Project Manager, Project & Program Management, Operations Management

Position Overview

The Office of Physical Plant (OPP) seeks a Project Manager – Advanced Professional to join our Project Management Office (PMO). The role reports to the PMO Supervisor and focuses on delivering large initiatives on time, within budget, and with high quality outcomes.

• Lead projects through the full project management lifecycle (initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and closeout).
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project management plans, including scope, schedule, budget, quality, communications, procurement, resource, stakeholder engagement, and risk management plans.
• Facilitate project steering committees, executive reviews, and stakeholder decision‑making processes.
• Partner with executive sponsors, stakeholders, functional leaders, and project teams to define project objectives, business requirements, success criteria, and expected outcomes.
• Direct project planning activities including project charters, business cases, work breakdown structures, schedules, resource plans, cost estimates, and project baselines.
• Monitor and control project performance through project management tools, metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms.
• Manage project scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, and change requests to ensure project objectives are achieved.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks and issues; develop contingency and recovery plans when necessary.
• Coordinate cross‑functional project teams and facilitate collaboration among stakeholders who may not have direct reporting relationships to the Project Manager.
• Lead project meetings, status reviews, risk assessments, lessons learned sessions, and project closeout activities.
• Facilitate vendor evaluations, feasibility studies, requests for proposals, and contract‑related project activities as applicable.
• Ensure project compliance with institutional policies, governance requirements, regulatory obligations, and industry standards.
• Produce and maintain project documentation, including project charters, schedules, status reports, financial reports, risk registers, issue logs, change requests, stakeholder analyses, and project closeout reports.
• Advise leadership on project management practices, portfolio priorities, project health, and organizational project management maturity.
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of project management standards, methodologies, tools, templates, and processes.
• May provide mentoring, coaching, and professional development guidance.

Required: Bachelor's Degree; 3+ years of relevant experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred: Industry‑recognized project management certification (e.g., PMI PMP, CAPM, PRINCE2, Agile certifications).

Strong commitment to customer service, substantial technical aptitude, excellent problem‑solving and critical thinking skills, quality verbal and written communication and presentation skills. Ability to learn new things quickly and independently. Proven ability to work successfully in a diverse work environment. Demonstrated high performance in a team environment.

Salary range: $81,312.00 - $.

Benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage; robust retirement plans; paid time off; tuition discount (75%); and other benefits detailed on the Benefits Page.

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

The PMO fosters a positive culture committed to inclusion, diversity, and investment in staff. The Office of the Physical Plant values integrity, respect, responsibility, discovery, excellence, and community.