Senior Project Manager – HR Strategic Initiatives

Join one of the nation’s most comprehensive academic medical centers, UChicago Medicine, as a Senior Project Manager – HR Strategic Initiatives in our Human Resources department. This position will be based at our Hyde Park campus in Chicago, IL, with opportunities to work from home. You will need to be based in the greater Chicagoland area.                                        

The Senior Project Manager, HR Strategic Initiatives drives execution across the HR function on behalf of the CHRO. This role owns the project management discipline for HR's strategic portfolio, translating priorities into structured plans and holding cross-functional owners accountable to milestones and KPIs. The role also staffs the HR Operating Review, supports HR budget stewardship, and builds the executive-ready analysis, proposals, and presentations the CHRO relies on day to day. This is a high-visibility role suited to someone who combines rigorous project discipline with judgment and discretion to support at the executive level.

Essential Job Functions

• Serve as the HR function's project manager, planning and driving execution of strategic initiatives from kickoff through completion.
• Track milestones, dependencies, and KPIs against approved plan dates, proactively identifying risks and course-correcting to keep initiatives on track.
• Establish standardized project management tools, templates, and reporting cadences (e.g., RAID logs, status dashboards, timelines) across the HR portfolio.
• Partner with HR Centers of Excellence (Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, Talent Management, Labor & Employee Relations, HRIS, etc.) and stakeholders across clinical and administrative operations to align on scope, timelines, and resourcing.
• Serve as a connective point across workstreams, surfacing interdependencies and ensuring initiative owners have what they need to hit deadlines.
• Staff and coordinate the recurring HR Operating Review, ensuring functional metrics and project status are reviewed on a consistent cadence.
• Prepare consolidated performance and project scorecards; flag off-track items and drive follow-up on action items between sessions.
• Under the direction of the CHRO, monitor the HR operating budget, tracking spend against plan and flagging variances.
• Support coordination with HR leaders and Finance on budget planning, forecasting, and reallocation requests tied to strategic initiatives.
• Support the CHRO as a direct extension of the CHRO, serving as a trusted thought partner and right hand on a wide range of priorities, requests, and time-sensitive needs.
• Build board, leadership, and other executive-level presentations for the CHRO, ensuring materials are polished, accurate, and tailored to the audience.
• Prepare operational and data analysis on behalf of the CHRO — turning HR data and project status into clear insights that inform decision-making.
• Develop key proposals and business cases for new initiatives, vendor engagements, or process changes, including recommendations and supporting rationale.
• Help manage the CHRO's priorities day-to-day, following up on open items and anticipating what the CHRO will need ahead of key meetings.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, healthcare administration, or related field; MBA or related master's degree a plus
• 5+ years of progressive experience in project management, program management, or business operations, ideally within HR, healthcare, or a complex matrixed organization
• Excellent project management skills, including planning, milestone tracking, risk management, and cross-functional facilitation
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (data analysis, budget tracking, reporting) and PowerPoint (executive-level presentation development)
• Strong written and verbal communicator with strong executive presence and the judgment to operate effectively with senior leaders and boards
• Demonstrated ability to operate in ambiguity, balancing multiple concurrent initiatives with competing priorities and deadlines
• Experience with HR budget management or financial analysis in a healthcare or academic medical center setting

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification

Position Details

• Job Type/FTE: Full Time (1.0 FTE)
• Shift: Days 
• Location: Hyde Park (flexible)
• Unit/Department: HR Dept Admin 
• CBA Code: Non-Union