Job Title: Project Manager
Reports To: Senior VP of Enrollment & Project Management
Department: PMO
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Position Summary
The Project Manager (PM) at CEA CAPA oversees the planning, execution, and delivery of strategic initiatives across the organization. This role ensures projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with business objectives, supporting CEA CAPA's mission to empower students through global education experiences. The Project Manager will work cross-functionally with all teams within the organization with the goal of driving integration, efficiency, and innovation. The PM reports to the Head of the PMO within the organization.
Responsibilities
Project Management:
- Lead the end-to-end management of projects, from initiation through closure, ensuring clear objectives, defined deliverables, and measurable outcomes.
- Partner with business leaders and functional teams to align project goals with organizational strategy, particularly in areas of technology platform development, operational process improvement, and integration of acquired entities.
- Develop and manage project plans, schedules, budgets, and resource allocations.
- Monitor risks, issues, and dependencies; proactively resolve challenges and escalate when necessary.
- Communicate project progress to stakeholders at all levels, including executive leadership and the Board.
Business Adoption and Training:
- Implement and champion project management best practices, templates, and governance to support consistency across initiatives.
- Foster a collaborative team culture, driving accountability and ensuring strong stakeholder engagement.
- Train stakeholders on the adoption of the system by providing onboarding and ongoing training of the PMO software.
PMO Software Maintenance:
- Monitor software updates and releases, proactively implementing new features and training teams on improvements, using external sources where appropriate.
- Manage escalated concerns and tickets (in collaboration with IT) for troubleshooting and improvements related to the platform.
- Assign and maintain user permissions.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree
- Proven track record of delivering cross-functional projects on time and within budget.
- Experience with system implementations, process redesign, or M&A integrations strongly preferred.
Preferred Requirements
- 5-7+ years of experience in project management, ideally in higher education, technology, or global operations
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Project Management, Information Systems, or related field (Master's or PMP/Prince2 certification preferred)
- Project management certification
Skills & Competencies
- Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience reporting to senior executives.
- Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Asana, Monday.com, or equivalent).
- Solid understanding of change management principles and ability to guide teams through organizational transitions.
- Collaborative, adaptable, and results-oriented mindset with a focus on delivering measurable impact.
