Project Manager

University of California, Santa Cruz; California (MO); Remote; USD 99,000 - 107,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading public university is seeking a Project Manager to oversee various projects, ensuring stakeholder engagement and service orientation. This remote role requires strong communication, leadership skills, and expertise in project management methodologies. Candidates should have a Bachelor's degree and notable experience in managing project lifecycles. The position offers a budgeted salary range of $99,040 - $106,400 per year with full benefits.

Benefits

Full benefits

Remote work opportunity

Qualifications

• Significant experience applying project management theory.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and shifting priorities.
• Clear and effective written communication with stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage full project lifecycle from initiation to closure.
• Serve as liaison between internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage project documentation.

Skills

Project management expertise

Stakeholder engagement

Agile methodologies

Waterfall project management

Clear communication

Leadership skills

Customer relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree in related area

Tools

Jira

Microsoft Project

Confluence

Job description

Overview

JOB POSTING

This position works remotely requiring a telecommuting agreement and adherence to the UCSC Telecommuting/Remote Work Guidelines. The employee shall be available in a full-time capacity during assigned telecommuting work hours (specific hours to be discussed with supervisor). While telecommuting/remote working, the employee is responsible for ensuring a worksite environment suitable for accomplishing their regular job duties during scheduled hours of work and, if applicable, arranging for dependent care just as they would if they were working at the regular UCSC worksite.

NO VISA SPONSORSHIP IS AVAILABLE FOR THIS POSITION.

How to Apply

For full consideration, applicants should attach their resume and cover letter when applying for a job opening. For guidance related to the application process or if you are experiencing difficulties when applying, please review the Applicant Resources on our website.

Initial Review Date

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link. The IRD for this job is: 10/27/2025.

About UCSC

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It is known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

Department Overview

The Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) is a public agency supported by 12 states and territories. Through the work of thousands of educators, Smarter Balanced created an online assessment system aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), as well as tools for educators to improve teaching and learning. Smarter Balanced is housed at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) Silicon Valley Extension. Our work is guided by the belief that a high-quality assessment system can provide information and tools for teachers and schools to improve instruction and help students succeed, regardless of disability, language, or subgroup. We involve experienced educators, researchers, state and local policymakers, and community groups working together in a transparent and consensus-driven process. UCSC Extension provides professional training that reflects the academic rigor of the University of California and the hands-on practicality of Silicon Valley culture. The University of California reviews and approves UCSC Extension courses and programs for academic content, merit, and instructor qualifications. Many of our courses may be applied toward degree programs or may be eligible for professional certificates and licenses. More information can be found at https://smarterbalanced.org

Job Summary

The Project Manager is a seasoned professional who combines deep project management expertise with a strong focus on customer service and stakeholder engagement. The PM has an understanding of multiple project management frameworks (e.g., Waterfall, Agile) and the ability to tailor approaches to projects of varying scope, complexity, and team composition. In addition to managing the full project lifecycle—from initiation and planning through execution and closure—the Project Manager serves as a key liaison between internal teams and external stakeholders, ensuring that customer needs and expectations are clearly understood, communicated, and met. The incumbent is responsible for fostering a service-oriented culture, resolving issues with empathy and efficiency, and maintaining high levels of satisfaction across all touchpoints. The Project Manager applies relevant policies and procedures to navigate and resolve a wide range of challenges, including risk mitigation, issue resolution, and change management. They also lead cross-functional teams, manage project documentation, and ensure the timely delivery of milestones while maintaining transparency and accountability throughout the process.

Appointment Information

Budgeted Salary: $99,040 - $106,400/year. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.

Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Career appointment

Job End Date: None

Work Location: Remote

Union Representation: Non-Represented

Job Code Classification: 004473 (PROJECT MGT PROFL 3) - Grade 23

Travel: Up to 25% of the time

Job Duties

40% - Services for Internal and External Customers

• Manage efforts with interest holders to document specific project management needs and services for each project, including the methodology (i.e., waterfall, Agile, or hybrid) appropriate for the work.
• Develop a deep understanding of the project, goals, vernacular, and workflows to support practical and relevant management projects.
• Support development, execution, and monitoring of vendor contracts.
• Maintain transparent and intuitive systems (e.g., Jira) that support project teams’ tracking of tasks and awareness of interdependent project milestones.
• Support internal and external customers with timely development and delivery of meeting agendas, notes, and action items.
• Lead project meeting agenda management, discussions, and resource sharing, with internal and external customers, focusing on documented and shared objectives.
• Lead change management by adapting project plans, workflows, change control documentation, and resources to adjust priorities, ensuring continued alignment with organizational goals.
• Serve as primary contact for general member email queries, phone queries, Teams project channel, frontline UAT questions, and status updates.

