Senior Project Manager

Senior Project Manager, Central Advancement

The Senior Project Manager leads the planning, management, governance, and execution of complex cross-functional projects supporting strategic marketing and communications initiatives. Responsible for project lifecycle management including project initiation, scope definition, work planning, risk management, stakeholder engagement, project controls, status reporting, and project closeout within The Ohio State University Advancement Marketing and Communications (AMC) department.

This role drives operational excellence by managing project intake, workflow execution, timelines, resource planning, issue and risk tracking, stakeholder alignment, review and approval processes, and reporting to ensure deliverables meet established expectations for quality, schedule, scope, and operational feasibility. The Senior Project Manager serves as the primary project management liaison for AMC Central Advancement partners and initiatives, including major and principal gift proposals, stewardship initiatives, signature events, internal communications, and other high-visibility projects requiring coordination across multiple contributors and approval paths.

The role also provides project management support to AMC leadership for campaign-related planning and execution by coordinating project requirements, timelines, dependencies, deliverables, and stakeholder review needs.

The Senior Project Manager utilizes and administers Workfront and related project management tools to support project governance, planning, tracking, reporting, and resource coordination that promote consistency, transparency, and accountability across AMC projects. Reporting to the Associate Director of Marketing Operations, the Senior Project Manager independently manages established project workflows, facilitates project requests, aligns tasks and dependencies, coordinates resources and logistics, monitors timelines and deliverables, and escalates significant risks, resource conflicts, or scope concerns for leadership guidance.

Responsibilities include coordinating quality assurance checkpoints, stakeholder review and approval processes, and final asset routing to support completion of projects on scope, on schedule, and aligned with operational expectations.

The Senior Project Manager uses Workfront reporting, Content Activity Dashboard (CAD) insights, project dashboards, KPIs, and debrief findings to monitor project status, identify trends or constraints, recommend course corrections, and support leadership visibility into project execution. The Senior Project Manager shares responsibility for AMC's governed digital asset environment within Aprimo by supporting consistent project-related asset organization, routing, and access practices.

The role requires the ability to manage multiple concurrent assignments, set priorities, meet deadlines, resolve project barriers, communicate effectively with contributors and leaders, and build consensus among stakeholders with competing needs or timelines. They must possess exceptional verbal, written, analytical, and organizational skills, along with meticulous attention to detail. The position requires a collaborative, responsive, proactive approach and the ability to adapt to changing needs, manage pressure, and coordinate work effectively in a fast-paced environment.

The Senior Project Manager must exhibit the behaviors associated with the Office of Advancement's core competencies:
Leadership, Continuous Improvement, Teamwork and Collaboration, and Communication/Interpersonal Effectiveness.

All members of External Affairs are part of creating a culture that inspires an exceptionally multifaceted and talented team and are expected to exhibit The Ohio State University's Shared Values. The Office of External Affairs is committed to acting with kindness, respect, and integrity at all times and welcoming our colleagues' ideas, voices, and perspectives, acknowledging that we are better together.

Within the Office of Advancement, AMC is responsible for inspiring philanthropy through a variety of channels to primary constituent audiences that include donors, prospects, grateful patients, faculty and staff, and alumni. The team consists of writers, digital marketers, strategists, videographers and graphic designers who collaborate with partners and each other to generate content. AMC's guiding principles include content strategy and storytelling, data-informed decisions, omnichannel campaigns and creative excellence.

Duties and Responsibilities

70% - Maintain and optimize Workfront as AMC's project management system of record by supporting project intake, workflow execution, project visibility, resource planning, reporting, and process consistency across department projects. Provide project oversight from intake through completion by clarifying project scope, deliverables, timelines, dependencies, task ownership, review requirements, and closeout expectations. Establish and maintain…