Senior Project Manager

CarGurus•Boston, MA

16d•$117,000 - $146,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We're seeking a proactive, independent self-starter to lead project management for our People & Talent organization. This is your opportunity to shape how critical people work gets done—driving clarity, consistency, and flawless execution across a growing organization while partnering directly with leaders on initiatives that impact every employee and our bottom line. As our Senior Project Manager, you'll own cross-functional programs and projects that span multiple P&T functions and the broader business, reporting to the Senior Director, Compensation & People Operations. You'll oversee much of our program and project portfolio, lead quarterly and annual planning efforts, and ensure crystal-clear ownership, smart prioritization, and on-time delivery of our most important work. This role demands someone who can communicate effectively with employees at all levels—from individual contributors to executives—to drive our P&T outcomes forward. You'll partner closely with P&T leadership, functional leads, and business stakeholders to execute high-impact initiatives aligned to organizational goals, while enabling consistent delivery through standards, frameworks, coaching, and portfolio-level oversight. Subject matter experts retain accountability for their project outcomes; you provide the strategic backbone that makes it all happen.

Requirements

5+ years of experience leading medium-to-large, cross-functional programs and projects, including enterprise-wide initiatives; experience within a People & Talent or HR function strongly preferred.
Proven experience establishing PMO practices, project governance, or portfolio management in a matrixed organization.
Strong leadership and facilitation skills with the ability to influence without direct authority.
Experience applying change management principles and measuring adoption and outcomes.
Comfort partnering with leadership, legal, finance, engineering, and all people & talent teams and navigating complex dependencies.
Strong analytical judgment and ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-changing environments.
Demonstrated success defining and tracking KPIs for project performance and portfolio health.
Bachelor’s degree required
Strong working knowledge of Agile practices and methodologies.

Nice To Haves

master’s degree preferred in business, engineering, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Program & Project Delivery Partner with project sponsors and stakeholders to define scope, deliverables, timelines, success metrics, resources, and governance for People & Talent Initiatives.
Lead cross-functional P&T programs and projects from initiation through delivery, ensuring alignment to quarterly and annual P&T goals.
Identify key requirements needed from cross-functional teams and external vendors as appropriate.
Track and manage interdependencies across teams to ensure predictable delivery and accountability.
Assist P&T leadership with ad hoc tasks that contribute to our multi-year strategy.
Portfolio, Planning & Capacity Management Own P&T program and project portfolio management, including prioritization and alignment with quarterly planning and annual objectives.
Support quarterly planning efforts by assessing demand, sequencing work, and facilitating trade-off discussions.
Partner with leaders on P&T capacity planning to balance workloads across planned and unplanned initiatives.
Support Comp & Audit Committee–related project planning and execution.
Governance, Communication & Change Management Establish clear governance models including approval paths, decision tracking, and escalation mechanisms.
Provide regular, concise updates to leadership on project status, risks, dependencies, and mitigation strategies.
Partner with stakeholders on change management, communications, and adoption strategies to ensure sustainable outcomes.
PMO Capability & Standards Develop and continuously improve project management standards, routines, and frameworks for P&T.
Build PM capability across the organization through templates, tooling, coaching, and best practices.
Ensure consistent, transparent reporting across programs and projects.