Senior Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Operations

George Washington University; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 131,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Tuition assistance

Job summary

The George Washington University’s Division for Student Affairs seeks a Senior Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Operations, to lead high-impact, cross-functional projects and advance divisional priorities within the university’s strategic framework.

Reporting to the VP for Student Affairs, the role emphasizes project and change management, stakeholder alignment, and data-driven decision making to improve student success and operational excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area of specialization plus 5 years of relevant professional experience, or a Master's degree or higher in a relevant area of study plus 3 years of relevant professional experience.
• Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position.
• Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute a portfolio of high-impact, cross-functional strategic projects from inception through completion.
• Serve as primary project manager for VPSA priorities, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, scope, and timelines.
• Apply standard project management and change management methodologies to structure deliverables, align stakeholders, mitigate risks, and track outcomes.
• Prepare executive briefings, decision materials, presentations, reports, and background documents for senior university leadership and external engagements.
• Translate institutional strategic priorities into actionable operational plans and measurable targets for the division.
• Conduct environmental scans, benchmarking, and research to inform executive decision-making and operational improvements.
• Recommend and implement streamlined administrative processes and operational models to enhance service delivery.
• Manage the administrative interface with the Board of Trustees, including serving as the Staff Liaison for the Committee on Student Affairs and coordinating reporting requirements, trustee meeting materials, and executive briefings.
• Provide operational support for the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students (JCFS), coordinating meeting schedules and action items.
• Partner with University Advancement and Family Engagement teams to identify divisional fundraising priorities and support stewardship efforts.
• Prepare executive briefings, proposals, donor impact reports, and presentation materials for leadership initiatives.
• Track divisional fundraising progress and donor engagement metrics.
• Monitor and manage divisional grants, tracking key deliverables, ensuring compliance with sponsor policies, and overseeing progress and impact reporting.
• Define, collect, and analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate project efficacy and divisional health.
• Maintain divisional compliance with institutional policies, maintaining high confidentiality and discretion in administrative operations.

Skills

Strategic planning

Project management

Organizational development

Management consulting

PMP

Agile

Lean

PowerBI

Tableau

Education

Bachelor's degree + 5 years experience

Master's degree + 3 years experience

Tools

PowerBI

Tableau

Job description

Job Overview

The Division for Student Affairs (DSA) cultivates an inclusive community supporting connection, growth, and well-being for every student at The George Washington University. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students (VPSA), the Senior Project Manager, Strategic Initiatives and Operations leads high-impact projects that advance divisional priorities, the University's Strategic Framework, and operational effectiveness. As a strategic operator and systems thinker, this position applies project management, change management, and data-driven decision-making to drive organizational excellence, align cross-functional resources, and support student success across the university.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Initiatives & Project Leadership

• Lead and execute a portfolio of high-impact, cross-functional strategic projects from inception through completion.
• Serve as primary project manager for Vice President for Student Affairs (VPSA) priorities, ensuring alignment with institutional goals, scope, and timelines.
• Apply standard project management and change management methodologies to structure deliverables, align stakeholders, mitigate risks, and track outcomes.
• Prepare executive briefings, decision materials, presentations, reports, and background documents for senior university leadership and external engagements.

Strategic Planning & Organizational Effectiveness

• Translate institutional strategic priorities into actionable operational plans and measurable targets for the division.
• Conduct environmental scans, benchmarking, and research to inform executive decision-making and operational improvements.
• Recommend and implement streamlined administrative processes and operational models to enhance service delivery.

University Committee Staffing

• Manage the administrative interface with the Board of Trustees, including serving as the Staff Liaison for the Committee on Student Affairs and coordinating reporting requirements, trustee meeting materials, and executive briefings.
• Provide operational support for the Joint Committee of Faculty and Students (JCFS), facilitating cross-functional communication, coordinating meeting schedules, and tracking action items across student leadership and faculty stakeholders.

Advancement & Development Support

• Partner with University Advancement and Family Engagement teams to identify divisional fundraising priorities and support stewardship efforts.
• Prepare executive briefings, proposals, donor impact reports, and presentation materials for leadership initiatives.
• Track divisional fundraising progress and donor engagement metrics.
• Monitor and manage divisional grants, tracking key deliverables, ensuring compliance with sponsor policies, and overseeing progress and impact reporting.

Data, Assessment & Continuous Improvement

• Define, collect, and analyze quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate project efficacy and divisional health.
• Maintain divisional compliance with institutional policies, maintaining high confidentiality and discretion in administrative operations.

The incumbent may perform other related duties as assigned. The omission of specific duties does not preclude the supervisor from assigning duties that are logically related to the position.

Minimum Qualifications

Qualified candidates will hold a Bachelor's degree in an appropriate area of specialization plus 5 years of relevant professional experience, or, a Master's degree or higher in a relevant area of study plus 3 years of relevant professional experience. Degree must be conferred by the start date of the position. Degree requirements may be substituted with an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• * Five (5) or more years of progressive experience in higher education administration, strategic planning, project management, organizational development, management consulting or related areas.
• * Professional certification in project management (PMP, Agile, Lean) and/or formal training in change management methodologies.
• * Demonstrated proficiency with relevant technologies such as project management platforms, A.I. tools, and data reporting systems and dashboards (e.g., PowerBI, Tableau).

Hiring Range

$95,351.12 - $131,107.80

GW Staff Approach to Pay

How is pay for new employees determined at GW?

Healthcare Benefits

GW offers a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental, vision, life & disability insurance, time off & leave, retirement savings, tuition, well-being and various voluntary benefits. For program details and eligibility, please visit https://hr.gwu.edu/benefits-programs.

Job Details

Campus Location: Foggy Bottom, Washington, D.C.

College/School/Department: Division of Student Affairs

Family: Finance and Business

Sub-Family: Project Management

Stream: Individual Contributor

Level: Level 3

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time

Hours Per Week: 40+

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm, with occasional nights and weekends

Will this job require the employee to work on site? Yes

Employee Onsite Status: Hybrid

Telework: Yes

Required Background Check: Criminal History Screening, Education/Degree/Certifications Verification, Social Security Number Trace, and Sex Offender Registry Search

Special Instructions to Applicants: Employer will not sponsor for employment Visa status

Internal Applicants Only? No

Posting Number: S014563

Job Open Date: 11/11/2026

Job Close Date:

Background Screening: Successful Completion of a Background Screening will be required as a condition of hire.

EEO Statement

The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.