Senior Project Manager - Information Technology

Overview

Senior Project Manager - Information Technology at James Madison University. This is a full-time, classified staff position located in Harrisonburg. Opening on:
Mar 9 2026. Department: IT Strategic Initiatives, Administration and Finance. Pay Band:
6. Specify Range or Amount: $94,000-$98,000. State Role

Title:

Information Technology Specialist III. FLSA Status:
Exempt:
Not Eligible for Overtime. Beginning Review Date: 03/17/2026.

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Working Title: Senior Project Manager - Information Technology

Position Type: Full-time Staff (Classified)

Position Status: Full-Time

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

At James Madison University (JMU), we’re more than just a publicly funded institution — we’re a vibrant, welcoming community nestled on a stunning campus where innovation, collaboration, and personal growth thrive. Our mission is to prepare students for a bright future, and we believe that starts with supporting the people who make it all possible: our employees.

Why Work at JMU?

We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your professional journey and personal wellbeing:

• Generous Leave: paid vacation, sick leave, parental leave, community service leave, and 19 paid holidays annually.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: high-quality health insurance options.
• Retirement Options: retirement benefits through the Virginia Retirement System.
• Employee Well-Being:
  Balanced Dukes program for wellness and work-life integration.
• Tuition Waiver Program: tuition waiver for undergraduate and graduate courses at JMU.

Discover what makes JMU a great place to work: bit.ly/JMUEmployment

The Senior Project Manager leads complex, mission-critical technology initiatives from initiation through closure. This role blends senior-level project management with key business analysis responsibilities, partnering closely with business stakeholders, IT teams, SaaS vendors, and implementation partners to ensure solutions are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with organizational priorities. While the position is hybrid eligible, it will require a period of prolonged in-office onboarding and continued in-person project-based meetings.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Project Planning, Oversight, and Vendor Management:
  Lead project planning activities (scope, schedule, resources, dependencies, risk management); coordinate work across internal teams, SaaS vendors, and third-party implementation partners; monitor vendor performance against contracts, statements of work, and milestones; manage scope changes using governance; apply negotiation to manage vendor and stakeholder expectations.
• Project Monitoring and Control:
  Track and report project status, risks, issues, milestones, dependencies; monitor schedules and budgets; identify risks early and recommend corrective actions; escalate high-impact issues; ensure solutions align with requirements and vendor deliverables.
• Stakeholder and Vendor Communication:
  Communicate progress, risks, and outcomes to sponsors, stakeholders, and vendors; facilitate forums with internal teams and external partners; represent business priorities to technical teams and vendors; maintain transparency and adapt communication to the audience.
• Project Initiation and Closure:
  Support development of charters and high-level plans; contribute to contract-related inputs; lead post-implementation reviews; assess vendor performance at closure; document lessons learned and support transition to operations.
• Requirements Gathering and Analysis:
  Elicit, document, validate, and prioritize business requirements; use workshops, interviews, and user stories; confirm understanding with stakeholders and communicate requirements to technical teams and vendors.
• Solution Validation and Testing:
  Plan and support system, integration, and user acceptance testing; develop test scenarios and document results; coordinate testing with business users, technical teams, and vendors; ensure delivered solutions meet requirements.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience…