Operational Project Manager - UNC Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Description

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The Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (DPLM) at UNC is seeking an Operational Project Manager (OPM) to lead and coordinate key operational and strategic initiatives. Reporting to the Director of Business Operations, this role will partner closely with departmental leadership, faculty, and UNC Health stakeholders to drive projects that support patient care, research, education, and people-focused priorities. The department recently launched a 5-year strategic plan which includes mid- and long-range initiatives. The OPM will be responsible for developing and managing project plans, timelines, budgets, and performance metrics, while ensuring alignment with strategic goals and regulatory requirements.

This position will play a central role in guiding complex projects from planning through execution. The OPM will collaborate across functional areas- clinical care, research, and education-to ensure cohesive progress across the department and health system. Strong stakeholder engagement is essential, as the role will coordinate efforts among faculty, administrators, hospital leadership, and external vendors to advance departmental initiatives.

In addition to project leadership, the OPM will oversee key administrative functions, which may include supervising a small team, improving operational workflows, and supporting faculty and program needs. Responsibilities will also include managing vendor relationships, coordinating departmental meetings and events, and enhancing administrative infrastructure to ensure efficient day-to-day operations. This role is ideal for a strategic, collaborative professional who enjoys a dynamic academic healthcare environment and can drive meaningful organizational improvement.

Summary:
Direct and manage project development from beginning to end and seeing that it is completed successfully within the given deadline and budget. Define project scope, goals, and deliverables that support business goals in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders. Develop full-scale project plans, financial plans, quality audit follow ups, and associated communications documents. In general this person is responsible for the overall direction, coordination, implementation, execution, control and completion of multiple, simultaneous projects ensuring consistency with UNCHCS strategy, commitments and goals.

Responsibilities:
1. Develops project plans, goals, and budgets identifies resources needed, develops schedules and methods for measuring results while maintaining optimum working relationships with all departmental units.
2. Responsible for program and project assignments working independently or collaboratively as appropriate to accomplish the assigned work. Identify issues and assist in developing strategies to address them prior to issues becoming critical. Keep senior management informed of project(s) status and any potential problems or political concerns.
3. Organizes/manages all phases of the projects to achieve schedule, cost and performance objectives, while maintaining the scope of the projects..
4. Prepares requests for proposals and conducts all necessary meetings to facilitate selection of project services and products. Assembles project team members assigns individual responsibilities and monitors project performance.
5. Plans and oversees the preparation and dissemination of project communications. Communicates with top-level management, project sponsors, and functional area managers/directors regarding status of specific projects. Produces project reports for the project sponsors and senior management.
6. Performs strategic analysis for the projects and develops objective means or status reports for assessing the status of the projects that are consisent with standard skills of project managers.
7. Coordinates effort and manages relationships with vendors and contractors necessary for any projects

Other information:
Education Requirements:
* Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Health Administration or related field or equivalency.
Licensure/Certification Requirements:
* No licensure or certification required.
Professional Experience Requirements:
* If Master's degree, requires two (2) years of professional experience in project management related work.
* If a Bachelor's degree, requires five (5) years of professional experience in project management related work.
* If an Associate's degree, requires nine (9) years of professional experience in project management related work.
* If a high school diploma, requires thirteen (13) years of professional experience in project management related work.
Knowledge/Skills/and Abilities Requirements:
* Strong knowledge of project management techniques and tools required.

Legal Employer: STATE

Entity: UNC Faculty Physicians

Organization Unit: SOM Pathology

Work Type: Full Time

Standard Hours Per Week: 40.00

Salary Range:$35.87 - $51.57 per hour (Hiring Range)

Pay offers are determined by experience and internal equity

Work Assignment Type: Hybrid

Work Schedule: Day Job

Location of Job: US:NC:Chapel Hill

Exempt From Overtime: Exempt: Yes

This is a State position employed by UNC Health Care System with UNC Health benefits. If, however, you are presently an employee of another North Carolina agency and currently participate in TSERS or the ORP, you will be eligible to continue participating in those plans at UNC Health.

Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran or political affiliation.

UNC Health makes reasonable accommodations for applicants' and employees' religious practices and beliefs, as well as applicants and employees with disabilities. All interested applicants are invited to apply for career opportunities. Please email applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu if you need a reasonable accommodation to search and/or to apply for a career opportunity.