Edtech.com's Summary

Western Governors University is hiring a Project Manager III. The role involves managing projects from initiation to completion within the Academic Programs department, ensuring projects meet requirements, standards, and deadlines while mentoring project managers and reporting status updates to stakeholders and leadership.

Highlights

Manages all phases of projects including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, controlling, and closing.
Maintains accurate project records and produces timely reports on project status, risks, issues, and milestones.
Develops realistic project plans and schedules aligned with departmental strategy and priorities.
Ensures compliance with organizational standards, policies, processes, and procedures.
Provides mentorship, training, and thought leadership to project managers and associate project managers.
Requires proficiency with Microsoft Office and project management systems/tools.
Must have a Bachelor's degree, PMP certification, and experience managing executive-sponsored projects.
Preferred qualifications include a Master's degree and experience in higher education, WGU, and program development.
Position requires up to 20% travel including company summits and conferences.
Compensation range: $97,100 to $145,600 annually, with eligibility for bonuses and comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, and parental leave.

Project Manager III Full Description

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Grade: Professional 311Pay Range: $97,100.00 - $145,600.00

Job Description
Stays informed on projects within assigned team and ensure best practices are used across the functional team, mentoring and developing project managers and associate project managers in their work. This individual manages projects from inception through completion within WGU's Academic Programs department. Monitors and reports project status—including risks, issues affecting project schedules, and milestone achievements—to stakeholders and departmental leadership. The individual develops project plans and schedules and ensures projects meet departmental requirements, standards, policies, and deadlines. This role is expected to keep fully informed of departmental strategies and priorities and effectively influence the work of project team members in line with those priorities.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:
• Manages all phases of assigned projects (i.e., initiating, planning, executing, monitoring/controlling, and closing)

• Keeps stakeholders and leadership informed of project statuses, including, but not limited to, milestone achievements, toll gate progress, risks, and any issues that may adversely affect project schedules

• Keeps project management records and systems accurate and up to date

• Produces timely and accurate reports as directed

• Develops realistic project plans and schedules by analyzing organizational process assets, enterprise environmental factors, task dependencies, resource requirements, work breakdown, and departmental strategy and priorities

• Ensures projects meet organizational standards and are managed in accordance with applicable policies, processes, and procedures

• Documents project deliverables, outputs, and notes that capture why key project decisions were made

• Understands departmental strategic priorities and influences the actions and work efforts of team members in line those priorities

• Provides input to Project Management Office (PMO) manager to develop or refine project management procedures and processes for the purpose of improving efficiency

• Provides thought leadership, mentorship, and training support to project managers and associate project managers

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:
•Project management

• Strong written and oral communication skills

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office

• Ability to use project management systems and tools

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree

• Experience as the assigned project manager of executive-sponsored projects, with sole responsibility for project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure

• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification

Preferred Qualifications:
• Master's degree preferred

• Experience in higher education, WGU, and program development

Preferred Working Conditions
This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

#LI-ML3

Position & Application Details
Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.

Original Job Description