Project Manager

Universities of Wisconsin • Madison, WI

16h • Onsite

About The Position

This position is responsible for leading project management efforts for two UW–Madison initiatives: the Deliberation Dinners program (80%) and The Discussion Project (20%). The role focuses on program coordination, student engagement, event execution, communications, and operational management to support high-quality student deliberations and professional learning experiences for UW-Madison instructors. The University of Wisconsin-Madison Deliberation Dinners, a program that will be in its fourth year, brings together ideologically diverse undergraduate students to engage in structured, high-quality discussions on contemporary political issues, building skills for respectful and meaningful dialogue and deliberations with people who have different views from their own. The Discussion Project is a professional course for UW–Madison and UW System instructors focused on improving classroom discussion practice that has been offered since 2017.

Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to plan, coordinate, and execute complex projects with multiple components, timelines, and stakeholders (e.g., large-scale events, programs, or initiatives)
• Ability to manage logistics for events or programs, including coordination of space, materials, communications, and participant experience
• Experience using spreadsheets (e.g., Excel or Google Sheets) to organize, analyze, and present data, including basic data visualization and database management
• Experience with digital tools and platforms such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Excel, Adobe Acrobat, or similar systems
• Experience developing or supporting communication campaigns (e.g., email marketing tools such as Eloqua or similar platforms)
• Strong written communication skills, including the ability to draft clear, professional emails, reports, and program materials for diverse audiences
• Ability to organize and manage detailed information, including tracking data, timelines, and deliverables using spreadsheets or similar tools
• Experience collaborating with or coordinating teams to produce shared deliverables (e.g., documents, curriculum, communications, or program materials)
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with and present to students, faculty, and campus or community partners
• Demonstrated ability to learn and navigate organizational systems, policies, and procedures
• Working evening events (all Deliberation Dinners) at a designated campus location
• Bachelor’s Degree

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting or managing program budgets, including tracking expenses and processing purchases or payments
• Experience designing or supporting recruitment, outreach, or engagement efforts for programs or events
• Experience working within higher education or familiarity with Universities of Wisconsin systems, policies, or processes
• Experience supporting public-facing communications, outreach, or program promotion efforts

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project management, including annual planning, timelines, and milestone tracking
• Oversee program budget and manage purchasing processes (materials, catering, space reservations, incentives) in alignment with WCER systems
• Supervise and coordinate a team of undergraduate student employees and a graduate project assistant
• Plan and execute all Deliberation Dinner events, including logistics, materials, AV, communications, and on-site facilitation (evening events required)
• Design and implement a large-scale student recruitment strategy to engage ~375 ideologically diverse undergraduates, including survey development, outreach, and partnership with campus offices
• Serve as liaison with key campus partners (e.g., Registrar’s Office, Data, Academic Planning & Institutional Research)
• Manage participant communications, including onboarding, expectations, incentives, permissions, and ongoing engagement (email, calendar, Canvas)
• Administer program operations, including payments, stipends, tracking participation, and documentation (e.g., completion and recognition letters)
• Partner with the Wisconsin Evaluation Collaborative to support program evaluation efforts and data sharing
• Develop and maintain program communications and outreach materials (website updates, flyers, presentations, media coordination)
• Collaborate with curriculum and facilitation teams to organize and update program content, including discussion materials and facilitator training
• Co-plan and co-facilitate facilitator training sessions
• Prepare annual reports and contribute to program scaling and administrative support as needed
• Represent the program through presentations to faculty, students, and university stakeholders
• Support course implementation, including materials preparation and organization
• Assist with administration of The Discussion Project Classroom Discussion Survey
• Coordinate participant recruitment and communications, including mass emails and outreach to campus partners
• Manage participant enrollment, tracking, and communications (welcome messages, scheduling, calendar invites)
• Process purchasing and travel arrangements for instructors
• Maintain and update program website and participant database
• Support presentations and outreach related to The Discussion Project
• Maintain office organization, supplies, and inventory
• Facilitates the estimation of project costs, resources, and time required to complete the assigned phase of a project and monitors activities, negotiates for resources, and assigns tasks to ensure these targets are met.
• Follows established change control processes if targets can no longer be met
• Prepares regular reports to communicate the status of the project within and beyond the project team
• Creates a project plan, monitors progress and performance against the project plan, and identifies, resolves, or escalates risks and issues
• Sets priorities, allocates tasks, and collaborates with project staff to meet project targets and milestones
• Manages the activities of outside contractors to ensure they are integrated into the project and that the organization receives satisfactory standards of service

Benefits

• comprehensive benefits package
• generous paid time off
• competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance
• tax-advantaged savings accounts
• participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 251-500 employees