Project Manager of Institute Operations - Cocoziello Institute

Penn State University • Ferguson Township, PA

10d

About The Position

The Cocoziello Institute of Real Estate Innovation within the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research seeks to hire a Project Manager of Institute Operations, to lead and support institute‑level projects and initiatives that advance academic, research, and outreach priorities. This role will be filled at the Project Manager - Intermediate Professional level. In this role, the individual will serve as the single point of contact for project planning, facilitation, communication, and delivery of outcomes aligned with institute goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Responsibilities

• Interact regularly with project sponsors and stakeholders to clarify requirements, align expectations, and maintain visibility into goals, risks, and decisions.
• Lead the creation and maintenance of project definitions, scope statements, work breakdown structures (WBS), rough-order-of-magnitude estimates, budgets, project plans, communication plans, risk/issue logs, and detailed schedules.
• Conduct project management activities with resource managers and team leads to track milestones, manage dependencies, and keep focus on delivering commitments.
• Coordinate enterprise-wide and multi-year initiatives, ensuring alignment across units, programs, and leadership priorities; maintain integrated calendars and roadmaps.
• Plan and execute logistics for programs and events (space planning, vendor coordination, technology support), and support strategic operational efforts.
• Track and manage project budgets, ensuring compliance with funding guidelines and institutional policies; report variances and recommend corrective actions.
• Research, recommend, and implement project management policies, principles, and practices to manage scope, schedule, budget, issues, and risks effectively.
• Prepare reports and other associated documentation, including agendas, presentations, meeting minutes, status updates, dashboards, and stakeholder communications.
• Serve as a liaison to university offices (e.g., Finance, HR, Facilities) and external partners to support project implementation and resource coordination; disseminate appropriate information.
• Identify and implement process improvements; provide guidance to stakeholders on the effective use of project management tools and collaboration platforms.
• Provide oversight and direction to student workers or temporary team members; may contribute to hiring, onboarding, development, and performance feedback.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees