Strategic Initiatives Project Manager

The University of St. Thomas invites qualified candidates to apply for a Strategic Initiatives Program Manager position within the Opus College of Business.

The University of St. Thomas embraces belonging and equal opportunity for all. Our convictions of dignity, diversity and personal attention call us to embody and champion an inclusive environment.  The University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer (EEO).  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, or other protected characteristic.  This commitment to inclusion and equal opportunity is consistent with our mission: Inspired by Catholic intellectual tradition, the University of St. Thomas educates students to be morally responsible leaders who think critically, act wisely, and work skillfully to advance the common good.  A successful candidate will possess a commitment to the ideals of this mission.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

The University of St. Thomas offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits program, which includes:

• Tuition Remission for employees, spouses, and dependents
• Generous Retirement Contributions to support your future
• Comprehensive Health Coverage including medical, dental, and vision
• Fully Paid Insurance: disability, life, and AD&D
• Paid Parental Leave to support growing families

Salary Range: $67,000 to $69,000

The University of St. Thomas has provided a salary range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The specific salary offered will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

JOB SUMMARY

The Project Manager, Strategic Grant Initiatives carries out the planning, coordination, and implementation of initiatives funded through strategic grant investments within the Opus College of Business. Reporting to the Director of Strategic Grant Initiatives, this role manages a portfolio of grant-funded projects that advance innovation, faculty and student success, and strategic priorities across the College.

The Project Manager works closely with the Director and project sponsors to ensure initiatives are well planned, appropriately resourced, effectively implemented, and accurately tracked. Project sponsors may include Opus leadership, faculty, staff, students, or external partners who bring subject-matter expertise.

Success in this role requires a highly organized and proactive professional who enjoys bringing structure to complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders. The ideal candidate is comfortable developing project charters, organizing information, and using spreadsheets and project management tools to track progress and lead implementation.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Project Management

• Partner with the Director to manage a portfolio of grant-funded initiatives, ensuring alignment with grant objectives and institutional priorities.
• Lead coordination across projects and stakeholders to promote consistency, communication, and effective use of resources.
• Maintain portfolio-level tracking systems for timelines, milestones, budgets, and overall progress.
• Compile and track budget information across the portfolio of projects and provide updates to support budget monitoring and decision-making.
• Support the integration and long-term sustainability of grant-funded initiatives. Support the integration and sustainability of grant-funded initiatives by identifying opportunities and coordinating efforts to embed successful programs into ongoing college operations and processes.
• Manage selected initiatives, working with project sponsors to develop and execute charters, timelines, milestones, and deliverables to support GHR Legacy Grant projects
• Lead regular project check-ins to monitor progress, identify risks, and address challenges.
• Coordinate logistics for grant-funded meetings, workshops, events, and related activities.

Program Management  - Manage and execute a suite of programs and initiatives funded by the GHR Legacy Grant, ensuring alignment with program goals, organizational priorities, and grant requirements.

• Define program goals, audiences, formats, and success metrics.
• Develop and manage program timelines, work plans, and task lists to ensure effective execution.
• Oversee program logistics, including contracts, vendor coordination, and on-site operations.
• Track budgets, expenses, and reimbursements to support financial oversight.
• Evaluate program and initiative outcomes and recommend improvements.
• Support the integration and long-term sustainability of successful initiatives within ongoing college operations.

Strategy, Evaluation, and Reporting

• Conduct benchmarking and research to inform program development.
• Collect, organize, and analyze data related to grant-funded initiatives.
• Maintain dashboards or tracking tools to monitor project progress and outcomes.
• Prepare summaries and reports to communicate progress, results, and recommendations.

Collaboration and Communication

• Facilitate communication and collaboration among Opus leadership, faculty, staff, students, and external partners.
• Leads meetings and working groups to support project implementation.
• Support communication of project outcomes and impact to internal and external stakeholders.

Operational and Administrative Support

• Maintain organized project documentation and records.
• Coordinate with internal purchasing and legal teams to support vendor engagement, including assisting with RFP processes and contract execution.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree

• Three years of experience in program management, project management, grant administration, higher education administration, nonprofit operations, or a related field.

• Experience tracking budgets or financial activity at the project or program level.

• Strong proficiency in Excel or similar spreadsheet tools for organizing information, tracking progress, and monitoring budgets.

   

• Experience using project management tools such as Asana or similar systems, or the ability to quickly learn project management tools.

HOW TO APPLY

All interested candidates must apply online at https://www.stthomas.edu/jobs/. Follow the instructions to complete an online application which includes creating or updating an applicant profile, uploading a resume, and completing a job specific application.

In light of its commitment to create and maintain a safe learning and working environment, employment with the University of St. Thomas requires consent and successful completion of a background screening.

Official job posting is available at www.stthomas.edu/jobs.