Senior Strategic Advisor

Department Overview

The UCOP Strategy and Program Management Office (SPMO) provides high quality in-house advisory and consulting services to advance the mission of the University of California system. The SPMO develops and implements multi-year strategic planning; develops and executes strategies to address pressing business and policy challenges; applies portfolio management methodologies, metrics, and tools; develops solutions in governance, operating models, financial management, organizational design, operational innovation, change management; and manages systemwide strategic initiatives, programs, and projects.

Position Summary

The SPMO Senior Strategic Advisor will independently use and apply wide-ranging management consulting experience and proficiency to lead and facilitate highly complex, strategic engagements involving multiple organizations and stakeholders; advise University executives and senior leaders to design and implement goal-achieving solutions; develop methodologies that drive organizational effectiveness; regularly conduct rigorous analysis with available data and inputs; and apply methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for developing solutions and achieving results. Senior Strategic Advisors are recognized as thought leaders and expert project leaders throughout the organization. Senior Strategic Advisors also provide leadership internally to the SPMO unit in developing capabilities, mentoring staff, and forging internal and external relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• 40% Leads large-scale initiatives by assessing complex situations and developing unique and innovative solutions. Mobilizes and manages cross-functional project teams. Assesses business needs, performs advanced analyses of high quantity and sometimes contradictory information. Exercises wide judgment in selecting and developing methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining appropriate results and resolution of organizational effectiveness issues.
• 25% Leads and facilitates strategic planning with executives and their leadership team to develop mid and long-term strategic goals. Identifies and assesses market trends; collects and analyzes input from relevant stakeholders; identifies and evaluates impact metrics; develops specific implementation plans to execute goals.
• 25% Advises executive and senior leaders from across the University to address issues, develop recommendations, and implement solutions in alignment with strategic goals and objectives. Provides thought partnership and consultation, design, facilitation, and project management on multi-faceted problems to achieve strategically aligned solutions. Facilitates adoption of proposed solutions from key stakeholders.
• 10% Creates repeatable frameworks and builds relationships to enhance the visibility and impact of the SPMO. Advises and mentors less experienced staff. Develops internal team capabilities. Provides direction, delegating, and removing obstacles to facilitate getting work done. Supports a collaborative and inclusive team culture.

Experience

Required Qualifications

• Min 10 years of experience in leading and advising strategic initiatives, programs, and/or projects with senior leaders.

Skills and Abilities

Required Qualifications

• Knowledge of the consulting process related to strategy and operations to effectively lead high impact engagements from inception to conclusion.
• Knowledge of the organizational environment of higher education and large research universities to understand client priorities, issues, motivations, and constraints.
• Demonstrates superior analytical, problem-solving, project planning and implementation skills.
• Ability to translate quantitative data into actionable insights.
• Ability to handle multiple constituencies, agendas, engagements, and tasks with tight deadlines, and to deal productively with ambiguity and conflict.
• Advanced skills in developing and assessing long-range, enterprise-level strategies, considering governance, policy, financial, operational, and political implications across a complex, decentralized organization
• Has superior written, verbal and presentation skills for influencing and facilitating sustained change.
• Demonstrates ability to learn quickly, reason, synthesize and generalize based on information obtained. Sound judgment, ability to draw unbiased conclusions.
• Ability to focus on priorities, strategies, and vision while managing multiple assignments.
• Ability to facilitate and influence people at all levels. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse constituencies.
• Ability to persuade through both logic and appeal to positive motivations.
• Demonstrates interpersonal skills and client service orientation to establish and maintain positive collaborative working relationships with a broad range of stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in strategy and/or operations consulting leading high profile engagements.
• Experience connecting strategy to institutional priorities in a higher education environment.
• Experience leading strategic planning.

Education

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree preferred

Job Title

Organizational Consultant 5

Job Code

000563

Salary Grade

Grade 27

Payscale:

$192,000 - $208,000