Senior Project Manager

ACLU - National Office; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time-off

Comprehensive healthcare benefits

401(k) plan with employer match

Annual professional development funds

Job summary

The ACLU – National Office in New York, NY seeks a Senior Project Manager for the Learning & Project Solutions team. This hybrid, full-time role supports strategic project leadership, business analysis, and cross‑functional collaboration in a 2‑year term-limited position based in New York.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Learning and Project Solutions, you will drive project strategy, plan initiatives, manage budgets, and embed organizational values while advancing operational effectiveness

Qualifications

• Proven track record of successfully leading systems and process implementations in complex environments.
• Demonstrated experience integrating strategy into project management practices and execution.
• Comfort with leading cross-departmental projects.
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multitask, reprioritize, and identify risks and issues.

Responsibilities

• Develop project plans including detailed steps for implementation, process definition, user rollout, training, and communications.
• Manage project schedule to ensure on-time delivery within scope and budget.
• Manage project budgets and resource allocations.
• Facilitate project meetings with clear goals, agendas, and next steps.
• Identify risks and provide strategic, business-oriented solutions.
• Communicate with stakeholders about project status, issues, deadlines, and changes.
• Manage project close-out steps and post-mortems.

Skills

Project leadership

Cross-department collaboration

Organizational skills

Verbal and written communication

Adaptability

Stakeholder communication

Independent and team work

Education

PMP Certification

Job description

The ACLU seeks applicants for the full‑time position of Senior Project Manager in the Learning & Project Solutions (LPS) Team in the Business Operations and Support Services Department of the ACLU’s National office in New York, NY. This is a hybrid role that requires in‑office presence two (2) days per week or eight (8) days per month. This is a 2‑year term‑limited position.

The Business Operations and Support Services department, in the office of the Chief Operating Officer, enables organizational and operational effectiveness by partnering with ACLU staff across the enterprise to develop core business operations, training programs, and support services needed to maximize resources, evaluate and mitigate risk, ensure accessibility and inclusion, and achieve the organization’s strategic goals.

This position is part of a collective bargaining unit and is represented by ACLU Staff United (ASU).

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Reporting to the Senior Director, Learning and Project Solutions, the Senior Project Manager will ensure high‑impact ACLU projects are planned effectively, integrate organizational values and compliance priorities, and meet strategic goals and deadlines. The Senior Project Manager will serve as a strategic partner to business units, providing project strategy, project management, and business analysis activities, and will help develop our organizational project management standards and practices in partnership with Project Manager colleagues across the organization.

PROJECT STRATEGY AND LEADERSHIP

• Partner with business units to develop project plans that meet strategic goals and integrate organizational values, best practices, and compliance requirements.
• Facilitate the definition of project scope, goals, and deliverables.
• Work with LPS team and department leadership to define and integrate organizational priorities and requirements into standard project management practices.
• Participate in the Project Management Working Group with project managers across the organization to create project management resources, trainings, and practices to support organizational effectiveness.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• Develop project plans including detailed steps for implementation, process definition, user roll‑out, training, and communications.
• Manage project schedule to ensure the project is on time, in scope, and within budget.
• Manage project budgets and resource allocations.
• Facilitate project meetings, ensuring clear goals, agendas, and next steps.
• Identify risks, troubleshoot project issues, and recommend effective, business‑oriented, and strategic solutions.
• Communicate with stakeholders about project status, issues, deadlines, and changes.
• Manage project close‑out steps and post‑mortems.

BUSINESS ANALYSIS AND COMMUNICATION

• Support or supplement projects with business analyst activities as needed.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify business needs and translate them into documented requirements.
• Document current-state processes and design and document future-state processes.
• Engage with stakeholders to gather insights into business objectives, processes, and pain points.
• Develop communication plans and draft communications.

IN ADDITION

• Engage in special projects and other duties as assigned.

FUTURE ACLU'ERS WILL

• Be committed to advancing the mission of the ACLU.
• Center and embed the principles of equity, inclusion, and belonging in their work by demonstrating commitment to diversity with an approach that respects and values multiple perspectives.
• Be committed to working collaboratively and respectfully toward resolving obstacles and conflicts.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Proven track record of successfully leading systems and process implementations in complex environments.
• Demonstrated experience integrating strategy into project management practices and execution.
• Comfort with leading cross‑departmental projects.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to multitask, reprioritize, and quickly identify project risks and issues.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to compose, edit, and proof portfolio correspondence and documents.
• Comfortably manage ambiguity and turn it into clarity.
• Ability to communicate effectively across all levels of an organization.
• Experience with process improvement analysis.
• Ability to represent the organization and communicate professionally with ACLU staff and other colleagues, maintaining tact, diplomacy, and confidentiality.
• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team, fostering a team‑focused environment that encourages collaboration and peer support.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with technical systems and implementation projects a plus.
• Experience in a large complex nonprofit organization desirable.
• Minimum of five years related experience.
• PMP Certification.

COMPENSATION

The ACLU is committed to equity, transparency, and clarity in pay. Consistent with our compensation philosophy, there is a set salary for each role based on geographic work location. The annual salary for this position is $128,294 (Level G), reflecting the salary of a position based in New York, NY. Salaries are subject to a regional pay adjustment if authorization is granted to work outside of the location listed in this posting.

BENEFITS

• Generous paid time‑off policy.
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits, including medical, dental and vision coverage, parental leave, gender‑affirming care & fertility treatment.
• 401(k) plan with employer match.
• Annual professional development funds, internal professional development programs, and workshops.

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Accessibility, equity, diversity and inclusion are core values of the ACLU and central to our work to advance liberty, equality, and justice for all. For us, diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion are not just check‑the‑box activities, but a chance to make long‑term meaningful change. We are a community committed to learning and growth, humility and grace, transparency and accountability. We believe in a collective responsibility to create a culture of belonging for all people within our organization – one that respects and embraces difference; treats everyone equitably; and empowers our colleagues to do the best work possible. We are as committed to anti‑oppression, anti‑ableism, and anti‑racism internally as we are externally.

With this commitment in mind, we strongly encourage applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The ACLU is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online, please complete the Accommodation Request Form.

The Department of Education has determined that employment in this position at the ACLU does not qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.