Senior Director of Planning and Management

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead project and program delivery governance by establishing project management standards, enabling adaptive delivery models, aligning execution with institutional priorities, monitoring delivery performance and risk, and providing actionable portfolio and project insights to support informed decision-making across Penn State IT.

• Lead IT communications strategy by ensuring consistent, professional, and timely messaging; coordinating communications across stakeholders; and providing communication frameworks and resources for Service Owners and IT Strategic Partners.

• Manage business operations and administrative support services by overseeing administrative teams, operational processes, meeting and event logistics, documentation, and workflows that support Penn State IT leadership and organizational effectiveness.

• Lead enterprise vendor and contract management by overseeing strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, vendor performance, compliance, risk mitigation, and lifecycle governance, while providing vendor intelligence and fostering innovation-oriented partnerships that support Penn State IT's strategic priorities.

• Define, maintain, and evolve IT service management and operational practice standards by establishing ITSM frameworks, service delivery processes, performance measures, competency models, and operating expectations that support consistent, high-quality service delivery across the organization.

• Govern and enable standards adoption by providing assessment tools, maturity models, training, guidance, and practitioner-focused resources that support consistent implementation, compliance, and continuous improvement across Penn State IT.

• Build and lead high-performing cross-functional teams by recruiting, mentoring, and developing talent across PMO, Business Operations, Vendor Management, and Service Standards while fostering operational excellence and a service-minded culture.

• Enable the success of Service Owners and IT Strategic Partners by providing delivery support, communications, vendor intelligence, role practice standards, and collaborative governance that promotes alignment, information sharing, and customer-centric service delivery across Penn State IT.

QUALIFICATIONS

Qualified candidates will demonstrate strength across several of the following areas:

• Progressive leadership experience in IT operations, service management, program/project management, business operations, vendor management, or related functions.

• Demonstrated success leading and developing cross-functional teams in a complex organizational environment.

• Experience partnering with senior leaders and stakeholders to drive strategic initiatives and operational excellence.

• Strong knowledge of IT service management (ITSM), governance, service delivery, and organizational best practices.

• Experience managing vendor relationships, contracts, and performance metrics.

• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority.

• Proven ability to establish standards, promote adoption, and drive continuous improvement across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results.