OLE Project Manager

OVERVIEW

The Kuali Open Library Environment (OLE) Project Manager oversees the development and support of software for the Kuali Open Library Environment and associated systems..

An important element of Kuali software is its service-oriented architecture and use of enterprise class middleware, Kuali RICE. Kuali RICE provides identity management, workflow, and the Kuali development framework. OLE is comprehensive software which manages and provides access not only to items in collections but also to licensed local digital content.

KUALI DEVELOPMENT

The OLE Project Manager must have strong leadership, motivational, teamwork, and consensus building skills in order to effectively set and accomplish strategic goals and objectives for OLE. This position is responsible for leading an advanced team of system engineers through the system development process that includes management of the development toolbox, problem analysis, requirements definition, work estimates, functional specifications, technical specifications, testing, configuration, customer communication and deployment path development. This includes the continued review and improvement of system standards, system security, and data security within a changing technical environment.

This OLE Project Manager is responsible for ensuring the stability and reliability of OLE. This includes providing immediate investigation and remedies for critical issues related to software releases, patching, security, and performance; ensuring software compatibility supported platforms and determining the impact and implication of adopting new technologies.

The OLE Project Manager is responsible for managing software releases and infrastructure upgrades as well as long range planning for the future technical direction of OLE. This includes providing a technical migration path from one release to the next; while requiring minimal impact to implementing institutions. This also includes providing defined risks and recommendations associated with release and patch cycles as they relate to OLE and RICE to the Kuali Executive Director, OLE Functional Council and OLE Project Board.

When funds are available, the OLE Project Manager is responsible for the hiring of new technical and core team staff. In addition, if hired resources, contributed resources or funded positions are ineffective, it is the Project Manager’s responsibility to provide feedback to contributing institutions, the Executive Director, and the Project Board for possible rehire or replacement.

The OLE Project Manager is responsible for managing the acceptance and review of partner institutions contributed source code. In addition, this position will serve as an advisor to the Kuali OLE Board and OLE Functional Council as to the best practices for this process.

ADVISOR

This OLE Project Manager is a critical management position providing advice and support to the Kuali Foundation Executive Director in meeting the overall mission of information technology as it relates to library systems. Under the direction of the Executive Director, this position ensures that the strategic and technological goals of OLE development are in line with and support the strategic goals of the Kuali Foundation as a whole.

COMMUNICATION

The OLE Project Manager must promote and facilitate the effective use of OLE as a Carnegie Class resource and participates in the OLE Functional Council, OLE Project Board and other committees as appointed by the Executive Director and OLE Project Board. This position is responsible for communicating and managing the development and release effort to the Kuali Foundation community. This requires exceptional communication skills and professionalism to foster a sense of community in a national landscape that may have conflicting demands.

The development team formulated for any Kuali Foundation module is comprised of resource contributions by partner institutions and contracted resources. The OLE Project Manager must have the ability to bring a sense of community, teamwork, and open communication in an environment where members are located at remote sites and have reporting structures outside of the Project Manager’s jurisdiction. The OLE Project Manager is responsible for effective management of a large team of resources provided by a selected vendor for OLE software development/

The OLE Project Manager will be a liaison to other Kuali Project Managers, to ensure good cross communication on Kuali initiatives and best practices.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

This OLE Project Manager develops and manages the overall project plan for each release of OLE. This Project Manager assists the KOLE Functional Council in defining the scope of each software release based on contributed resources, complexity and potential risks. The OLE Project Manager also oversees the support and maintenance of previous releases of OLE software based on the priorities set forth by the OLE Functional Council.

The Project Manager provides general management to technical staff to ensure maximum return on investment and long-term architectural impacts. This includes managing the contributed development resources in task estimates, assignments, prioritization, and software packaging and documentation deliverables.

The Project Manager will be responsible for overall budgeting and will report to the Board on status of revenues, expenses, and need for resources.

REPORTING

In order to facilitate the communication of development progress, expectations, and the benefit of contributed resources, the OLE Project Manager provides information through a variety of reporting channels:

Status reports to the OLE Board and Functional Council
Facilitates Development Manager meetings and meeting with Team Leads for the contracted developers
Participates in Kuali community meetings such as the Application Roadmap and Technical Roadmap Committees
Participate as a resource to the OLE Functional Council in discussions concerning timelines, resources and scope of development efforts
Participate in OLE Board meetings to report project status and impact, and to assure appropriate resourcing of the Project Team.

CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT

The OLE Project Manager is responsible for approving developer “Face to Face” meetings and tracking the travel and meal expenditures associated with those meetings. In addition, this position is responsible for reporting expenditures to the Kuali Executive Director and Project Board.

The OLE Project Manager may be requested to assist in the planning of the bi-annual Kuali Days conferences and provide technical resources and presentations to the community of higher education.

The OLE Project Manager may also be requested to assist in the planning of Kuali Boot Camps to the community of higher education as they related to OLE.