Project Manager

Project Manager

Location:

This position is based in Norman, OK with hybrid work options. Remote opportunities for the right candidate. 

Shape the Future of Online Learning with OU Education Services:

OU Education Services (OUES) is a nonprofit corporation established to manage and expand online learning for the University of Oklahoma System. As a growing education technology organization, we are dedicated to delivering innovative solutions that enhance learning outcomes, improve student experiences, and support the university's mission of providing high-quality education to learners everywhere.

At OUES, we prioritize collaboration and provide opportunities for our teams to work closely to deliver meaningful, impactful results. We are a talent focused organization and encourage applicants from all regions, we have a preference for candidates who are in or open to relocating to the Oklahoma City metro area. Being part of our vibrant community fosters richer collaboration and a stronger alignment with OU and the OUES mission.

Position Summary:

We are seeking a dynamic Project Manager to drive key initiatives that will transform the student experience, benefiting from our strategic alliance with the University of Oklahoma. You'll be responsible for the full project lifecycle, from planning to launch, for efforts aimed at optimizing the student journey, diversifying program offerings, and strengthening recruitment and retention. This role requires managing complex projects, forging strong partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, and collaborating closely with two Program Managers to proactively identify and mitigate student issues, directly contributing to overall student success. The ideal candidate is an expert communicator and organizer, comfortable navigating the complexities of a university environment, and deeply committed to positively impacting the student journey.

Key Responsibilities

Project Delivery & Portfolio Management 

• Lead end-to-end delivery of technology, process, and university partnership initiatives — defining scope, timelines, resource plans, and risk mitigation from initiation through closeout. 

• Build and maintain portfolio roadmaps; communicate status at the right level of detail for leadership, project teams, and operations. 

• Apply waterfall, agile, or hybrid methodologies without dogma; maintain Jira and Confluence as reliable sources of truth. 

• Surface and escalate risks proactively; facilitate retrospectives and convert lessons into improved practices. 

OU Partnership & Relationship Management 

• Serve as the primary OUES PMO liaison to OU stakeholders — faculty, deans, program directors, department chairs, and university administrators. 

• Navigate the culture and structure of a large research university with confidence — understanding how decisions are made and how to move work forward in an academic environment. 

• Represent OUES in joint working sessions, steering committees, and governance meetings; anticipate partner needs and bring solutions before they’re requested. 

• Lead the full lifecycle of OU-facing initiatives: new program launches, system integrations, cross-institutional process design, and collaboration sessions with faculty and academic leadership. 

Process Improvement & Workflow Design 

• Lead process improvement initiatives end-to-end: current-state analysis, root cause identification, future-state design, and post-launch measurement. 

• Build professional process documentation in Lucidchart — swimlane diagrams, decision trees, and system integration maps for stakeholders at all levels. 

• Facilitate structured process workshops with both OUES and OU stakeholders; apply Lean or Six Sigma frameworks to prioritize opportunities. 

• Own change management for process transitions: impact assessments, communication plans, training coordination, and adoption tracking. 

• Develop and maintain PMO-wide templates, playbooks, and standard operating procedures. 

Requirements Gathering & UAT Leadership 

• Lead functional requirements discovery — stakeholder interviews, workshops, and synthesis into user stories, functional specs, and acceptance criteria — across both technical and academic stakeholder groups. 

• Validate proposed solutions against documented requirements with developers, architects, and Salesforce admins before build begins; maintain traceability throughout. 

• Own end-to-end UAT: test strategy, test plans, scripts, tester coordination, defect management, regression cycles, and formal sign-off. 

• Coordinate OU stakeholder participation in UAT; prepare academic partners for testing, gather feedback, and advocate for their experience in defect resolution. 

Technology Oversight & System Integration 

• Lead Salesforce projects (Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Education Cloud) from requirements through configuration, testing, and adoption. 

• Manage telephony and contact center platform projects including migrations, vendor coordination, and CRM integration. 

• Oversee data and analytics initiatives — data governance, pipeline integrity, dashboard development, and reporting accuracy. 

• Lead OU-facing coordination for system integration projects, bridging OU institutional systems with OUES platforms and managing communication and change management for system changes affecting OU partners. 

• Hold vendors and third-party partners accountable to scope, quality, and delivery commitments. 

Communication & Reporting 

• Develop portfolio communications tailored to each audience: executive summaries for senior leadership, operational updates for working teams, and plain-language guidance for student-facing and academic staff. 

• Facilitate regular cadence meetings — prepare agendas, drive decisions, document outcomes, and track follow-through. 

• Translate complex OUES technical and operational decisions into language OU partners can understand and act on, and vice versa. 

Qualifications

Required 

• 10+ years of project management experience with at least 5 years in or alongside higher education institutions. 

• Demonstrated experience engaging university academic leadership — faculty, deans, or provost-level administrators — with the presence and preparation to be credible in those relationships. 

• Proven track record leading complex, multi-stakeholder program launches or institutional initiatives from planning through steady-state. 

• Proven experience leading process improvement initiatives with measurable outcomes. 

• Strong functional requirements gathering and documentation skills across multi-stakeholder technology projects. 

• Demonstrated UAT leadership: test planning, script writing, defect management, and stakeholder sign-off. 

• Hands-on Salesforce CRM experience in a student services, enrollment, or advising context. 

• Proficiency with Lucidchart (or Visio/Miro) for process mapping and workflow documentation. 

• Proficiency with Jira and Confluence; strong command of waterfall, agile, and hybrid methodologies. 

• Experience with telephony or contact center technology projects. 

• Working familiarity with data governance and analytics project lifecycles. 

• Demonstrated organizational change management experience: impact assessment, communication planning, adoption monitoring. 

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills — polished in an executive briefing, warm and direct in a team meeting. 

Preferred 

• OPM or continuing education environment experience. 

• Familiarity with higher education governance, accreditation timelines, or academic program development cycles. 

• Lean, Six Sigma, or formal BPM methodology knowledge. 

• Contact center platform migration experience (Five9, Genesys, Amazon Connect). 

• SQL or data pipeline familiarity; Scrum Master or agile coaching background. 

• Background in enrollment management, academic advising, or student success. 
• PMP certification. 

Benefits:

·      Competitive salary and benefits package

·      401(k)

·      Volunteer days

·      Wellness reimbursement

·      Opportunities for professional development and career growth.

·      Hybrid work environment promoting work-life balance.