Junior IT Project Manager

Company, Department: Nova Scotia Power, Corp. Information Technology, Technology Project Management Office (PMO)

Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

Closing Date: January 27, 2024

Nova Scotia Power recognizes that our most valuable asset is our people. Rooted in a culture prioritizing safety and customer satisfaction, we are dedicated to delivering exceptional electricity service to Nova Scotians while fostering rewarding careers for our employees. In alignment with our transformation into a digital utility, we are currently seeking a dynamic individual to fill the role of a Junior IT Project Manager within our Technology Project Management Office (PMO).

As a crucial member of the Technology PMO, you will join a responsive team of Project Management and delivery professionals leading enterprise technology-enabled projects. Embracing our shift towards becoming a digital utility, we are also reshaping our project delivery practices through the adoption of an agile delivery framework and practice. We are enthusiastic about developing existing team members and welcome experienced junior IT Project Managers to embark on the next phase of our digital journey.

As a Junior IT Project Manager, you will be entrusted with the responsibility of managing cross-functional project teams using Nova Scotia Power’s Portfolio & Project Management framework (aligned with PMI’s PMBOK). Your role will encompass providing project management and oversight for the execution of assigned projects in a professional and confident manner. The primary accountability lies in ensuring that projects align with Nova Scotia Power’s overall business goals and strategies, adhering to established timeline and budget constraints while meeting identified business needs. Upholding personal safety and that of co-workers by observing Occupational Health and Safety Rules and Regulations is paramount.

The successful candidate must possess a minimum of 2-3 years’ direct project management experience working as an IT Project Manager particularly in technology-enabled projects. Preference will be given to candidates with an undergraduate degree or diploma in Project Management, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.

Key attributes include solid communication and interpersonal skills, conflict management, and negotiation skills. The ability to work under self-direction toward predetermined long-term goals, exercising considerable latitude in determining assignment objectives, is crucial. The ideal candidate recognizes that diplomacy, effective listening, and the ability to influence or persuade are essential for project management success. The successful candidate must be comfortable working remotely and onsite when required and contributing to meetings held through turned on video conferencing.

You will be successful in this role if:

• You take the initiative to build and demonstrate your leadership skills in a comfortable and confident manner when presenting to project sponsors, business owners, technical team members, and steering committee members.
• You deal swiftly with issues and risks and always understand and articulate well to all levels of stakeholders, how they can or might impact a project.
• You can successfully manage using at least one of the implementation frameworks (waterfall, agile or hybrid framework) for the projects assigned to you.
• You build positive relationships with your team to execute projects. You help your team understand the “Why and the Value” and not just the “What.”
• You have a realistic perspective, and you have a positive attitude with a practical approach to dealing with day-to-day challenges in a fast-paced environment.
• You can effectively lead scrum meetings, weekly team meetings, planning, and estimation workshops, facilitate story mapping and user story development, product backlog grooming, sprint reviews, and release planning – all through collaboration with your team and the product owner.
• You build your leadership skills as you grow within the company. You work to understand and promote the role of a product owner on your projects.
• You have a clear understanding of your role as a project manager/scrum coach versus the role of a product owner. You understand the boundaries of each and the areas in which they overlap. You see the overlapping areas as your opportunity to foster a relationship to bring the expected value to the business.
• You understand how to financially track, monitor, and control your project’s budget and you recognize that this is a skill to build upon as you learn our project financial management process.
• You receive monthly financial information from IT Finance; however, you recognize the importance of consistently tracking and monitoring project spend on a weekly basis.
• You consistently provide planned and actual financial updates to IT Finance as per their required schedule.
• You consistently provide acceptable planned and actual financial variances. As well you regularly demonstrate that as a project manager/scrum coach you have performed the necessary tasks within your control to minimize project variances as much as possible.
• You care for your team, and your colleagues’ input is always considered.
• You are familiar with MS Project and you are willing to learn how to setup MS project information, perform task scheduling, perform project resource planning, track progress, establish dependencies with realistic lead and lag times, apply task constraints, update task progress that reflects actuals versus planned, apply and develop baselines, build and execute on the results of critical path analysis, incorporate risk into project planning, and develop cost and rate tables that support your budget estimations.
• You know how to transform the results of planning and estimation workshops into an MS Project schedule and budget so that the team can work on the plan and achieve the desired outcomes.
• Every week you consistently and accurately report project health using the PMO defined system.
• You track and monitor Project Health Indicators and have some knowledge on how to apply root cause analysis and corrective actions to return the health to a green state. As well you report accurately and in full transparency the state of a project.
• You constantly look to finding better ways to complete project tasks that will increase a project’s success for earlier and less costly delivery.
• You will take time to learn and appreciate the value of the technology and investment governance framework and how it increases a project’s chances for success.
• You communicate effectively with leaders and decision-makers with varying perspectives.

We understand that experience comes in many forms, and we are dedicated to adding new perspectives to the team. So, if your experience is close to what we have listed above, please consider applying.

At the Emera Group of Companies, you’ll be part of an inclusive, respectful workplace where everyone is welcomed and supported. Come build a career as unique as you are: making an impact from Atlantic Canada to the world. Your experience and perspective will help us to safely deliver cleaner, more reliable energy to our customers.

If working in an innovative environment, challenging yourself, and shaping a cleaner energy future inspires you, we want to hear from you. Apply by January 27, 2025 and let us know why this role is right for you.

• Flexibility: Hybrid work model with 2 flexible remote workdays.
• Health & Wellbeing: A comprehensive benefits plan, 24/7 access to virtual health care services for you and your family through Dialogue, access to a free on-site fitness centre, Employee and Family Assistance Program, parental leave top-up plan and wellness benefits.
• Grow Your Career: Opportunities to advance within and between our affiliate companies, a focus on employee development and available sponsored education programs.
• Community Engagement & Care: Corporate investments in the places where our people live and work, mentoring opportunities, fundraising-matching, volunteer programs, various committees and employee resource groups, and scholarships for children of employees.
• Competitive Compensation: Short-term incentive plans and a Defined Contribution Pension Plan.

As one of Atlantic Canada’s largest publicly traded companies, we are ranked one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers, Top Employers for Young People and Top Diversity Employers. We know our success is driven by our dedicated teams and we strongly encourage applications from all qualified candidates, including persons who identify as racially visible, Indigenous, persons with disabilities, women in underrepresented roles and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Applicants from these equity groups may self-identify through the online application process. We support candidates and employees with access and accommodation needs and encourage you to let us know when you require accommodation.

The success of the Emera Company is driven by its people: a strong team with a shared commitment to support the Emera Company mission and values. The purpose of our recruitment policy is to provide a consistent framework to support fair and equitable attraction, hiring, and retention of the best talent for vacant positions. We are dedicated to maintaining a fair hiring process that provides equitable opportunities to all our applicants and is guided by our company values.