Senior Project Manager - College of Engineering - Dean's Office Chief Operating Officer

Carnegie Mellon University•Pittsburgh, PA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering is seeking a highly skilled and collaborative Senior Project Manager to assist in leading large-scale, complex projects that advance the college’s strategic, operational, academic, and research initiatives. This position provides expert project management services across multiple departments and stakeholder groups, guiding projects from original concept through final implementation using structured project management methodologies and best practices, tracking KPIs, and providing regular updates on progress and organizational performance. The Senior Project Manager is accountable for project planning, governance, scheduling, and execution throughout the project lifecycle. This role partners closely with college leadership, managers, faculty, staff, university constituents, and external vendors to ensure successful project outcomes and organizational alignment. This role will coordinate the generation of executive briefings, presentations, reports, and meeting materials. They will conduct research and analysis to support executive decision making. The position will also track action items and follow-up activities arising from leadership meetings, and assist in managing strategic priorities and organizational planning efforts. This position operates in a dynamic, collaborative university environment supporting the mission of education, research, and innovation within the College of Engineering. The role will involve managing multiple high priority initiatives and projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, engineering, information systems, project management, or a related field.
Significant experience in executive support and managing large-scale, complex projects in higher education, research, technology, operations, or related environments.
Demonstrated expertise in project management methodologies, governance models, budgeting, scheduling, and risk management.
Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent executive communication skills, and interpersonal and stakeholder engagement abilities.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority.
Experience working with diverse stakeholders across technical and non-technical environments.
Experience working within a university or research institution environment.
Familiarity with change management principles and organizational transformation initiatives.
A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated
Successful background check

Nice To Haves

Project Management Certificate: Project Management Professional (PMP), CAPM, Lean Six Sigma or equivalent certification.

Responsibilities

Lead and manage large and complex cross-functional projects across the College of Engineering from initiation through implementation and closeout.
Apply structured project management methodologies, tools, and best practices to ensure consistent execution and successful delivery of project objectives.
Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans, schedules, timelines, budgets, and resource allocations.
Conduct ongoing risk assessments and implement mitigation strategies to proactively address project challenges and dependencies.
Establish, define, and strengthen project governance structures, decision-making frameworks, and reporting processes.
Facilitate effective communication among project teams, sponsors, leadership, and university stakeholders to ensure transparency and alignment.
Consult and partner with multi-departmental stakeholders, technical managers, faculty, staff, and external vendors to support project planning and execution.
Coordinate and influence technical and administrative resources at various stages of the project lifecycle.
Monitor project progress, performance metrics, and deliverables to ensure adherence to scope, timeline, and budget expectations.
Prepare and deliver project status updates, presentations, and recommendations to leadership and governance groups.
Identify opportunities for process improvement and operational efficiency across project management practices within the college.
Share accountability for project outcomes and contribute to a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Manage preparation of executive briefings, presentations, reports, and meeting materials.
Conduct research and analysis to support executive decision-making.
Track action items and follow-up activities arising from leadership meetings.
Assist in managing strategic priorities and organizational planning efforts.
Performs related duties as assigned.