Project Manager II - Craft Education

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 Craft Education as the next step in your career.

Craft Education is on a mission to solve skilled labor shortages by powering work-based learning pathways for all.

At Craft, we're revolutionizing the apprenticeship degree, combining on-the-job learning with accredited instruction to create innovative educational pathways that accommodate working professionals and meet employer needs. Our flagship product - Craft Connect - helps organizations administer apprentice degree programs and address mission-critical data and reporting needs. Through the same platform, Craft is also transforming how on-the-job learning converts into academic credits.

Our team of technology, education and workforce professionals also provides technical assistance to organizations looking to launch and manage apprenticeship degree programs. We are working tirelessly to accelerate the expansion of these programs along with the data infrastructure that underpins them.

If you're looking to join the work-based learning revolution, we'd love to talk with you. At Craft, you'll have the opportunity to solve hard problems in a high-growth startup environment and make a lasting impact on the future of education and workforce development. We couldn't be more excited to advance this work as a team of innovative, collaborative and mission-oriented professionals - we hope you'll consider joining us.

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:

Job Description

The Project Manager II oversees the execution and process of all projects for their department. The PM will work with multiple teams, project requesters, and creative teams to develop project plans according to strategic development priorities, as defined by project requesters and leadership. This position is accountable for ensuring that the scope, dates, commitments, and project plans are communicated to all stakeholders and updated as necessary. The individual monitors and reports project status-including risks, issues affecting project schedules, and milestone achievements-to stakeholders and departmental leadership. This role coordinates critical grant reporting requirements, working with internal and external stakeholders and will be responsible for monitoring delivery team's milestone evidence and documentation necessary by particular grants.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Maintains a thorough and detailed understanding of all department projects, purpose and status and ensures projects meet outlined processes.
• Monitors, reports on, and makes visible project status, issues, resource requirements, dependencies, and project plans.
• Keeps stakeholders and departmental 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. Full transparency is essential and monitoring of critical path elements with limited direction and leading through influence are essential skills.
• Documents project deliverables, outputs, and notes that capture why key project decisions were made and keeps project management records and systems accurate and up to date. Produce audit reports as necessary to provide to funders that are external. Professional writing and ability to translate technical terms in plain speak are essential.
• Understands departmental strategic priorities and influences the actions and work efforts of team members in line with those priorities.
• Works closely with product team, content creators and other department stakeholders to align priorities and progress on all projects.
  Manages traffic of incoming new requests - validates that appropriate requirements are included.
• Produces timely and accurate reports as directed. Regular weekly progress report of Project Tasks completed, priorities for upcoming week, dependencies.
• Provides input to Product and Technical teams leadership to develop or refine project management procedures and processes for the purpose of improving efficiency and meet external parties' requirements.
• 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. This is in partnership with product and tech not unilaterally.
• Ensures projects meet organizational standards and are managed in accordance with applicable policies, processes, and procedures.
• Conducts retrospective work on closed/ completed projects to document lessons learned in conjunction with associate PJM, and prepares retrospective documentation, as well as recommendations, for review at the program level for consideration in future CQI efforts, and/ or potential redevelopment needs.
• May conduct data analysis, research course and program level information as requested during the analysis phases of other projects.
• May work to mentor Associate PJM and develops team leadership skills and team initiatives.
• Track project costs to meet budget.
• Facilitating change requests to ensure that all parties are informed of the impacts on schedule and budget.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skill and Abilities:

• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Background knowledge/experience of curriculum.
• History of successful execution of projects that impact an entire organization.
  Professional integrity that represents the educational standards within higher education.
• Excellent leadership and project management skills.
• Works well in a team environment.
• Ability to influence change and motivate others.
• Solid technical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to plan and meet schedules.
• Ability to use project management systems and tools.
• Ability to identify and communicate critical path and obstacles to key parties.
• Must be driven independently to meet requirements and ensure work maintains execution according to schedule.
  

Competencies:

Organizational Impact:
Works to achieve operational targets within job areas impacting department, function, or office results.
Work is performed independently on moderately complex projects and assignments with some guidance required for direction and complex tasks. Sets objectives for oneself to meet the goals of projects or assignments.

Problem Solving & Decision Making:
Responsible for employing adjustments or recommended enhancements to systems and processes to solve problems or improve the job area's effectiveness while leveraging a systems-thinking approach.
Problems faced may require an understanding of a broader set of issues and job areas.

Communication & Influence:
Collaborates with contacts typically within the job area to obtain or provide information requiring some explanation or interpretation.

Leadership & Talent Management
May provide guidance and assistance to entry-level professionals and or support employees.
Demonstrates the WGU leadership principles in all aspects of service to students, employees, and partners of WGU.

Job Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
Three (3) years of experience as the assigned project manager of executive-sponsored projects, with sole responsibility for project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.

Preferred Qualifications:
Experience in higher education, WGU, and program development preferred.
Master's degree from an accredited institution or higher in relevant field.
Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification preferred.
Green or Black Belt Certification.

Physical Requirements:
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times.

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.

Position & Application Details

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.