IT Project Coordinator

ENVIRONMENT: A higher education institution, recognized by DHET and accredited by CHE, is currently seeking candidates to fill the position of IT Project Coordinator. Your role is pivotal in guaranteeing the effective planning, implementation, and finalization of IT projects within the organization. You will provide vital support to the project manager and contribute to various project management activities. DUTIES: Project Planning: Assisting the project manager in developing project plans, including defining project scope, objectives, deliverables, timelines, and resource requirements. Scheduling: Creating and maintaining project schedules, tracking milestones, and ensuring that tasks are completed on time. Task Coordination: Coordinating and assigning tasks to team members, ensuring that responsibilities are clear, and deadlines are met. Communication: Facilitating effective communication among project stakeholders, team members, and other relevant parties. This includes organizing and leading project meetings, as well as documenting meeting minutes and action items. Resource Management: Collaborating with resource managers to ensure that the right resources are allocated to the project, and resolving resource conflicts if they arise. Risk Management: Assisting in identifying potential risks and issues that may impact the project and supporting the implementation of risk mitigation strategies. Documentation: Ensuring that project documentation, such as project plans, status reports, and project deliverables, are up-to-date and well-maintained. Budget Monitoring: Assisting in monitoring project expenses and resource utilization to ensure the project remains within budget. Quality Assurance: Supporting the project manager in ensuring that project deliverables meet the required quality standards and comply with organizational policies. Change Management: Assisting in managing project scope changes, including evaluating change requests, and assessing their impact on the project. Issue Tracking: Tracking and documenting project issues and working with the project team to address and resolve them. Reporting: Generating regular project status reports and performance metrics for stakeholders and the project manager. Vendor Management: Coordinating with external vendors and contractors involved in the project to ensure timely delivery of goods and services. Stakeholder Engagement: Identifying project stakeholders and maintaining positive relationships with them, addressing their concerns, and managing their expectations. Lessons Learned: Assisting in conducting post-project evaluations to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement in future projects. Documentation Management: Ensuring that project-related documentation is organized, stored, and easily accessible for future reference. Project Closeout: Assisting in the formal closure of the project, including finalizing documentation, archiving project records, and conducting project review sessions. REQUIREMENTS: Minimum requirements Qualification A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or Project Management Certification with recognised project management professional body is preferred Experience Minimum of 3 years of experience in a similar role Education in Higher Education is advantageous Job Related Knowledge and Skills Project Management Methodologies: Familiarity with various project management methodologies, such as Agile, Waterfall, Scrum, and Kanban, and understanding when and how to apply them to IT projects. Project Lifecycle: Knowledge of the phases of a project lifecycle, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and project closure. Project Documentation: Understanding of various project documents, such as project charters, project plans, risk registers, issue logs, and status reports. IT Systems and Technologies: A general understanding of IT systems, infrastructure components, software development methodologies, and emerging technologies to effectively communicate with technical teams. Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC): Awareness of the different stages of the software development lifecycle and how it aligns with project management. IT Service Management (ITSM): Knowledge of IT service management processes, including incident management, change management, and problem management. Risk Management: Understanding of risk identification, assessment, and mitigation techniques to manage project risks effectively. Scope Management: Knowledge of scope definition and scope change management to maintain project boundaries and deliverables. Resource Management: Ability to assess resource requirements, allocate resources, and manage resource conflicts. Quality Assurance: Understanding of quality management principles and techniques to ensure project deliverables meet specified standards. Cost Management: Knowledge of budgeting processes, cost estimation, and cost control to manage project finances. Communication Planning: Ability to create a communication plan to facilitate effective communication among project stakeholders. Stakeholder Management: Understanding the importance of stakeholder engagement, expectation management, and addressing stakeholder needs. Vendor Management: Knowledge of vendor selection, contracts, and performance management for projects involving external vendors. Change Management: Awareness of change management principles to effectively manage changes to project scope, requirements, and objectives. Performance Metrics and Reporting: Knowledge of key performance indicators (KPIs) and how to measure and report project progress to stakeholders. Project Risk Analysis: Ability to analyse project risks and develop risk response strategies to minimize negative impacts. Issue Resolution: Understanding of issue management and problem-solving techniques to address project-related challenges. Project Collaboration Tools: Familiarity with project management software, collaboration platforms, and productivity tools to facilitate project coordination and communication. Industry Regulations and Compliance: Awareness of industry-specific regulations and compliance requirements that may impact the project. Competencies and Skills: Project Management Knowledge: Solid understanding of project management methodologies, tools, and best practices to coordinate and support project activities. Ability to create and maintain project plans, schedules, and documentation, ensuring tasks are organized and deadlines are met. Risk Management: Understanding of risk management principles to identify, assess, and mitigate project risks. Change Management: Ability to manage changes to project scope, requirements, and timelines while minimizing impact on project objectives. Vendor Coordination: Experience in working with external vendors and contractors, managing vendor relationships, and ensuring deliverables are met on time. Budgeting and Cost Management: Knowledge of budgeting processes and cost management to track project expenses and maintain cost controls. Adaptability: Flexibility to adapt to changing project requirements and to adjust plans accordingly. Quality Assurance: Understanding of quality management principles to ensure project deliverables meet specified standards. Reporting and Documentation: Proficiency in generating project status reports, maintaining project documentation, and presenting project updates to stakeholders. Negotiation Skills: Ability to negotiate and manage project-related contracts, agreements, and service level agreements. Leadership Potential: Demonstrating leadership potential to assist the project manager and lead smaller project tasks when needed. Stakeholder Management: Expertise in managing stakeholder expectations, engaging stakeholders, and addressing their concerns. IT Knowledge: Familiarity with IT concepts, technologies, and systems to comprehend the technical aspects of IT projects. Software Proficiency: Proficiency in project management software, collaboration tools, and office productivity tools. Additional Requirements · May be required to travel locally and work overtime when required ATTRIBUTES: Planning and Organizing Communication Skills: Excellent communication skills to effectively interact with stakeholders, team members, and vendors, and to facilitate clear and concise project updates and discussions. Team Collaboration: The capability to work well with diverse teams, encourage collaboration, and foster a positive and cooperative project environment. Problem-Solving Abilities: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to identify project issues and proactively address challenges. Time Management: Effective time management to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and allocate resources efficiently. Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail to track project progress, ensure accuracy in documentation, and identify potential. Conflict Resolution: Ability to handle conflicts constructively and find resolutions that benefit the project and team. Decision-Making: Sound judgment and decision-making skills to evaluate options and make informed choices for project execution. Continuous Learning: Willingness to stay updated with industry trends, new project management techniques, and emerging technologies.