Strategic Programs Manager

Strategic Programs Manager The Strategic Programs Manager for Residential, Retail, and Supply Chain Services (RRSS) is a leadership position responsible for developing and executing strategies aimed at business transformation through data driven process improvement. This role leads the Program Management Office (PMO) for Strategic Insights and responsibilities include driving revenue growth and operational efficiency improvements across major business lines through independent analysis of complex operations, higher education trends, and market dynamics. This position works with the RRSS Executive Leadership Team to prioritize initiatives that support departmental goals, and partners with division directors to analyze operations and set strategies to meet unit goals. The incumbent is responsible for conducting industry research, advanced analysis, and data mining to identify opportunities for operational and entrepreneurial activities, and employs machine learning and AI tools to perform complex data, financial, and trend analysis supporting financial goals and operational objectives. The Strategic Programs Manager leads cross-functional project teams tying together technology, operations, and business development initiatives for maximum impact. The position serves as the primary point of accountability for project lifecycle management from initiation through delivery, liaising with partners in ITS for technology support and VCFA's Data Insights & Analytics team for data support as necessary. This includes establishing and maintaining structured mechanisms for tracking and reporting project status, milestones, risks, and measurable impact and benefit to leadership and stakeholders at both the departmental and institutional level. This position promotes a process improvement methodology across the department, helping to build a coalition people using the Lean Six Sigma methodology to improve processes across the organization. Additionally, this position lays the foundation for the department's operational usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and automation by developing tools, trainings, and resources for department-wide implementation. The incumbent embraces AI and automation to create process efficiencies and increase value-add services to clients, focusing on operationalizing AI into enterprise-level solutions and creating the structures necessary for ensuring organizational stability. The role designs, governs, and operationalizes AI and automation frameworks to augment data-driven decision-making, ensuring data is accurately defined, stored, and accessed as the foundation for advanced machine-learning models. This position provides mentorship to team mates and others in the department including coaching, and guidance to support individual growth and project success. In partnership with department leadership, this role actively participates in prioritizing work initiatives to ensure alignment with both short- and long-term organizational goals. UC San Diego