Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide senior level expertise and manage a range of projects related to system changes/builds for an enterprise-wide HRIS system based on PeopleSoft technology. Lead relationship management with users/stakeholders; develop options/solutions which fully leverage system and PeopleSoft capabilities, recommend WIN integration options, functionalities and solutions. To provide full business life cycle integration solutions design, configuration, and quality assurance.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Leads the planning of system change/build projects required to changes to collective agreements, policies, compensation plans (salary revisions, benefit and pension changes) and the structuring/re-of organizations. Leads assigned project teams comprised of branch and IT cluster colleagues, ministry clients and service providers. Oversees all areas of project management including: scoping, initiation, estimating, coordinating and negotiating project budgets and schedules, planning of resources, monitoring and reporting of project progress/status and reviewing technical quality of work to ensure high standards are met by project team and to identify and control risk.

2. Acts in an 'expert' capacity for at least one ERP module and back up to others; applies specialized knowledge of application functionality, extensions, interfaces, application integration, configuration, navigation, access matrices, workflows, related business processes and procedures and provides functional and consultation advice and recommendations to WIN teams, key stakeholder groups and user community. Researches publications and internet base information and consults with WIN clients to obtain information related to potential upgrades and functionalities and uses knowledge and module expertise to leverage online PeopleSoft resources and develops and presents business operational productivity options, enhancements and improvements to WIN teams.

3. Reviews and assesses all requests for new functionality and integration with other applications, through the Change Request process, application upgrades, new releases and modules, to ensure compliance and consistency with established best practices for WIN.

4. Provides senior expertise to HROntario during collective bargaining and in other HR Policy settings, where the advice is confidential and may significantly impact critical decision making. Plans and coordinates WIN/PeopleSoft system changes needed to implement outcomes of restructuring and organizational changes which impact positions and employees, potential changes to work environment, organizational structure and possible redundancies. Provides WIN/PeopleSoft information required by Ministries regarding financial, policy, program and accountability relationships, which involves access to and knowledge of highly confidential labour relations materials within submissions and operational plans.

5. Manages highly complex operational, technical and service aspects of stakeholder relations.
Works consultatively with WIN stakeholders, Ministries, other Ontario Shared Services (OSS) branches to conduct comprehensive analyses of requirements and business processes, define integration options and functionalities and provide integration solutions which minimize adverse impact on system services and availability. Build support for solutions among stakeholders by facilitating consensus, often among a diverse group of users who may have different interests and requirements to meet, while also building support for and reinforcing best practices for design solutions.

6. Provides senior expertise and advice to branch management on change management issues,
Particularly related to Pay & Benefits and HR Communities, through the planning and implementation of organizational and business transformation resulting from OSS and branch mandate and direction. Provides strategic direction for system upgrades, integration of OPS Project and OSS/HRO Roadmaps.

7. Develops prototype and test case scenario for use by the branch in research, identification and integration of HR and Pay & Benefits system and business practices. (eg: focus groups with the user communities, customer surveys, organization analyses needs, analyses, costing models and fit gap sessions.

8. Provide senior expertise in the development, review and enhancement of requirements, specifications, articulation of business processes and recommendations related to proposed solutions. Recommend solutions that fulfill business requirements and aligns with the corporate goals - identifying gaps between business process and system solutions.

9. Provides PeopleSoft business functional expertise to analyse, design and test new functionality and resolve production problems within WIN. For integration with other applications, creates detailed business requirements that specify the required data and changes required to design integration with multiple software packages or customer developed software.

10. Conducts detailed functional analyses for all changes to WIN, including problem evaluation, business risk and impact assessment, and identification of solutions; translates customer requirements into functional designs that address business requirements/needs; prepares relevant impact analysis, functional design documents detailing the change, verifies mitigation plans to reduce risks and determines appropriate test strategy to ensure change meets established objectives and does not adversely impact any other ERP functionality in the fully integrated and complex ERP system.

11. Participates with branch staff to develop and deliver 'expert led' training and customized presentations (e.g. salary revisions, year end, payroll interface) to targeted user groups; prepares backgrounders for Managers to be presented to WIN senior management and stakeholder groups; recommends and validates updates to training material to reflect modifications and adjustments to WIN.

12. Participates with branch staff to develop and provide business process and procedures support and information to user stakeholders through a variety of channels, including WIN website, User Forum, workshops.

13. Ensures assigned activities are planned and deliverables completed within WIN team operational plan deadlines; monitors outstanding incidents to ensure resolved in a timely manner; provides weekly status of all production problem tickets and Change Requests.

Knowledge :

Senior level expertise and expert knowledge of large PeopleSoft Human Capital Management (HCM) integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and operational linkages with other enterprise ERP systems to manage projects pertaining to system changes or builds. Expert client consulting and stakeholder management skills to build ongoing support for and among clients/customers, ensuring their business and service delivery needs are met; knowledge of, and expertise in the application of internal control procedures and techniques so they are properly applied to business and design procedures and workflow processes. Knowledge of application development and systems integration functions and processes in a large ERP implementation to work in a fully integrated manner with technical production support and Information Technology specialists, to act in an 'expert' capacity for assigned modules, advise and consult in this capacity. Knowledge of and expertise in formal system implementation and project management methodologies to manage projects and complex multi-user groups through the stages of gap analysis, design, implementation, and post implementation application support. Senior level expertise and knowledge of PeopleSoft HCM modules, including functionality, workflow, configuration, reporting tools, integration, testing, and interfaces to ensure that business needs, and business operational and productivity options and enhancements are met while minimizing impact to WIN.

