Assistant Project Manager

University of New England; Portland (ME); On-site; USD 80,000 - 86,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of New England in Maine is seeking an Assistant Project Manager to help deliver ITS initiatives through coordination, documentation, and clear communications. You’ll support project managers, maintain artifacts, and drive go-live readiness, while independently handling small projects and building toward advanced PM responsibilities.

Join a leading private university with multiple campuses and a strong commitment to education and health sciences, offering rich benefits and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 1–3 years of experience supporting projects and coordinating work.
• Foundational knowledge of project management concepts and structured planning methods.
• Strong organizational skills, detail-oriented and deadline-driven.
• Proficient in common collaboration tools and quick to learn new platforms.

Responsibilities

• Support ITS Project Managers with project planning and schedule maintenance.
• Prepare project artifacts: charters, work plans, agendas, notes, risk and issue logs.
• Coordinate meetings, workshops, and document outcomes for stakeholders.
• Independently manage low-risk projects under guidance, including scope and timing.
• Assist with go-live readiness activities, cutover checklists, and communications timing.
• Maintain project data in portfolio tools (e.g., Smartsheet) and support reporting.

Skills

Project coordination

Documentation

Communication

Stakeholder management

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, information technology, or related field

Tools

Smartsheet

Microsoft 365

Teams

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

The Assistant Project Manager supports the delivery of ITS initiatives through strong project coordination, documentation, and communication. Working under the direction of the Associate CIO /Director of Enterprise Portfolio Management and Transformation and in close partnership with ITS Project Managers, this role helps maintain consistent project practices, accurate reporting, and successful go-live readiness. The Assistant Project Manager may also lead low-risk, low-to-moderate complexity projects as assigned, while building competencies toward more advanced project management responsibilities.

About The University of New England

UNE is Maine’s largest private university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one‑of‑a‑kind study‑abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible online offerings. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands‑on learning, empowering students to positively impact a world full of challenges. We are the state’s top provider of health professionals and home to Maine’s only medical and dental colleges, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care programs, and nationally recognized programs in the marine sciences, the natural and social sciences, business, the humanities, and the arts.

Benefits Overview

• Multiple health and dental plan options, plus vision coverage.
• Up to 8% retirement plan match.
• Generous leave time, including vacation, sick, and personal time, and 12+ holidays per year.
• Educational benefits:
  • UNE tuition waiver for employees, spouses, and domestic partners

Project Delivery Support and Small Project Leadership

• Support assigned ITS Project Managers with project planning, schedule maintenance, task tracking, and follow-through on action items.
• Prepare and maintain project artifacts including charters, work plans, meeting agendas and notes, decision logs, risk and issue logs, and status reports using ITS standards and templates.
• Coordinate project meetings, workshops, and working sessions; document outcomes and communicate next steps to stakeholders.
• Independently manage assigned low-risk projects or workstreams under guidance, including scope, schedule, and stakeholder coordination.
• Support go-live planning activities such as cutover checklists, readiness checkpoints, communications timing, and post go-live stabilization tracking.

Portfolio, Reporting, and Tooling Support

• Maintain accurate project data in portfolio and project management tools (for example, Smartsheet), including milestones, dependencies, percent complete, and key dates.
• Assist with portfolio reporting by compiling weekly and monthly status updates, dashboards, and metrics for leadership review.
• Support intake and initiation activities by ensuring requests, approvals, and documentation are complete and stored in the appropriate repository.
• Track resource and scheduling inputs for assigned projects and elevate capacity risks or dependency conflicts to the Project Manager and Director.

Change, Communications, and Training Support

• Partner with change management and training resources to support stakeholder engagement, communications drafts, training logistics, and readiness checkpoints for assigned initiatives.
• Assist with stakeholder mapping and impact tracking to help ensure the right audiences are informed and prepared for changes.
• Support development and distribution of project communications in coordination with functional owners and institutional communications as appropriate.

Vendor and Procurement Coordination (Project-Specific)

• Coordinate vendor meetings and deliverable tracking for assigned projects; ensure action items and dependencies are documented and followed through.
• Support procurement and onboarding logistics such as scheduling, access coordination, documentation collection, and communications with internal stakeholders, under the guidance of the Project Manager and Director.
• Escalate vendor risks, delivery concerns, and contract questions to the Project Manager and Director.

Continuous Improvement and Professional Development

• Participate in project retrospectives and lessons learned; contribute improvements to templates, checklists, and project delivery practices.
• Maintain working knowledge of project management standards and participate in training aligned to career progression (for example, CAPM and later PMP readiness).
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, information systems, information technology, or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• One to three years of experience supporting projects, coordinating work, or providing project administration in a professional environment.
• Foundational knowledge of project management concepts and the ability to apply structured methods for planning, tracking, and communication.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain attention to detail, and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with common collaboration and productivity tools (Microsoft 365, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and comfort learning new platforms.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to draft clear meeting notes, status updates, and stakeholder communications.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, including technical teams, functional partners, and external vendors, in a collaborative service-oriented environment.
• Commitment to confidentiality, information security practices, and adherence to institutional policies.

Preferred Qualifications

• CAPM certification or completion of at least 23 hours of project management education, with the expectation to obtain CAPM within 12 months of hire.
• Experience using project and portfolio management tools (for example, Smartsheet) and maintaining project schedules and reporting artifacts.
• Experience supporting organizational change activities such as communications planning, training coordination, or stakeholder engagement.
• Experience in higher education or another complex mission-driven organization.
• Interest in progressing toward advanced project management responsibilities and credentials (for example, PMP ).

EEO Statement Summary

Consistent with federal and state law and University policy, the University of New England is committed to the fundamental concept of equal opportunity for all of the members of the University community. The University prohibits, and will not tolerate, discrimination in employment, the provision of academic services or in any other area of University life based on race, color, sex, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, ethnicity, genetic information, HIV status, or status as a veteran. Prohibited bias factors should not motivate decisions regarding students, employees, applicants for admission, applicants for employment, contractors, volunteers or participants in and/or users of institutional programs, services, and activities.

Employees in clinical settings must meet the State of Maine’s immunization requirements for clinical activity.

Additional Note

This position is not eligible for H-1B visa sponsorship.

Anticipated Pay Range

Anticipated Pay Range $80,000- $86,000

Posting Number

Posting Number 2022PS0891P

Open Date

Close Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Supplemental Questions

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