Project Manager (Contract to Hire)

Ardent Learning Inc.; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Ardent Learning Inc. seeks a Client Engagement Manager (Project Manager) to drive client satisfaction and project health, coordinating design, development and production to meet client specifications and deadlines.

You will be a top communicator with clients and vendors, ensuring successful delivery. This remote, contract-to-hire role requires strong project management, budgeting, risk management and cross‑functional collaboration across multiple time zones (EST, CST, PST).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent years of experience required.
• 5+ years’ experience as a client facing Project Manager; learning industry is a plus.
• Experience with Smartsheet, Microsoft Project or other project management tools.
• Competency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Proven ability to manage budgets.
• Willingness to support clients across multiple timezones (EST, CST, PST).
• High competence in project and client services management; flexibility in ambiguity.
• Effective client communications, including handling difficult conversations.
• Ability to manage project scope, risks and changes with win‑win solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to launch new client engagements and projects.
• Reporting on project success criteria, milestones, risks and issues.

Responsibilities

• Leads the full lifecycle of client engagements and oversees design, development, and production of projects to ensure client specifications and deadlines are met
• Ensure timely and efficient milestone handoffs internally and externally throughout project
• Provide proactive status updates to team members, management and clients. Hold internal and external status meetings. Document and communicate decisions and actions from each status meeting
• Adhere to Ardent’s project management standards and best practices, embracing flexibility where possible
• Develop, maintain, and monitor progress reports, project plans, timelines and budgets with focus on attention to detail and client satisfaction
• Develop detailed project plan(s) to monitor and track progress
• Manages people and vendor resources required for client engagements – reworking plans and prioritizing needs effectively with Resource Manager
• Provide project support to participating internal and external talent
• Develop purchase orders, track projects from PO through invoicing
• Obtain client feedback and work through edits and revisions
• Escalate any project changes that may affect scope, time, cost and/or quality
• Perform risk management to minimize project risks
• Stay in tune with client needs, strengthening Ardent’s position as learning consultants
• Travel locally to and from the client location as needed
• Other duties as assigned

Skills

Client-facing

Project management

Budget management

Communication

Vendor management

Time-zone support

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent years of experience

Tools

Smartsheet

Microsoft Project

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Outlook

Job description

This position is a temporary (contract to hire) role with no specific time period but could be extended or shortened as needed; work can be done remotely.

Summary Description:

The Client Engagement Manager (Project Manager) is vital to client satisfaction, project health, and the anchor for our internal project teams. Their goal is to maximize client project success and account satisfaction by developing strong relationships with key stakeholders across accounts. The Client Engagement Manager (Project Manager) brings excellent project management experience to their accounts, and is a top knotch communicator both internally and with our clients and vendors.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Leads the full lifecycle of client engagements and oversees design, development, and production of projects to ensure client specifications and deadlines are met

• Ensure timely and efficient milestone handoffs internally and externally throughout project

• Provide proactive status updates to team members, management and clients. Hold internal and external status meetings. Document and communicate decisions and actions from each status meeting

• Adhere to Ardent’s project management standards and best practices, embracing flexibility where possible

• Develop, maintain, and monitor progress reports, project plans, timelines and budgets with focus on attention to detail and client satisfaction — speaking up when deliverables are not in alignment with Ardent standards

• Develop detailed project plan(s) to monitor and track progress

• Manages people and vendor resources required for client engagements – reworking plans and prioritizing needs effectively with Resource Manager

• Provide project support to participating internal and external talent

• Develop purchase orders, track projects from purchase order through invoicing

• Obtain client feedback and work through edits and revisions

• Escalate any project changes that may affect scope, time, cost and or quality

• Perform risk management to minimize project risks

• Stay in tune with client needs, strengthening Ardent’s position as learning consultants

• Travel locally to and from the client location as needed

• Other duties as assigned

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent years of experience required

• 5+ years’ experience as a client facing Project Manager; experience in the learning industry is a plus

• Experience with Smartsheet, Microsoft Project or other project management tools

• Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook

• Proven ability to manage budgets

• Willingness to support clients across multiple timezones (EST, CST, PST)

• High competence in project and client services management; able to embrace the flexibility and ambiguity needed in our client services environment

• Effective client communications, including being confident having difficult conversations

• Work creatively to manage project scope and changes by problem solving, identifying risks / issues and negotiating win‑win solutions

• Demonstrated ability to launch new client engagements and projects

• Reporting on project success criteria / metrics, milestones, risks and issues – internally and with the client

• Proven track record for successful delivery of projects and working cross‑functionally across internal and external teams

• Ability to be flexible in diving into project detail when necessary, while keeping the overall picture in mind

• Demonstrated ability to be responsive with both verbal and written communication, while maintaining a strong sense of urgency

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Come as you are. Ardent Learning is an equal opportunity employer.Ardent embraces diversity and is committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees.