Senior Project Manager for Community Wellness and Recovery - City of Philadelphia

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Managing Director’s Office (MDO) is a cabinet-level office with oversight of the City’s operating departments. The MDO works with these departments to:

• Create and successfully enact new policies.
• Deliver efficient, effective, and responsive public services.
• Implement the mayor’s vision.

The MDO oversees the following divisions:

• Capital Program Office
• Community Services
• Community Safety
• General Services
• Health and Human Services
• Office of Children and Families
• Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems 

The Office of Community Wellness and Recovery (OCWR) leads Mayor Parker’s initiative to address the twin problems of homelessness and opioid crisis and provides leadership in developing, planning, and organizing programs focused on wellness and recovery. The initiative involves a $100M capital funding infusion (FY25 capital budget year) to spur development of a wellness campus to provide continued housing and supports for individuals working on recovery and sobriety.

Position Summary:
The Senior Project Manager will oversee and manage the implementation of high-priority projects, ensuring successful execution and timely delivery. Reporting to the Executive Director of OCWR, the Senior Project Manager will collaborate closely with MDO leadership, as well as leaders and subject matter experts from partnering agencies. The role involves analyzing and documenting policy needs and processes, developing comprehensive work plans to address challenges and opportunities, and remediating projects that are off track. The Senior Project Manager is responsible for ensuring that all key projects have detailed implementation plans and are launched on schedule.

Essential Functions:

• Develop detailed project plans, including scope, timelines, resource allocation, risk management, and budget tracking.
• Establish clear project objectives, milestones, and deliverables in alignment with organizational goals.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including leadership, subject matter experts, and external partners, to ensure alignment on project goals and deliverables.
• Maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, providing regular updates on progress, risks, and necessary adjustments.
• Identify potential project risks and develop mitigation strategies to prevent delays or disruptions.
• Troubleshoot and resolve project issues, ensuring timely remediation of troubled projects.
• Track project performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) and ensure compliance with established timelines and quality standards.
• Prepare and present project status reports to executive leadership and key stakeholders, highlighting progress, risks, and next steps.
• Manage project budgets, ensuring projects are delivered within financial constraints and resources are optimally allocated.
• Coordinate with resource managers to ensure the right talent is available and properly utilized across the project lifecycle.
• Analyze existing processes and workflows to identify areas for improvement and recommend enhancements to increase project efficiency and effectiveness.
• Implement best practices and methodologies to optimize project management processes across the organization.
• Lead, mentor, and motivate project team members and interns, fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Conduct performance reviews, provide feedback, and facilitate professional growth for team members involved in projects.
• Ensure all projects adhere to relevant regulations, standards, and quality assurance processes.
• Implement quality control measures to deliver projects that meet organizational and stakeholder expectations.
• Manage change processes related to project scope, timelines, and deliverables, ensuring stakeholder buy-in and smooth transitions.
• Communicate the impact of changes and guide teams and stakeholders through implementation.
• Facilitate project closure, ensuring all deliverables are completed, and objectives are met.
• Conduct post-project evaluations to assess project success, identify lessons learned, and implement feedback for future projects.
• Effectively lead and collaborate with ad-hoc and formal teams to enable team to achieve project outcomes.
• Assemble teams, identify needed resources, assign responsibilities, and develop timeframes to facilitate successful completion of project activities and deliverables.
• Actively manage tasks and team members’ work to ensure project requirements are achieved in a timely fashion and within budget guidelines, including tracking key project milestones.
• Quickly address problems that arise and make recommendations regarding adjustments to leadership as needed.
• Monitor and manage costs and ensure delivery within budgetary guidelines.
• Convene and support meetings with internal stakeholders and external partners, document meeting minutes, and ensure action on follow-up items.
• Prepare status reports, status summaries, and dashboards for presentation to mid- and senior-level management.
• Perform cost/benefit analyses and develop options for leadership decision making.
• Research and keep current with best practices and emerging trends in the area of housing, homelessness, opioid use disorder, substance abuse treatment, citizen re-entry, workforce development (particularly for areas described previously).

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge:

• Extensive understanding of project management methodologies, tools, and frameworks, including risk management, resource allocation, and timeline development.
• Knowledge of how to align project objectives with broader organizational goals, ensuring long-term impact and alignment with key priorities.
• Expertise in interpreting data, identifying patterns, and using insights to inform project decisions and create actionable plans.
• In-depth knowledge of stakeholder engagement practices, ensuring effective collaboration and communication across different levels of the organization.

Skills:

• Ability to lead and inspire cross-functional teams (internally and externally), ensuring successful project outcomes through strong guidance, accountability, and motivation.
• Expertise in creating clear, concise reports, presentations, and updates for senior leadership and diverse stakeholders, effectively communicating complex concepts and project status.
• Advanced skills in identifying potential issues, resolving conflicts, and making sound decisions under pressure.
• Proven ability to foster strong working relationships within teams, across departments, and with external partners to drive project success.
• Strong proficiency in developing detailed project plans, monitoring progress, and ensuring timely delivery while balancing competing priorities.

Abilities:

• Ability to approach problems from a strategic perspective, ensuring that project execution supports the organization’s long-term vision and objectives.
• Capability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, effectively prioritizing tasks and resources to meet tight deadlines without sacrificing quality.
• Conflict Resolution: Strong ability to address and resolve conflicts or challenges within teams, ensuring project progression without disruption.
• Data-Driven Storytelling: Ability to translate data insights into compelling narratives that integrate the human element, effectively communicating the value and impact of project outcomes.
• High level of precision and attention to detail, ensuring all aspects of a project are executed with accuracy and meet defined quality standards.
• Ability to think strategically and to lead multiple projects and tasks on tight timeframes with excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to demonstrate leadership qualities such as conflict/issue resolution, the ability to define and resolve complex issues.
• Ability to tell a story from data and research as well as including the human element

Education: Completion of a Bachelor’s degree program at an accredited college or university with course work in public policy, criminal justice, social service, Social Work/Social Policy, other Social Science, and/or other relevant fields is required.

Completion of a post-Bachelor’s degree or Project Management certification/trainings is preferred.

Experience: At least five years of work experience in public policy, program development, program implementation or project management, including at least two years of of project management experience managing/coordinating multiple, large, cross-functional teams or projects.

Experience working in areas of housing, homelessness, substance abuse, or workforce development a plus.

We value diverse experiences and are open to flexible qualifications. If you are passionate about this role and meet some of the key criteria, we encourage you to apply.

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a resume and references.

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx