Senior Project Manager, Innovation

Position: Senior Project Manager, Innovation 

Reports to: SVP, Innovation & Strategy

Location: National (primarily remote with occasional travel)

SUMMARY

The Innovation Senior Project Manager will play a pivotal role in advancing Per Scholas’s innovation strategy by managing and scaling projects through piloting and growth phases. This position involves end-to-end project management, cross-functional collaboration, and leading the structured design, testing, and evaluation of innovative initiatives. The role partners closely with the Senior Vice President of Innovation & Strategy and the Senior Manager, Innovation and collaborates with diverse internal and external teams to ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with strategic goals.

Our Innovation team is agile and dynamic; we take a consultative, problem-solving, and collaborative approach to identifying, testing, iterating, and scaling opportunities that increase our organization’s impact and support Per Scholas’s ambitious growth strategy. Working closely with other Per Scholas teams, we learn, share insights, provide resources (e.g., frameworks, tools), co-create experiments, grow solutions that prove to work, and follow a data-driven approach to results measurement. We also help build a broader culture of innovation within Per Scholas.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Innovation and Pilot Management

• Design, implement, and scale innovation projects through piloting and operationalization phases.
• Conduct hypothesis-driven testing, utilizing testing frameworks.
• Evaluate results and provide actionable recommendations for scaling or iteration.
• Identify opportunities for process improvements and innovation within the organization.

Project Management

• Develop and maintain comprehensive project plans outlining tasks, deliverables, timelines, and ownership.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and stakeholders to ensure timely execution.
• Monitor progress, proactively addressing risks and removing roadblocks.
• Track and report on key metrics to measure project outcomes and performance.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as a key liaison between internal teams and external partners, ensuring alignment on objectives and timelines.
• Facilitate workshops and brainstorming sessions to drive ideation and alignment.
• Support teams in operationalizing new initiatives by providing frameworks, tools, best practices, and step-by-step plans / SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

Communication and Training

• Present findings, insights, recommendations, and project updates to executive leadership and broader teams.
• Maintain effective communication channels with internal and external stakeholders.

Additional Responsibilities

• Lead post-project evaluations to capture lessons learned.
• Stay abreast of trends in innovation and project management to integrate cutting-edge practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Innovation, Project Management, or a related field – or equivalent professional experience
• 5+ years of experience in innovation, strategy, project management, or a related field.

Skills and Competencies

• Expertise in project management methodologies 
• Experience managing multiple complex projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency in innovation tools frameworks (e.g., Design Thinking; testing Minimum Viable Products, or MVPs)
• Proven ability to navigate ambiguity and rapidly adapt to changing priorities.
• Analytical mindset with a focus on data-driven decision-making.

Technical Proficiency

• Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., SmartSheets).
• Proficiency in creating presentations and reports
• Knowledge of CRM platforms (prior experience with Salesforce is a plus)

Durable / Soft Skills

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships across diverse teams.
• Strong problem-solving and creative thinking abilities.
• Adept at leading workshops and group meetings (virtually, and in-person where required) and facilitating collaborative sessions.

PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS

• You thrive in a creative, inventive, fast-paced environment with people who are passionate about their work and mission 
• You are data-driven, results-oriented and a forward-looking catalyst for social change
• You have a collaborative and flexible work style. You’re excited to work cross-functionally with other departments and independently
• You are detail-oriented, with exceptional organizational and time management skills
• You are interested in workforce development, technology, diversity, organizational growth, and scaling impact
• You stand behind our mission, believing that individuals from any community should have access to well-paying career positions, and that talent should be recognized and recruited from many diverse sources

COMPENSATION 

For this role specifically, we target $85,000 with a salary range of $80,000 - $85,000. The salary difference is typically determined by several factors, including the selected candidate's geography and alignment with qualifications and experience.