Carnegie Mellon University Africa is seeking a passionate and experienced professional to serve as Project Manager, overseeing and leading a wide range of high value projects for the university.

About Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a leading U.S. university, particularly known for research and graduate education in engineering and computer science. In 2011, CMU opened a global location of its College of Engineering in Rwanda, known as Carnegie Mellon University Africa in Rwanda (CMU-Africa). CMU-Africa currently offers two renowned master’s degrees to facilitate the provision of fourth industrial revolution skills to students from across the African continent:

1. Master of Science in Information Technology (MSIT)

2. Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering (MSECE)

We are a fast-growing campus with 130 enrolled students, aiming to grow to 400 in the next four years. Our size and exponential growth create a sense of camaraderie and excitement, with strong community ties and a compound sense of accomplishment in our team members, contributing towards mutually beneficial relationships between staff and students. We recruit arguably the brightest young computer scientists and engineers on the continent to become our students. Motivated, creative and determined, our students’ transformative experience at CMU-Africa sets them on the path to becoming the future tech leaders of Africa.

Location

Rwanda, affectionately known as “The Land of a Thousand Hills”, is located in the highlands of the Great Rift Valley in East Africa. Its highly elevated geography is dominated by scenic mountains in the west, with numerous lakes scattered throughout the country. There are four national parks comprising extinct volcanoes, savannah, wetlands, and one of the oldest rainforests in Africa. The climate is temperate to subtropical, with two rainy seasons and two dry seasons each year. The temperature is stable with an average high temperature of between 26°C and 30°C all year round. The capital city, Kigali, is well known for cleanliness and security. It is fast becoming a metropolitan city with a thriving expatriate community and residents from most parts of the world making this their home in recent years. Public infrastructure is well-maintained, with a good traffic network, fast and reliable internet services, and a sound health system. There is a good selection of shops, restaurants and cafes catering to intercontinental and varied customer needs.

The role

As CMU-Africa’s Project Manager (PM) you will be responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the completion of specific projects, ensuring they are on time, on budget and within scope. You will be expected to keep knowledge and information flowing seamlessly between CMU-Africa and all project stakeholders, playing the lead role in presenting project status and plans to the sponsors and closing activities throughout the project. A key requirement will be the development of your own technical understanding to win team members’ respect.

This is a senior role within the university requiring interaction with a range of internal and external stakeholders at various levels, throughout the project stages – from ideation through to completion – to manage several moving project parts simultaneously.

While specific responsibilities will vary depending on the nature of the project, they will include, but will not be limited to, the following:

Responsibilities

1. Oversee entire project to ensure delivery within scope, time, and budget

2. Design highly-specified schedule of activities with milestones and deliverables based on the project plan

3. Work with CMU-Africa administration to facilitate timely onboarding of consultants, legal contracting and payment mechanisms

4. Monitor progress and hold all participants accountable for undertaking their activities

5. Iterate on and refine the schedule of activities depending on availability of data, cooperation with project partners, and any changes that may come up

6. Organize and motivate the project team

7. Utilize an online project management tool such as Trello to control time management

8. Take charge of developing data sharing agreements between CMU-Africa and other partners as needed

9. Analyze and manage project risk using a SWOT analysis and scenario planning, and

10. Provide project updates on a consistent basis to various stakeholders about strategy, adjustments, and progress.

Profil recherché pour le poste : Project Manager

Project Management Professional certification (PMP) essential
Bachelor’s degree in business administration, education or another relevant field
Master’s degree preferred
5+ years of experience in project or program management required
Strong familiarity with project management software tools, methodologies, and best practices
Proven ability to complete projects according to outlined scope, budget, and timeline
Excellent oral/written communication skills required
Fluency in English is required
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (including Outlook, Word, Excel and Power Point)
Advanced knowledge of Excel

The Person:

Passionate about education and developing technology leadership capacity in Africa
Analytical thinker with the ability to synthesize data to make informed, strategic decisions
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to connect easily with people from various cultures and backgrounds
Agile learner with the ability to adapt and thrive in an evolving and diverse business environment
Dynamic self-starter with the ability to think independently and develop innovative approaches to solve problems
Proven ability to solve problems creatively.