Higher Education Implementation Project Manager Consultants

Job description

CampusWorks partners with higher education institutions to optimize their people, processes, policies, and technologies. Through close collaboration with institutional teams, CampusWorks consultants analyze current operations, design improved future-state processes, and deliver technical and process-based solutions that drive transformation and client satisfaction. The Project Manager plays a key role in leading these initiatives through the full project lifecycle—ensuring timely, on-budget, and high-quality delivery. Depending on the project, you may act as project manager, program manager, or portfolio manager. This role requires a detail-oriented, proactive professional who excels in communication, stakeholder engagement, and issue resolution. Grounded in PMI project management principles, the Project Manager adapts CampusWorks’ methodology to meet client-specific needs, aligns stakeholders, and maintains clear, consistent communication throughout the project to ensure its success. CampusWorks consultants engage with our clients in higher education to assist them in fully leveraging their people, processes, policies, and technologies. We work collaboratively with clients’ functional and technical teams and our CampusWorks colleagues to evaluate current processes, design future-state optimal processes, and to architect, develop, test, train, and rollout process and technical solutions that delight our clients. A hybrid presence may be required with frequent travel to client locations. ### Job Duties - Lead the planning, execution, and closure of large-scale implementation projects across the full project lifecycle. - Evaluate and prioritize projects, ensure projects align with strategic objectives. - Balance resources across projects, report portfolio performance to executives. - Oversee day-to-day activities to ensure alignment with project scope, timelines, and objectives. - Drive project decisions and ensure continued momentum to meet deadlines. - Manage project risks, issues, and escalation paths to ensure project stability and success. - Ensure vendors fulfill contractual obligations and delivers high-quality, validated outputs. - Monitor institutional staff task completion and resource allocation. - Establish and maintain project governance structures in collaboration with stakeholders. - Develop core project documents including the Project Charter, Risk Register, Stakeholder Register, and Project Plan (Quality Assurance, Change Management, Communication, Procurement, Data Conversion). - Create and maintain detailed project schedules and work plans. - Facilitate weekly status meetings and deliver regular reports to stakeholders and internal leadership. - Communicate progress, risks, and decisions effectively to all levels, including the client steering committee and executive sponsors. - Collaborate with change management leads to ensure organizational readiness. - Adapt CampusWorks methodologies to align with client-specific project management practices and policies. - Conclude projects with formal closure, including documentation and lessons learned. ### Knowledge, Skills & Abilities - Strong ability to simplify complex technical information for non-technical audiences. - Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills as well as problem identification and resolution. - High attention to detail, with strong time management and organizational skills. - Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage competing priorities. - Effective at decision-making and stakeholder engagement at all organizational levels. - In-depth understanding of higher education operations and IT environments. - Familiarity with higher education procurement practices and vendor relations. - Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and Outlook. - Proficiency in project management tools such as MS Project, Smartsheet, Wrike, and Jira. ### Experience & Education - Bachelor’s degree; advanced degree preferred. - Proven experience managing project portfolios orenterprise software implementations in higher education (e.g., HR/Payroll, Finance, Student, CRM, Advancement). - Strong experience in project oversight, governance, and cross-functional collaboration. - Expertise in the full project lifecycle, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure. ### Preferred Experience - 3+ years with a consulting/professional services firm preferred and experience consulting with Higher Education a plus - PMP or other project management certifications.