Project Manager

Introduction

University of the People (UoPeople) is the first non-profit, tuition-free, American, accredited, 100% online university. Today, UoPeople has over 170,000 students enrolled from more than 200 countries and territories, including 18,800 students who are refugees. UoPeople is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).

We believe that higher education is a basic human right and that it can transform not only the lives of students, but also their families’ lives, their communities, their nations, and, by extension, the world. See President Reshef’s TED Talk when he announced the founding of the University.

UoPeople is an innovative university, and we welcome team members who bring creativity and innovation to their roles. We’re a fast-paced organization with remote teams all around the globe. If you’re a self-starter who wants to succeed alongside a passionate team, we’d love to hear from you!

UoPeople is supported by the generosity of individuals and foundations, including the Gates, Hewlett, Ford Foundations, Foundation Hoffmann, and others. The University has been covered by The New York Times, BBC, NPR, Times Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report, and many other leading media outlets. President Reshef’s TED Talk and Nas Daily interview about the University have more than 30 million combined views

General purpose

The Project Manager is responsible for managing the end-to-end delivery of assigned strategic initiatives within the University’s Program Management Office (PMO).

Reporting to the Senior Program Manager, PMO Lead, the Project Manager will support a portfolio of strategic initiatives spanning Product, Technology, Operations, and other cross-functional workstreams. The role will work closely with Product, Technology, business leaders, and other stakeholders to establish clear plans, coordinate dependencies, manage risks, and ensure projects are delivered against agreed scope, timelines, and PMO governance standards.

We are seeking a highly organized and proactive project management professional who is comfortable managing multiple concurrent initiatives in a fast-paced, global, remote environment. The successful candidate will bring strong ownership, structured execution, clear communication, and the ability to drive accountability across teams without direct authority.

Essential functions & responsibilities

Project Delivery & Execution – Own the end-to-end delivery of assigned projects within the PMO portfolio, from planning and initiation through execution, monitoring, and closure. Ensure projects remain aligned with agreed objectives, scope, timelines, and expected outcomes.

Project Planning & Tracking – Build and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, milestones, workstreams, and dependency maps. Ensure project information remains accurate and current throughout the project lifecycle.

Project Health & Reporting – Monitor project health and provide regular RAG (Red/Amber/Green) status reporting for assigned initiatives. Identify emerging risks, issues, blockers, and scope changes and ensure appropriate actions are taken.

Cross-Functional Coordination – Coordinate closely with Product, Technology, Operations, and other workstream leads to ensure deliverables are clearly defined, appropriately sequenced, and delivered on time.

Stakeholder Management – Establish effective working relationships with stakeholders across the University, including senior leaders, business drivers, Product and Technology teams, and other functional partners. Drive alignment and accountability across teams and stakeholders outside the direct reporting line.

Project Governance & Meetings – Facilitate structured project touchpoints, including project check-ins, initial alignment meetings with Business Drivers and executives, and other governance meetings. Ensure decisions, risks, action items, and ownership are clearly documented and followed through.

Project Intake & Scoping – Support the intake and initial scoping of new project requests. Ensure requests are appropriately documented, logged, assessed, and routed through established PMO governance processes.

Risk, Issue & Dependency Management – Proactively identify and manage project risks, issues, dependencies, and resource constraints. Escalate material risks, resourcing gaps, unresolved dependencies, or scope concerns in a timely and well-documented manner.

Project Documentation & PMO Standards – Maintain high-quality project documentation, including project records, project plans, status logs, meeting notes,

decision logs, action trackers, and project summaries. Ensure documentation consistently meets PMO standards.

Project Management Tools & Systems – Maintain accurate project information within the team’s project planning and tracking tools, including workflows, boards, milestones, status fields, and other PMO tracking mechanisms.

PMO Continuous Improvement – Contribute to the continuous improvement of PMO tools, templates, governance practices, reporting standards, and project management processes.

Key competencies

· Project Delivery & Execution – Strong ability to plan, organize, and drive projects from initiation through completion while maintaining focus on scope, timelines, dependencies, and outcomes.

· Organization & Attention to Detail – Highly structured and detail-oriented, with strong discipline in maintaining accurate project plans, documentation, tracking, and reporting.

· Stakeholder Management & Collaboration – Builds effective relationships across functions and works confidently with stakeholders outside the direct reporting line to achieve shared objectives.

· Communication & Executive Reporting – Communicates clearly and proactively, with the ability to translate complex project information into concise, structured updates appropriate for different audiences.

· Risk & Problem Management – Identifies risks, issues, blockers, and dependencies early and takes appropriate action to resolve or escalate them.

· Accountability & Ownership – Takes full ownership of assigned projects and confidently holds stakeholders accountable for agreed timelines, deliverables, and actions.

· Adaptability & Prioritization – Effectively manages competing priorities and changing requirements while maintaining visibility of overall project health and critical deliverables.

· Continuous Improvement Mindset – Identifies opportunities to improve project management processes, tools, templates, and ways of working across the PMO.

Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree in business, project management, technology, operations, or a related field required.

· 4+ years of progressive experience in project management, ideally within a PMO, technology, Product, or cross-functional operations environment.

· Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent projects with competing priorities, dependencies, and deadlines.

· MBA, PMP, or equivalent project management certification preferred.

· Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, structured project updates and reports for different audiences.

· Demonstrated ability to work independently and effectively in a global, remote, and distributed team environment.

· Experience coordinating and influencing stakeholders outside the direct reporting line, including Product, Technology, and business teams.

· Hands-on experience with Jira or equivalent project and work-tracking tools preferred; training can be provided.

· Experience working within higher education, EdTech, or a similarly regulated or academic environment preferred.

· Familiarity with Agile/Scrum methodologies alongside traditional project management and governance practices preferred.

What Success Looks Like in This Role

· Projects are delivered on time, within agreed scope, and aligned with initiative objectives.

· Project plans, milestones, dependencies, and status information are accurate and consistently up to date.

· Risks, issues, blockers, and dependencies are identified early and proactively managed.

· Stakeholders receive timely, clear, and effective communication on project progress and risks.

· Project decisions and action items are documented, assigned clear ownership, and tracked through completion.

· Multiple concurrent projects are managed effectively without compromising quality or PMO standards.

· Project governance, documentation, and reporting consistently meet established PMO expectations.

· The Project Manager independently drives execution, creates accountability, and ensures cross-functional teams remain aligned throughout the project lifecycle.