Services Project Manager

First Student, Inc.; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

First Student, Inc. seeks a Projects Manager to drive high-priority initiatives across the Services organization. You will partner with the Services Senior Director to translate strategic direction into actionable plans, maintain governance, and coordinate cross-functional work for on-time delivery.

Responsibilities include building structured project plans, tracking milestones, and preparing executive materials. Strong leadership, communication, and MS 365 proficiency are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, operations, project management, or related field.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in program management, business operations, strategy, or similar leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional programs from planning through execution.
• Experience working directly with directors, vice presidents, or other senior leaders.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, organization, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to independently prioritize work, resolve ambiguity, and move initiatives forward with limited oversight.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools; Planner, Loop, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and Power BI are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Services Senior Director to organize, prioritize, and advance initiatives.
• Translate ideas into structured project plans with objectives, owners, milestones, dependencies, timelines.
• Maintain a centralized view of active initiatives, priorities, risks, decisions, and action items.
• Drive accountability by following up with owners and escalating risks or delays when needed.
• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives involving Services, Operations, Product, Technology, Safety, Finance, and others.
• Prepare meeting agendas, executive summaries, KPI presentations, status reports, and leadership materials.
• Lead initiative meetings, document decisions, assign follow-up actions, and ensure commitments are completed.
• Identify competing priorities, capacity concerns, and dependencies impacting delivery.
• Provide clear recommendations and potential solutions, not just problems.
• Develop repeatable processes, templates, and governance structures for program management.
• Monitor business outcomes and ensure initiatives deliver intended impact.
• Anticipate upcoming needs and keep leadership focused on strategic priorities.
• Represent the Services Senior Director in meetings and workstreams as needed.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Executive communication

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in business or related field

Tools

Planner

Loop

PowerPoint

Excel

Teams

Power BI

Job description

The FirstAlt Services Project Manager is responsible for helping drive, organize, and execute high-priority initiatives across First Alt Services. Reporting directly to the Services Senior Director, this role will translate strategic direction into clear plans, establish accountability, coordinate cross-functional work, and ensure key initiatives continue moving forward.

Major Responsibilities

• Partner directly with the Services Senior Director to organize, prioritize, and advance departmental and company initiatives.
• Translate ideas and leadership direction into structured project plans with defined objectives, owners, milestones, dependencies, and timelines.
• Maintain a centralized view of active initiatives, priorities, risks, decisions, and outstanding action items.
• Drive accountability by proactively following up with initiative owners and escalating risks or delays when appropriate.
• Coordinate cross-functional initiatives involving Services, Operations, Product, Technology, Safety, Finance, and other business partners.
• Prepare meeting agendas, executive summaries, KPI presentations, status reports, and other leadership materials.
• Lead initiative meetings, document decisions, assign follow-up actions, and ensure commitments are completed.
• Identify competing priorities, capacity concerns, and dependencies that may impact delivery.
• Provide clear recommendations and potential solutions-not simply report problems.
• Develop repeatable processes, templates, and governance structures that improve how initiatives are managed across the department.
• Monitor business outcomes and help ensure completed initiatives deliver their intended operational or customer impact.
• Anticipate upcoming needs and help leadership remain focused on strategic priorities rather than day-to-day administrative follow-up.
• Represent the Services Senior Director in designated meetings and workstreams when appropriate.

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in business, operations, project management, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
• Seven or more years of progressive experience in program management, business operations, strategy, or a similar leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional programs from planning through execution.
• Experience working directly with directors, vice presidents, or other senior leaders.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, organization, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to independently prioritize work, resolve ambiguity, and move initiatives forward with limited oversight.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft 365 tools; experience with Planner, Loop, PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, and Power BI is preferred.

Compensation ranges from $80,000 - $95,000 depending on experience.

Language Requirement

This role requires English proficiency. Federal, state, and local requirements, including U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations, require training, safety communications, company policies, employment documents, and other job-related communications be conducted in English.

First for a reason:

At First Student, we are a family of 60,000+ employees who take pride in safely transporting more than 5 million students and passengers to and from their destinations each day! Our family of brands include Transco, Total Transportation, Maggies Paratransit, and GVC II. Our employees are at the forefront of safety and innovation; they create and implement the most advanced training and technology the transportation industry has to offer.

In the state of Washington, all technician and driving positions, including but not limited to van drivers and any other position requiring employees to drive a company-owned vehicle, are considered safety-sensitive and are therefore subject to drug and alcohol testing, including cannabis.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. First is also committed to providing a drug-free workplace. First will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, and any other fair chance law. Philadelphia's Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance Poster is at this link or upon request https://www.phila.gov/media/20210423160847/Fair-Chance-Hiring-law-poster.pdf.