PROJECT MANAGER I/II/III/SR (3 POSITIONS)

Central Michigan University; Mount Pleasant (MI); Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, MI, invites applications for the Project Manager I/II/III/SR (3 positions). The role plans, organizes, and oversees projects across departments to ensure on-time, on-budget delivery while aligning with university objectives.

Successful candidates will demonstrate growing responsibility in project management, cross-functional collaboration, and risk mitigation, with a pathway from PM I through Senior PM.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED.
• One year of increasingly responsible work experience in project coordination or management.
• Basic project management skills, effective communication, attention to detail, and proficiency in project management tools.
• Ability to plan and organize the phasing of development projects of small to medium size and duration.
• Listening, facilitation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Ability to support small-scale projects with guidance from senior staff.
• Project Manager II requires Bachelor's degree plus additional experience; PM III and Senior require progressive responsibility and leadership.

Responsibilities

• Defines project scope, objectives, and deliverables.
• Develops detailed project plans, including timelines, resources, and budgets.
• Ensures adherence to project management methodologies and university policies.
• Acts as a liaison between departments, faculty, and external vendors.
• Communicates project updates, risks, and solutions effectively.
• Identifies potential risks and develops mitigation strategies.
• Monitors project progress and resolves issues as they arise.
• Maintains accurate project documentation and records.
• Prepares reports for leadership and stakeholders.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Project Manager II adds multi-project oversight and alignment with business objectives.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Detail orientation

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Listening

Facilitation

Negotiation

Conflict resolution

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Team Dynamix

MS Project

Trello

Job description

PROJECT MANAGER I/II/III/SR (3 POSITIONS)

Position Number: S-3970

Position Summary: The project manager is responsible for planning, organizing, and overseeing projects to ensure they are completed on time, within scope, and within budget. This role involves collaboration with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and university departments to deliver projects that support the university's strategic objectives. The level of the position (I, II, III, or Senior) reflects the scope of projects managed, years of experience required, and level of autonomy in performing tasks.

Required Qualifications:

Project Manager I:

• High school diploma or GED.
• One year of increasingly responsible work experience in project coordination or management.
• Basic project management skills, effective communication, attention to detail, and proficiency in project management tools.
• Ability to plan and organize the phasing of development projects of small to medium size and duration.
• Listening, facilitation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Competency in Microsoft applications including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
• Ability to support small-scale projects with guidance from senior staff.

Project Manager II:

• Possess all of the required qualifications of a Project Manager I, plus:
• Bachelor's degree or a combination of education and experience that equates to four years.
• Four additional years of project management experience, preferably in a higher education environment.
• Ability to independently manage multiple medium-scale/complexity projects, with knowledge of risk management and resource allocation.

Project Manager III:

• Possess all of the required qualifications of a Project Manager II, plus:
• Four additional years of project management experience, including large, complex projects.
• Advanced project management skills, including budget management, strategic planning, and change management.
• Ability to lead large-scale, high-impact projects.

Senior Project Manager:

• Possess all of the required qualifications of a Project Manager III, plus:
• Four additional years of project management experience, with a strong track record of delivering multi-departmental or enterprise-level projects.
• Exceptional leadership, strategic thinking, and stakeholder management skills.
• Expertise in managing complex portfolios and high-level initiatives.
• Ability to oversee the most critical and strategic projects that carry significant impact on the university.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proficiency in project management software (Team Dynamix, MS Project, Trello).
• Familiarity with university environments and processes.
• PMP certification or progress toward PMP certification.
• Knowledge of the BABOK® Guide and the Agile Extension to the BABOK® Guide.
• Training and certification or progress toward certification in Agile approaches and techniques.
• Demonstrated experience in modeling notation and flowcharting.
• Ability to break-down complex business scenarios or problems into process and data models.
• Demonstrated track record of successful business analysis, design, and management of optimized processes, projects, and programs in a complex workforce environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the SDLC and Agile methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience with processes for contract work and vended solutions.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Project Manager I:

• Defines project scope, objectives, and deliverables.
• Develops detailed project plans, including timelines, resources, and budgets.
• Ensures adherence to project management methodologies and university policies.
• Acts as a liaison between departments, faculty, and external vendors.
• Communicates project updates, risks, and solutions effectively.
• Identifies potential risks and develops mitigation strategies.
• Monitors project progress and resolves issues as they arise.
• Maintains accurate project documentation and records.
• Prepares reports for leadership and stakeholders.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Project Manager II:

• Performs all duties and responsibilities of the Project Manager I, plus:
• Manages multiple concurrent projects that are longer in term, greater in complexity, and medium to large in size, scope, budget, and/or impact.
• Supports the achievement of business objectives and goals and satisfaction of business needs by coordinating, implementing, managing, measuring, and monitoring the effectiveness of projects.

Project Manager III:

• Performs all duties and responsibilities of the Project Manager II, plus:
• Leads large, high complexity programs consisting of multiple high- complexity projects.
• Provides direction, monitoring, training, coaching, and mentoring, and will possibly assign work to, other project managers.
• Engages with leadership on continuous project/program management process improvements.
• Engages with relevant University departments in the submission of RFQs/RFPs for contract work and vended solutions.
• Oversees project teams or mentors junior staff as requested.

Senior Project Manager:

• Performs all duties and responsibilities of the Project Manager III, plus:
• Oversees the project portfolio of all projects, programs, and operations to achieve strategic objectives.
• Champions strong governance in the portfolio and project management framework.
• Leads and manages business system and process development for multiple, concurrent, complex programs and initiatives.
• Works with other project managers, providing direction, monitoring work, and training.
• Ensures alignment of large-scale initiatives with relevant enterprise considerations where applicable.
• Manages multiple project managers or project teams as requested.

Supervision Exercised:

None.

Employee Group:

Professional & Administrative -Salary

Staff Pay Level:

Pay Range: $52,000 - $92,000 per year (based on level)

Division:

President

Department:

University Transformation Office

Position Status:

Provisional

Position End Date:

09/30/2031

Employment Status:

Full-Time

FTE:

1.0

Position Type:

12 month

Weekly Work Schedule:

Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed

Location:

Mount Pleasant, MI

About the Department:

Central Michigan University is engaged in a multi-year enterprise resource planning (ERP) transformation initiative. This provisional position has been established to support the successful implementation of the selected ERP solution and ensuring coverage for other University Transformation Office initiatives.

About CMU:

Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.

We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master's, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.

Central is home to 17 men's and women's Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.

CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It's part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state's largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.

Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city's central location in Michigan's Lower Peninsula.

CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.

CMU Leadership Standards:

Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.

We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

CMU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and institution. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight. CMU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, including admission and employment, and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 not to discriminate in such a matter. Inquiries about the application of Title IX can be made to CMU's Title IX Coordinator, the US Department of Education's Assistant Secretary, or both. CMU's Title IX Coordinator can be reached at: Phone: [phone] Office: 103 E. Preston St. Bovee University Center, suite 306 Mount Pleasant, MI 48858 Email: [e-mail]

Hybrid Position Note:

This is a hybrid position with both remote and on-campus responsibilities. The position is expected to work on the Mount Pleasant campus a minimum of three days per week.