Program Manager, Strategic Implementation

PDK International; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

PDK International in Arlington, VA seeks a highly organized Program Manager, Strategic Implementation to turn strategy into execution. Lead cross-functional strategic initiatives, build the structures, tools, and coordination needed to move complex work forward.

This role collaborates across teams, reporting to the Chief of Staff, and aims to standardize program and project management practices while ensuring timely delivery and clear accountability.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience managing cross-functional programs and projects.
• Ability to translate priorities into clear plans, timelines, roles, deliverables, and success measures.
• Strong PM, facilitation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience building or improving systems, processes, tools, or templates that help teams work more effectively.
• Experience with Agile/Scrum or similar approaches is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and execution of cross-functional initiatives from kickoff to completion.
• Establish timelines, milestones, owners, governance, and success metrics.
• Coordinate departments; clarify roles, responsibilities, and dependencies.
• Monitor progress, identify risks, and remove obstacles to keep work moving.
• Facilitate decisions; document next steps and ownership.
• Provide updates to leaders with clear reporting.
• Coach teams and ensure handoffs to operational owners when needed.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Strategic planning

Facilitation

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

We are seeking a highly organized, systems-minded leader who thrives on turning strategy into execution. Program Manager, Strategic Implementation will lead the implementation of high-priority, cross-functional strategic initiatives by building the structures, tools, and coordination needed to move complex work forward.

Some initiatives will remain under this role's leadership throughout their lifecycle, while others will transition to operational teams once a strong implementation foundation has been established. In addition to leading and managing strategic initiatives, this role will help build consistent program and project management practices across the organization, strengthening our ability to plan, coordinate, and deliver complex work effectively.

This is a highly collaborative role that works across teams and levels of the organization. The ideal candidate is someone who can zoom out to understand the strategic goal, zoom in to manage the details, and bring people together to ensure work keeps moving. This role reports to the Chief of Staff.

Core Responsibilities and Measures of Success

Lead Strategic Initiative Implementation

Own the planning and execution of complex, cross-functional initiatives from kickoff through completion or transition to an operational owner.

Core Responsibilities:

• Translate strategic priorities into clear, executable plans


• Establish timelines, milestones, owners, governance structures, and success measures


• Coordinate work across departments and ensure teams understand roles, responsibilities, and dependencies


• Monitor progress, identify and manage risks, and remove obstacles to keep work moving


• Facilitate decision-making and ensure key decisions and next steps are documented and followed through


• Lead implementation through completion or facilitate a thoughtful, seamless handoff to an operational owner


• Provide clear, consistent communication and reporting to organizational leaders

Examples of initiatives:

• Federal grants and foundation-funded initiatives


• New organizational priorities


• Cross-functional operational programs and projects


• Strategic launches and pilots

Measures of success:

• Strategic programs and projects start well, with clear plans, owners, timelines, governance, and success measures from day one


• Complex initiatives move forward with strong coordination, clear accountability, and fewer surprises


• Leaders have greater visibility into progress, risks, dependencies, and decisions


• Strategic initiatives are successfully completed or transitioned to operational owners with the structures and knowledge needed for continued success

Build Organizational Program Management Capability

Create the systems, tools, and practices that help teams across the organization execute work more consistently and effectively.

Core Responsibilities:

• Develop shared program and project management standards, templates, tools, and expectations


• Create scalable processes for project kickoff, planning, progress tracking, and reporting


• Improve visibility into organizational priorities, major initiatives, and cross-functional work


• Build and maintain dashboards and tracking systems that support effective decision-making


• Identify opportunities to improve organizational workflows and ways of working


• Capture lessons learned and continuously refine program and project management practices

Measures of success:

• Teams have shared tools, templates, language, and expectations for managing programs and projects


• Teams spend less time reinventing project management processes and more time executing the work itself


• Leaders have greater visibility into organizational priorities and the status of major initiatives


• Program and project management practices become increasingly consistent, scalable, and effective across the organization

Partner with Teams to Enable Successful Execution

Serve as an internal program and project management partner to leaders and teams across the organization, providing hands-on support and coaching to help important work succeed

Core Responsibilities:

• Support teams in launching and structuring new initiatives


• Facilitate planning, kickoff, and working sessions


• Coach program and project leads on implementation and project management best practices


• Help teams establish clear governance, roles, communication plans, and decision-making structures


• Provide additional implementation support during critical phases of programs and projects


• Build strong relationships across departments and serve as a trusted partner who helps teams navigate complexity and keep work moving

Measures of success:

• Leaders and teams feel better equipped to plan and execute complex work


• Teams have greater clarity about roles, responsibilities, decisions, and next steps


• Leaders spend less time managing the mechanics of programs and projects and more time focused on strategy, content, and decisions


• The organization has greater confidence in its ability to deliver complex work effectively

Who You Are

You are a strong program manager who brings structure to complexity without creating unnecessary bureaucracy. You are naturally organized, highly collaborative, and comfortable working across teams and levels of an organization. You know how to take a big-picture goal and turn it into a practical plan—and you have the persistence and judgment to keep that plan moving when priorities shift or obstacles arise.

You are equally comfortable building systems and rolling up your sleeves to manage the details. You can facilitate a meeting, build a project plan, identify a risk, ask a hard question, and communicate a concise status update to senior leaders. You bring a calm, solutions-oriented approach to complex work and are energized by helping others execute well.

Experience and Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience managing cross-functional programs and projects, ideally in a complex, mission-driven, education, nonprofit, or similarly collaborative environment.


• Demonstrated ability to translate complex or ambiguous priorities into clear plans, timelines, roles, deliverables, and measures of success—and drive work through completion.


• Strong project management, facilitation, communication, and relationship-building skills, with experience coordinating across teams and managing competing priorities, dependencies, and risks.


• Experience building or improving systems, processes, tools, or templates that help teams work more effectively and execute more consistently.


• Experience working with education, grants, or federally or foundation-funded initiatives is a plus; experience with creative agencies, designers, or other external partners is also a plus.


• Familiarity with project management methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, or similar approaches is a plus.

Compensation

Salary range will be between $80,000- $100,000, commensurate with experience, plus competitive benefits.