Senior Projects Manager, Campuses Network

Jobtailor; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderbilt University is seeking a seasoned program manager to coordinate strategic initiatives across its Network of Campuses. You will develop and maintain integrated project plans, track milestones, and ensure alignment across multiple workstreams and stakeholders.

You will guide leadership discussions into actionable workplans and executive materials, partner with senior leaders, and support governance processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in program management, project management, strategic initiatives, operations, consulting, higher education administration, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Exceptional organizational, planning, and problem‑solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive‑level materials and presentations.
• Experience facilitating meetings, coordinating teams, and driving accountability without direct authority.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools.
• Preferred: Experience working within higher education, consulting, corporate strategy, operations, or chief of staff environments.
• Preferred: Experience supporting senior executives and leadership teams.
• Preferred: Knowledge of project management methodologies and best practices.
• Preferred: Experience in organizational change, implementation planning, or process improvement initiatives.
• Preferred: Project Management Professional (PMP) or related certification.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support strategic initiatives across Vanderbilt's Network of Campuses.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, implementation schedules, milestone trackers, and accountability frameworks.
• Monitor progress against key priorities and ensure alignment across multiple workstreams and stakeholder groups.
• Identify risks, dependencies, gaps, and barriers to execution and facilitate timely resolution.
• Ensure action items, deliverables, and commitments are clearly assigned, tracked, and completed.
• Support operational readiness planning and implementation activities for new campuses, programs, and initiatives.
• Partner closely with the Assistant Vice Chancellor and senior leaders to support strategic planning, implementation efforts, and special projects.
• Translate leadership discussions into actionable workplans, timelines, and implementation strategies.
• Develop executive‑ready presentations, briefing materials, reports, dashboards, and decision‑support documents.
• Prepare concise summaries and updates for senior leadership regarding project status, emerging issues, and key decisions.
• Support governance processes and leadership meetings associated with Campus Network initiatives.
• Coordinate across a broad network of academic, administrative, governmental, community, and industry stakeholders.
• Develop agendas, facilitate meetings, document decisions, track action items, and drive follow‑through.
• Support recurring Network of Campus meetings, working groups, steering committees, and implementation teams.
• Advance communication, collaboration, and alignment among diverse stakeholder groups with varying priorities and responsibilities.
• Lead coordination of communications supporting Network of Campus initiatives and priorities.
• Develop communication plans, stakeholder updates, executive summaries, presentations, and briefing materials.
• Ensure timely, consistent, and effective communication across project teams and leadership groups.
• Manage and maintain visibility into leadership travel, meetings, campus visits, and engagement activities across the Network of Campuses.
• Coordinate planning and logistics for stakeholder visits, site tours, executive meetings, and strategic events.
• Identify opportunities to maximize coordination and engagement across campuses and stakeholder groups.
• Ensure leaders have the information, materials, and support needed to effectively represent Vanderbilt and advance strategic priorities.
• Develop scalable tools, templates, governance frameworks, and reporting mechanisms that support campus expansion efforts.
• Document implementation processes, operating models, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, communication, coordination, and organizational effectiveness.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder management

Executive reporting

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Project management tools

Job description

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and support strategic initiatives across Vanderbilt's Network of Campuses.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, implementation schedules, milestone trackers, and accountability frameworks.
• Monitor progress against key priorities and ensure alignment across multiple workstreams and stakeholder groups.
• Identify risks, dependencies, gaps, and barriers to execution and facilitate timely resolution.
• Ensure action items, deliverables, and commitments are clearly assigned, tracked, and completed.
• Support operational readiness planning and implementation activities for new campuses, programs, and initiatives.
• Partner closely with the Assistant Vice Chancellor and senior leaders to support strategic planning, implementation efforts, and special projects.
• Translate leadership discussions into actionable workplans, timelines, and implementation strategies.
• Develop executive‑ready presentations, briefing materials, reports, dashboards, and decision‑support documents.
• Prepare concise summaries and updates for senior leadership regarding project status, emerging issues, and key decisions.
• Support governance processes and leadership meetings associated with Campus Network initiatives.
• Coordinate across a broad network of academic, administrative, governmental, community, and industry stakeholders.
• Develop agendas, facilitate meetings, document decisions, track action items, and drive follow‑through.
• Support recurring Network of Campus meetings, working groups, steering committees, and implementation teams.
• Advance communication, collaboration, and alignment among diverse stakeholder groups with varying priorities and responsibilities.
• Lead coordination of communications supporting Network of Campus initiatives and priorities.
• Develop communication plans, stakeholder updates, executive summaries, presentations, and briefing materials.
• Ensure timely, consistent, and effective communication across project teams and leadership groups.
• Manage and maintain visibility into leadership travel, meetings, campus visits, and engagement activities across the Network of Campuses.
• Coordinate planning and logistics for stakeholder visits, site tours, executive meetings, and strategic events.
• Identify opportunities to maximize coordination and engagement across campuses and stakeholder groups.
• Ensure leaders have the information, materials, and support needed to effectively represent Vanderbilt and advance strategic priorities.
• Develop scalable tools, templates, governance frameworks, and reporting mechanisms that support campus expansion efforts.
• Document implementation processes, operating models, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, communication, coordination, and organizational effectiveness.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in program management, project management, strategic initiatives, operations, consulting, higher education administration, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Exceptional organizational, planning, and problem‑solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive‑level materials and presentations.
• Experience facilitating meetings, coordinating teams, and driving accountability without direct authority.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools.
• Preferred: Experience working within higher education, consulting, corporate strategy, operations, or chief of staff environments.
• Preferred: Experience supporting senior executives and leadership teams.
• Preferred: Knowledge of project management methodologies and best practices.
• Preferred: Experience in organizational change, implementation planning, or process improvement initiatives.
• Preferred: Project Management Professional (PMP) or related certification.