60% - General Project Management

• As part of the project intake process, leads cross-team efforts to develop feasibility analyses to identify risks, constraints, and necessary resources for project work.
• Works closely with the product management team to develop execution strategies that incorporate project milestones and deliverables into the product development life cycle.
• Facilitates internal and external interest holder understanding of requirements, key deliverables, project schedule, risks, etc.
• Manages the development of project charters, including documentation of value proposition, project requirements, success criteria, budget, roles and responsibilities, resource needs, etc.
• Manages the identification and documentation of project requirements, elaborating from business requirements through interest holder requirements to solution/technical requirements.
• Leads the planning process with cross-functional teams to build project schedules, track batches of work, and/or task backlogs to meet project requirements and success criteria.
• Leads the process of identifying, documenting, and escalating (as appropriate) project risks and mitigation strategies.
• Directs project activities to complete the project on schedule and within budget constraints and scope of work.
• Closely tracks progress towards completion of project tasks and monitors potential impact on interdependent project milestones.
• Monitors project budget actual spend vs. planned budget.
• Creates and maintains all project management documentation throughout the project lifecycle (e.g. project schedule, task tickets, risk log, action log, diction log, etc.).
• Manages project issues, escalating as needed.
• Presents monthly status reports (e.g. risks, issues, upcoming milestones, etc.) to executive-level staff and members for all assigned projects.
• Continuously evaluates and refines project management processes based on feedback to assess project performance, identify trends, and recommend improvements for greater efficiency in processes.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Significant experience applying project management theory to practice by selecting, implementing, and adapting project management methods and techniques to effectively achieve project goals.
• Experience using project management tools (e.g. Microsoft Project, Jira, and Confluence).
• Experience ensuring that organizational practices, services, and behaviors support and promote collaboration among staff.
• Clear and effective written communication skills with all levels of internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated communication skills, including excellent listening skills and clear and effective verbal communication skills with all levels of internal and external stakeholders.
• Proven leadership and collaboration skills to support the development of positive working relationships and effective teams.
• Demonstrated virtual and in-person presentation skills.
• Effective organizational skills; demonstrated ability to determine relevance and prioritize tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple projects and shifting priorities, while maintaining high-quality standards.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and manage effective customer relations, including establishing shared understanding of project requirements, soliciting and acting on customer feedback, exploring creative approaches to enhancing services and increasing efficiency, responding to customer requests promptly, etc.
• Demonstrated ability to promptly assess and respond to customer needs, ensuring timely communication and resolution of requests while maintaining a customer-centric approach.
• Demonstrated ability to learn and apply project-specific vernacular and workflow, and understanding of how projects relate to other business strategies and initiatives.
• Demonstrated attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to identify risks and plan for contingencies.
• Demonstrated ability to actively listen, ask relevant questions, and communicate persuasively in writing and speech, ensuring alignment and understanding across internal teams and external partners.
• Demonstrated management and completion of job assignments, including effective judgment, problem-solving, and use of appropriate resources in decision-making.
• Effective skill at tracking effort and project progress.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience planning and providing deliverables that meet the terms of a contract.
• Familiarity with assessment development cycles, educational measurement principles, and compliance requirements in K-12 assessment.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification.
• Certified Scrum Master (CSM).

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
• Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
• This is a fully remote position, and the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed.
• Ability to travel nationally.
• Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
• The University of California has implemented a COVID-19 Vaccination Policy covering all employees. To be compliant with the policy, covered employees must submit proof of vaccination or have an approved exception or deferral, eight (8) weeks from date of hire.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information, and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.

MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Safety Statement

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

Notice of Availability

In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (the Clery Act), the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report (ASFSR) is available at: https://compliance.ucsc.edu/campus-safety-compliance/annual-reports/.

This report is published by October 1st of each year and includes current institutional policies and procedures concerning campus safety and security; fire safety and evacuation policies; sexual misconduct and relationship violence reporting and response protocols; and crime and fire statistics for the three previous calendar years. A paper copy of the ASFSR is available upon request by contacting the UCSC Police Department at 114 Carriage House Rd., Santa Cruz, CA 95064, or by calling 831-459-2231 Ext. 1.

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti-discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor.