Strategic Operations Project Manager: Process Leader

Penn State; Pennsylvania, United States, Northern America, Americas; Hybrid; USD 66,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

75% tuition discount

Excellent retirement plans

Job summary

Penn State seeks a Project Manager, Strategic Operations to drive cross-functional projects that enhance operational effectiveness and service delivery across the College of Engineering. You will lead initiatives from initiation through closeout, aligning stakeholders, resources, and schedules to strategic goals.

The role emphasizes process redesign, data-driven analysis, and technology-enabled solutions, collaborating with leaders across departments and centers to deliver measurable

Qualifications

• Experience leading projects with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies, tools, and best practices.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build relationships and influence outcomes across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience translating complex information into clear recommendations and actionable plans.

Responsibilities

• Plan, manage, and execute projects that improve operations, processes, and organizational performance.
• Partner with College leadership, academic departments, research centers, institutes, and administrative units to identify opportunities to improve operational effectiveness and service delivery.
• Facilitate stakeholder discussions, process reviews, workshops, and planning sessions to gather requirements and develop future-state solutions.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, risk assessments, communication plans, status reports, and project documentation.
• Analyze business processes, workflows, financial data, staffing models, and operational practices to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Lead process redesign, operational improvement, and organizational change initiatives that support the College's strategic priorities.
• Monitor project performance, manage scope, risks, issues, dependencies, and change requests; recommend corrective actions.
• Prepare presentations, reports, dashboards, and executive briefings communicating status, findings, risks, opportunities, and recommendations.
• Support decision-making by translating complex analyses into actionable recommendations for College leadership.

Skills

Project leadership

Stakeholder management

PM methodologies

Analytical skills

Facilitation

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Penn State seeks a Project Manager, Strategic Operations to drive cross-functional projects that enhance operational effectiveness and service delivery across the College of Engineering. You will lead initiatives from initiation through closeout, aligning stakeholders, resources, and schedules to strategic goals.

The role emphasizes process redesign, data-driven analysis, and technology-enabled solutions, collaborating with leaders across departments and centers to deliver measurable