Knowledge of business process and procedures design and knowledge and understanding of Ontario Government policies, programs, guidelines, standards applicable to Ministries, Agencies, Boards, Commissions to develop effective and efficient options/solutions to fully leverage capabilities of online PeopleSoft resources and meet business needs and define and recommend effective system integration options, and solutions.
Knowledge and understanding of legislation, collective agreements, related labour relations matters and senior system analysis expertise to assess how changes impact enterprise-wide human resources and payroll/benefit systems. Knowledge of how enterprise human resource procedures and practices relate to and impact systems and analytical skills to leverage online PeopleSoft resources to meet business needs (current and anticipated future needs). Knowledge of Ontario Government practices related to business operations and structures including human resources, benefits, absence management, time & labour, payroll, payroll accounting, and reporting. Knowledge of relevant acts and regulations such as the Public Service of Ontario Act, Crown Employee's Collective Bargaining Act, Employment Standards Act and collective agreements to interpret and apply legislative authorities to the development of HR and pay and business processes. Knowledge of the Workforce Information Network
(WIN) System and the business requirement that drive them to re-engineer work to supporting existing and new releases of the WIN system. Sound knowledge of the theory and practical application of a full range of business management methods that include performance measures, change management, benchmarking and process renewal to provide expertise and lead major branch business and analytical projects. Understanding of OSS strategic directions and goals to develop and maintain cooperation partnership with colleagues throughout OSS, HRO and customers throughout the OPS.

Skills :

Senior analytical and consulting skills to lead projects, manage client consultations and stakeholder relationships. Project management and organizational skills and ability to work independently to plan and deliver business analysis and solutions with minimum disruption on the user communities/program delivery. Senior level communication, negotiation, facilitation, consensus building, consultation and presentation skills to: communicate effectively and cooperatively with user communities, stakeholders and technical partners, facilitating consensus and problem-solving; summarize/present issues to senior management in the WIN organization; solicit relevant business information from users to obtain consensus and approvals from user communities and corporate; and deliver 'expert led' training. Strong facilitation skills to prepare and present a broad range and complexity of materials including business cases, marketing and communications plans, policies and procedures and senior level correspondence.

Superior consultative skills to provide expertise, advice and guidance to client ministry and HROntario. Strong team leadership and membership skills to effectively work in a highly team oriented environment. Written communication skills to prepare clear functional designs to meet application and systems integration business requirements, business analyses and recommendations, presentation for various OPS forums, user groups and committees, training materials for complex functionality, communications detailing changes to the application. Analytical and problem solving skills to conduct complex problem identification and resolution activities, identify impact of proposed design changes, extensions, interfaces, patches, upgrades on the application and user stakeholder processes, impact of proposed policy and guideline changes on the approved application design and to implement linkages and integration with corporate management information systems; and proficiency with Microsoft Office desktop applications using Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Project, Visio.

Freedom of Action :

Position works under the general direction of the Manager, Payroll and Benefits Business Support and within the broad framework of policies, guidelines, legislation governing human resources operations for all OPS Ministries and Agencies. Works with a high level of autonomy in accordance with established processes and protocols, OPS priorities and WIN standards and methodologies. Position has latitude for working independently in the management of projects to address a range of issues related to the assessment, development and implementation of PeopleSoft system changes as a result of changes from collective agreements, human resource policy changes, salary revisions, benefit and pension plan changes, structuring/re-organizations.

As senior technical module expert, significant judgment is exercised in providing specialized business and change management expertise to branch management to ensure the business aspect of services is considered in the planning and delivery of services and in recommending/providing alternative approaches to current practices. Judgement is exercised in: the review, analysis, research, documentation and recommendation of problem resolution for applications design and systems integration support issues, patches, data fixes, upgrades and problems identified by the user community and PeopleSoft. Position exercises judgment in managing multi-.disciplinary project teams comprised of office colleagues, branch staff and management and representatives from other branches/division, client ministries, HRO and OSS.

Judgment is exercised in: assuming responsibility for the life cycle of application and systems integration production support; conducting effective consultation with users to obtain relevant and factual information about enterprise-wide and user specific business requirements; assessing design and integration requirements against capabilities and functionalities of the application and potential integration with other enterprise-wide and program specific OPS systems; determining approaches and rationale for resolution and ensuring compliance and consistency with OPS best practices, policies and guidelines – balancing client/stakeholder preferences with practicality of solutions; selecting information for the development of detailed functional design specifications and recommending involvement of appropriate WIN support teams to achieve systems integration solutions with minimal change to WIN. Judgement is exercised in: designing and conducting relevant effective and timely link, acceptance and sign off through formal delegated levels of authority; understanding operational responsibilities of user communities and balancing user requirements with WIN project deliverables and outcomes; identifying incidents and politically sensitive situations which require escalation and involvement of WIN senior management, and coordinating all stages of assigned projects to satisfactory completion. Position exercises initiative and judgement in managing multiple deliverables in a complex deadline oriented environment with competing demands from a wide range of users; conducting relevant research to acquire functional expertise and knowledge as the delegated 'expert' for assigned modules and in a back-up capacity; in selecting relevant information to respond to inquiries from WIN teams and user community; in development of material for 'expert led' training and in presenting relevant information for improvements and enhancements.