Title III ASCEND Project Manager

Shepherd; Shepherdstown (WV); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Stubblefield Institute in Shepherdstown, WV seeks a Project Coordinator to lead the ASCEND initiative, reporting to the Provost and ensuring on-time, on-budget delivery aligned with federal grant requirements. You will coordinate across academic leadership, IT, enrollment management, and student support to drive institutional transformation with AI integration.

The role demands strong organization, collaboration, and the ability to translate goals into actionable plans while working with

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required or higher in a relevant field.
• Experience coordinating complex projects in higher education.
• Familiarity with federal grant requirements and Title III programs.
• Ability to translate goals into actionable plans and measurable results.
• Experience with data dashboards and institutional effectiveness initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate ASCEND implementation across four strategic goal areas and ensure alignment with grant components.
• Develop and maintain project plans, schedules, milestones, and deliverables.
• Coordinate Activity Directors and project teams; ensure accountability across grant components.
• Monitor progress, identify challenges, and recommend corrective actions.
• Organize meetings, workgroups, and progress reviews; maintain centralized documentation.
• Provide regular progress updates to leadership and support sustainable practices beyond the grant.

Skills

Project coordination

Project management

Technology implementation

Data analysis

Dashboards

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master’s Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Scheduling software

Job description

This position provides operational leadership and project management for the University’s ASCEND initiative, a five-year, $2.6 million U.S. Department of Education Title III Strengthening Institutions Program ( SIP ) grant.

ASCEND is a comprehensive institutional transformation initiative designed to strengthen student success, enhance academic programs, improve institutional effectiveness, and advance workforce readiness through the strategic integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies.

Reporting directly to the Provost, the Project Coordinator will oversee the day-to-day implementation of ASCEND , ensuring that project activities are completed on schedule, within budget, and in accordance with established objectives, performance measures, and federal grant requirements.

The successful candidate will serve as the central point of coordination among the University’s academic leadership, Information Technology, Enrollment Management, student support services, financial administration, faculty, and external partners.

This position requires a highly organized, collaborative, and technologically proficient professional capable of managing multiple concurrent projects, coordinating complex technology implementations, monitoring outcomes, and facilitating institutional change.

While the position does not require advanced technical programming expertise, the successful candidate must demonstrate the ability to work effectively with technology professionals, understand technology implementation processes, and translate project goals into actionable plans and measurable results.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s Degree
• Ability to master word processing and spreadsheet software (Microsoft Office Suite) and scheduling software is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant field.
• Three or more years of progressively responsible experience in project coordination, project management, technology implementation, or related work.
• Experience working in higher education or another complex, mission-driven organization.
• Experience administering or coordinating federally funded grants, particularly U.S. Department of Education programs.
• Familiarity with Title III Strengthening Institutions Program objectives, reporting expectations, or federal grant compliance requirements.
• Experience with data analysis, performance dashboards, assessment, or institutional effectiveness initiatives.
• Project management certification ( PMP , CAPM , or comparable credential).

Posting Date

10/09/2026

Close Date

11/06/2026

Job Duties

1. Project Management and Implementation (30%)

• Coordinate the daily operations and implementation of the ASCEND initiative across its four strategic goal areas: academic innovation, institutional management, fiscal stability, and student achievement.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, implementation schedules, timelines, milestones, and deliverables consistent with the approved grant.
• Coordinate the activities of the four designated Activity Directors and associated project teams, ensuring alignment and accountability across all grant components.
• Monitor project progress, identify implementation challenges and dependencies, and recommend corrective actions to maintain project timelines.
• Organize and facilitate project meetings, implementation workgroups, and progress reviews.
• Maintain centralized project documentation, decision records, implementation schedules, and status reports.
• Provide regular progress updates and recommendations to the Project Director and appropriate university leadership.
• Support the development of sustainable institutional practices that extend beyond the grant period.

2. Technology Implementation and Institutional Innovation (25%)

• Collaborate with Information Technology, administrative departments, faculty, and external vendors to support successful technology deployments.
• Assist project teams in establishing implementation requirements, schedules, user training plans, and performance expectations for new systems.
• Coordinate technology initiatives supporting enrollment management, course scheduling, student advising, early alerts, student support services, and administrative process improvement.
• Support the implementation of AI-powered student achievement technologies designed to improve student engagement, persistence, retention, and degree completion.
• Monitor implementation milestones, system adoption, user feedback, and identified operational challenges.
• Facilitate communication between technical personnel and nontechnical stakeholders to ensure that systems meet institutional needs.

3. Grant Administration, Budget Coordination, and Compliance (15%)

• Work closely with the Provost’s Office, Office of Sponsored Programs, and University financial personnel to support the effective administration of the Title III grant.
• Monitor project expenditures and budget activity to ensure alignment with approved grant activities and implementation timelines.
• Assist with purchasing coordination, procurement documentation, vendor communication, and other grant-related administrative processes.
• Maintain accurate and organized records of project activities, expenditures, deliverables, and supporting documentation.
• Support compliance with applicable federal grant regulations, U.S. Department of Education requirements, and University policies.
• Coordinate information and documentation required for annual performance reports, grant reviews, and other reporting obligations.
• Identify potential administrative or compliance concerns and communicate them promptly to the Project Director and appropriate University offices.
• Assist with grant budget planning, activity scheduling, and documentation of institutional commitments and project expenditures.

4. Academic Innovation, Faculty Development, and Student Engagement (15%)

• Coordinate grant-supported faculty professional development activities related to AI pedagogy, digital literacy, ethical AI use, and workforce competencies.
• Support the recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing coordination of ASCEND Faculty Fellows and Student Ambassadors.
• Work with academic leadership and faculty to coordinate activities supporting development and implementation of the Shepherd AI Framework.
• Assist in planning workshops, training sessions, campus events, and outreach activities designed to increase engagement with ASCEND initiatives.
• Support communication and collaboration among faculty, staff, students, and external partners to encourage effective adoption of new technologies and practices.

5. Assessment, Data Management, and Reporting (10%)

• Coordinate the collection, organization, and reporting of data associated with ASCEND performance measures and project objectives.
• Work with Activity Directors, Institutional Research, assessment personnel, and other campus stakeholders to monitor progress toward established outcomes.
• Develop and maintain project tracking tools, dashboards, and progress reports to support data-informed decision-making.
• Support the collection of evidence demonstrating project effectiveness and progress toward grant objectives.
• Assist in preparing annual performance reports and other required grant documentation.
• Identify trends, implementation gaps, and opportunities for continuous improvement.

6. Communication and Stakeholder Engagement (5%)

• Serve as a primary point of contact for routine coordination and communication related to ASCEND activities.
• Develop and distribute project updates, meeting materials, implementation summaries, and other communications.
• Promote collaboration across academic and administrative units participating in grant activities.
• Coordinate with internal and external partners to support project implementation and institutional engagement.
• Assist the Project Director in communicating project accomplishments, emerging opportunities, and implementation priorities to the University community.

Documents Needed to Apply

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of Professional References

Optional Documents

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

VISIT 301 N KING ST, SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV 25443

MAIL P.O. BOX 5000, SHEPHERDSTOWN, WV 25443