Director, IT Project Management

Job description

At Curriculum Associates, we believe in the potential of every child and are changing the face of education technology with award-winning learning programs like i-Ready that serve a third of the nation’s K–8 students. For more than 50 years, our commitment to making classrooms better places, serving educators, and supporting accessible learning experiences for all students has driven the continuous improvement of our innovative programs. Our team of more than 2,500 employees is composed of lifelong learners who stand behind this mission, working tirelessly to serve the educational community with world-class programs and support every day. Director, IT Project Management The Director of IT Project Management is responsible for leading and overseeing the planning, execution, and delivery of internal-facing IT projects across CA’s ecosystem of business systems, custom applications, infrastructure, AI tools, and data. This role ensures that IT initiatives align with business goals, adhere to best practices, and are completed on time and within budget. The Director will lead a global team of project managers and collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to drive efficiency, innovation, and strategic value through IT projects. The IT Project Management Office is part of CA’s Major Projects team, which leads enterprise-scale strategic initiatives that transform the way we do our work. Reporting into the Vice President, Major Projects, you'll have an opportunity to bring your experience and expertise to bear to help shape the growth of this function, ensuring we're ready to lead CA's most complex, innovative, and impactful IT projects. The Impact You'll Have: Oversee the IT project portfolio, ensuring successful project delivery through effective planning, resource management, staffing, and risk mitigation. Lead, develop, and manage an India and US-based team of IT project managers, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. Establish and enforce Hybrid project management methodologies and best practices, as well as strong governance frameworks to ensure consistent project delivery. Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget while meeting quality standards. Collaborate with IT leadership, business units, and key stakeholders to define project priorities, objectives, and success metrics; receive and action feedback; and diagnose and solution challenges. Drive process optimization and implement tools (including AI and automation) to enhance project execution and efficiency, with an eye toward continuous improvement. Identify and manage risks, dependencies, and constraints at both a project and portfolio level to ensure delivery success. Provide regular updates and reports to senior leadership on project status, key milestones, and potential challenges. Stay up to date with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices to enhance IT project management capabilities. What We're Looking For: 10+ years of experience in IT project management, with at least 5 years leading project management organizations. 3+ years experience leading, developing, and mentoring a global team required. Proven track record of managing large-scale IT programs and delivering consistent results in a fast-paced environment. Strong strategic mindset and business acumen with sound judgment and problem-solving capabilities. Experience partnering with executive-level internal customers preferred. Strong understanding of IT systems, software development life cycle (SDLC), AI applications within IT, and digital transformation. Strong knowledge of project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall, etc.) and tools (JIRA, SmartSheet, etc.). Collaborative mindset; ability to build strong relationships and work effectively with cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Experience in budget management, vendor negotiations, and contract management. Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field (Master’s degree preferred). PMP or other project management certification preferred. Familiarity with SFDC, Workday, and M365 preferred. Travel: Candidates should expect to travel to the US office 1-2 times per year for team gatherings and key project meetings.