Senior Project Manager

Do you have a passion for children and education? Would you like to positively impact families in need of help? We want to speak with you! Step Up For Students empowers families to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children. Step Up For Students offers an excellent benefits package: SUFS Total Rewards Medical - HSA/FSA - Dental - Vision Company Paid Disability - Life Insurance 401K Match - Tuition Reimbursement Generous Time off Policy - Professional Development JOB SUMMARY The Senior Project Manager is a strategic leader responsible for driving the successful delivery of multiple complex, high-impact, large-scale projects across the organization. This role partners closely with C-Suite executives, department leaders, and key stakeholders to define the business case, project scope, objectives, and success criteria, while developing and executing detailed project plans that align with business goals. The Senior Project Manager leads cross-functional teams with strategic focus and intent, driving unified execution, proactive risk mitigation, and consistent delivery against timelines and budgets. With a strong focus on stakeholder engagement, change management, and continuous improvement, this role ensures that projects deliver measurable value and sustainable outcomes. The ideal candidate brings a high degree of autonomy, exceptional communication skills, and deep expertise in project management tools such as Clarity PPM. As a trusted advisor and execution expert, the Senior Project Manager plays a critical role in delivering cost-effective, high-quality solutions that support organizational growth and transformation. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES • Lead large-scale, highly complex projects ensuring all milestones and key tasks are completed on time and within budget. • Ensure strict adherence to Enterprise Project Management (EPM) standards, frameworks, and governance protocols to maintain compliance and drive consistent, high-quality project execution. • Manage remediation projects by facilitating root cause identification, developing corrective action plans, and driving execution to restore compliance, mitigate risk, and ensure long-term resolution. • Drive sponsor engagement in defining the business case, project objectives, scope, and deliverables in collaboration with stakeholders. • Develop a comprehensive project plan, including timelines, resource allocation, budget, and dependencies. • Lead risk and issue identification with a proactive and strategic approach, ensuring timely and effective mitigation throughout the project lifecycle. • Oversee and administer the monitoring of project progress, the tracking of milestones, and ensuring adherence to established schedules and budgets. • Own and deliver timely, comprehensive, and pragmatic communications on project status, risks, and issues to C-Suite executives, department leaders, and key stakeholders, ensuring transparency and informed decision-making. • Lead cross-functional teams across the organization providing leadership, guidance, and support, while fostering a collaborative and high-performing team environment as the project management subject matter expert. • Manage third-party vendors and partners, ensuring they are held accountable for achieving project tasks, milestones and goals within the agreed-upon time, budget, and scope. • Engage stakeholders to build strong relationships, understand their requirements, and translate feedback into actionable plans that address needs and manage expectations throughout the project lifecycle. • Adhere to change management methodology to effectively manage project goals and objectives. • Engage and manage stakeholders impacted by change by identifying potential risks, communicating downstream impacts, and developing targeted stakeholder engagement and communication plans to ensure effective change adoption. • Identify and implement opportunities for process improvement by applying best practices, capturing lessons learned, and translating insights into actionable enhancements for future projects. • Proactively identify, introduce and apply new industry trends, emerging technologies, and project management methodologies within the project management organization. • Independently execute responsibilities with a high degree of accuracy and accountability. • Utilize Clarity PPM to manage projects including timelines, budgets, resources, time tracking, risks, issues, decisions, assumptions and dependencies ensuring accurate reporting and tracking. • The above is not an all-inclusive list of all duties performed by this job title, incumbents may be required to perform other additional duties as assigned.EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: • Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and/or a master’s degree in business administration, Computer Science or a related field, or a minimum of 15 years of professional experience. Demonstrated success and a proven track record in professional/life experience in specific job functions, projects, or industries, and military service can substitute for the formal education requirements. • 10+ years of experience in a senior project management role in the IT, Finance and Banking industries. • 10+ years of proven experience in managing large/complex enterprise-wide IT and Finance project implementations. • 10+ years using Microsoft Project or similar project management software tool. • Experience with a PPM system such as Clarity (preferred) or another PPM tool is a plusPREFERRED: • Project Management Professional (PMP) certification (preferred).KEY COMPETENCIES • Expert-level knowledge of project management principles, methodologies, and standards, including PMI PMBOK and industry best practices. • Proven ability to influence and communicate effectively with C-Level executives, delivering strategic insights and executive-level reporting. • Exceptional leadership, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills, with a track record of driving alignment and accountability across diverse teams. • Demonstrated success managing multiple enterprise-scale projects with competing priorities and complex interdependencies. • Skilled in navigating high-pressure environments, consistently delivering results under tight deadlines and shifting priorities. • Advanced expertise in risk identification, mitigation, and change management, ensuring project resilience and adaptability. • Strong financial acumen, with experience developing, managing, and reporting on multimillion-dollar program budgets. • Analytical and decisive problem-solver, capable of evaluating complex scenarios and making sound, data-driven decisions. • Meticulous attention to detail, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues before they escalate. • Highly adaptable, with a demonstrated ability to thrive in dynamic, fast-paced, and evolving environments. • Skilled facilitator, adept at leading productive meetings and driving consensus among diverse stakeholders. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to technical and non-technical audiences. • Experienced presenter, capable of delivering compelling, well-structured briefings and presentations to top level leadership in an organization. • Comprehensive project planning expertise, including the development and management of detailed schedules, cost estimates, resource plans, communication strategies, risk mitigation frameworks, and issue resolution protocols.CORE VALUES Step Up For Students believes strongly in two key core values to carry out their mission of “We empower families to pursue and engage in the most appropriate learning options for their children.”: • Everyone is an asset. • Every event is an improvement opportunity.To maintain a positive and effective organizational culture, employees are expected to demonstrate these two core values in their everyday work. WORKING CONDITIONS & EQUIPMENT USE • Work is performed indoors in a typical office environment - not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions. • Valid driver license with proof of insurance. • Must be able to lift up to fifteen (15) pounds. • Frequent use of office machines to include telephone, computer, and printer.Step Up For Students is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity & inclusion in the workplace.