manages and oversees implementation of administrative policies and procedures to ensure efficiency and effectiveness.
• Independently researches, prioritizes and determines appropriate courses of action, referrals or responses on matters identified by the Portfolio Director, including those of a sensitive and/or confidential nature, as well as matters that arise through daily operations of units and matters emerging as strategic initiatives that will advance the mandate.
• Implements HR management initiatives and ensures the consistent implementation of these practices for all teams.
• Provides leadership, Supervision, and guidance to other administrative staff and student employees based on knowledge of university and health authority policies and procedures. Cultivates positive, productive relationships with internal and external parties (e.g. representatives of other institutions and organizations).
• Directs and oversees financial transactions in the unit, develops budgets and forecasts in a complex multi-partner environment, and acts as a delegate for the associate director in reviewing/approving expense reports, travel claims, cost recovery, service agreements, and budget transfers. Review service contracts with external units and partners, negotiate service levels, and ensure agreements are updated based on partner feedback and changing needs.
• Leads recruitment activities and decision-making processes relating to the recruitment of managers, team leads, subject matter experts, and consultants.
• Responsible for initiating, managing, and overseeing projects assigned to the portfolio, including those related to distributed education technology, research, and department onboarding. Prepare and present detailed project reports for the portfolio Director and other senior leadership; provide summaries of complications or issues in project delivery and recommend mitigation strategies for future projects. Additionally, the position is responsible for overseeing the initiatives in Health, Wellness, Well-being, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion.
• Manages events overseen by the unit for outcomes, including annual retreats, roadmap planning for various teams, and special events such as Research Data Management Day.
• Write reports and communications for internal and external individuals and partners.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

This position requires judgment, tact, discretion and initiative to an outstanding degree. Errors in judgment with internal or external constituents could have negative impact on the department, the Faculty and the University resulting in poor public relations, financial costs, loss of credibility.

Work must often meet tight deadlines and requires the incumbent to perform well under extreme pressure. The incumbent will be expected to respond well to unexpected circumstances and exercise independent judgment. The incumbent must demonstrate exceptional public relations and interpersonal skills in dealing with partner institutions, high profile members and senior administration of the university community. Inappropriate or errant communications of sensitive issues could have a serious impact on operations and have legal implications.

Exercises judgment and initiative in handling matters of a non-routine nature requiring the interpretation of University and Faculty guidelines, procedures and policies. Expected to exercise judgment in establishing priorities and carrying tasks through to completion in a timely manner. Reviews working procedures and implements changes where deemed appropriate.

Supervision Received
Works under the general direction of the Associate Director, Research & Core Technology. Must be able to work independently and carry out work to completion. Keeps the Associate Director, Research & Core Technology informed of the status of work in progress. Works on tasks to meet deadlines on various projects. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of desired results.

Supervision Given

This position is a member of the unit leadership team and directly supervises other administrative staff and student employee workforce. The position will also provide indirect supervision to technical staff and contribute to the recruitment, training, and performance evaluations of unit staff. The position sets office priorities and organizes and adjusts workflow, including scheduling.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of five years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Education: Undergraduate degree in a business management discipline.

Experience working in an Information Technology team, recruiting qualified staff, and managing a dynamic workforce. Proven ability to exercise business acumen and financial prudence while handling multiple projects and priorities. Must possess a consultative and collaborative management style and be able to develop trust and respect within a complex professional environment. Experience within a healthcare setting is an asset.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Ability to compose professional written documentation for a variety of situations.
• Ability to set priorities for the unit, adapt to changing priorities, and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve them.
• Demonstrated ability to interact and liaise with a variety of constituents within multifaceted environments.
• Proven negotiation, conflict resolution, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work with and direct a team.
• Ability to analyze and redesign workflows and business processes to make them more efficient and effective and ability to execute workflow to meet unit requirements.
• Ability to plan and manage financial resources/budgets and prepare financial reports.
• Knowledge of UBC financial and administrative policies and procedures.
• Excellent oral and written communication.

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