ArtCenter College of Design is searching for an experienced Senior Project Manager (SPM), Academic- Fixed-term position through November 30, 2027 to join our team.
The salary range for this position: $150,000.00 - 175,000.00
Final salary is based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.
About ArtCenter
Founded in 1930 and located in Pasadena, California, ArtCenter College of Design is a global leader in art and design education and has had an international reputation for its rigorous, transdisciplinary curriculum, faculty of professionals, strong ties to industry, and commitment to socially responsible design. ArtCenter is a private nonprofit fully accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC).
Every position at ArtCenter plays an important part in carrying out the cultural values, goals, strategic vision, and mission of the College. This includes upholding and cultivating an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
This is a Fixed-term position through November 30, 2027
Reporting to the Provost, the Senior Academic Projects Manager (SPM) leads academic and student‑centered transformation initiatives with primary accountability for academic strategy, academic process design, and academic outcomes. The SPM is responsible for advancing College‑wide initiatives that improve our academic and enrollment operations, student experience, and academic calendar. The incumbent will work with the executive leadership team, comprised of the Provost, the SVP of Enrollment, and the Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, to plan and deliver system-wide changes to academic procedures and management using established project management best practices, methodologies, and tools. The SPM will collaborate with the Senior Project Manager, Technology Transformation, to align academic initiatives with institutional technology strategies and partner with project managers across all operational departments and academic areas to join in unifying project management practices college-wide, building organizational project management capability, and fostering a culture of accountability, transparency, and results. The position is responsible for developing the corresponding tools, reports, and procedures for data-driven decision-making related to project goals.
This is a full-time position. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The position is eligible for flexible scheduling and can be performed hybrid with the expectation of at least 3 days in the office. The demands of this work may include weekends or evenings. The college reserves the right to modify schedules as needed to meet the business needs with appropriate notice.
Essential Functions
Academic Transformation Project Management - 50%
- Lead the full project lifecycle, including initiation, planning, execution, monitoring, and closeout for assigned academic transformation projects
- Conduct as-is assessments and feedback loops to understand the current state
- Participate in the development, prioritization and planning of assigned projects and related initiatives
- Track all relevant regulatory concerns and procedures with federal and accreditation bodies
- Review proposals, develop project charters, feasibility analyses, communication plans, schedules, staffing requirements or recommendations, and identify risks
- Coordinate internal and external resources to deliver projects on time, within scope, and within budget
- Establish practices and templates for the assigned project with an aim toward establishing a culture of project management throughout the organization
- Create and monitor budgets, manage and track dependencies and issues, and implement mitigation strategies
- Facilitate regular project meetings, utilize a dashboard or a project management tracking chart to track project status and action items
- Maintain executive-level visibility on progress; convene other stakeholders in status update meetings as needed to advance projects
- Partner with IT leadership to ensure academic needs are translated into implementable technical solutions for the College
- Ensure compliance with project management governance, quality standards, and College policies
- Conduct post-implementation reviews and lessons learned to drive continuous improvement
- Develop standard operating procedures at the close of each project
Student Advising Transformation Project Management - 35%
The SPM will execute the strategic priorities associated with transforming our student advising ecosystem, including the design and creation of a project charter, plan, schedule, budget, and status reports. Key elements of this project include the following:
- Identify, document, and track milestones and dependencies across enrollment and student services, academic departments, technology acquisition and implementation, marketing and communications, and any other stakeholders
- If required, monitor and manage the acquisition and implementation of technology required to support student enrollment and academic advising in conjunction with the Senior Project Manager, Technology Transformation
- Coordinate internal and external resources to deliver projects on time, within scope, and within budget
- Establish practices and templates for the assigned project with an aim toward establishing a culture of project management throughout the organization
- Create and monitor budgets, manage and track dependencies and issues, and implement mitigation strategies
- Facilitate regular project meetings, utilize dashboard or a project management tracking chart to track project status and action items
- Maintain executive-level visibility on progress; convene other stakeholders in status update meetings as needed to advance projects
- Ensure compliance with project management governance, quality standards, and College policies
- Conduct post-implementation reviews and lessons learned to drive continuous improvement
- Develop standard operating procedures at the close of each project
Stakeholder Engagement and Change Management - 10%
- Partner across all operational and academic departments to unify project management practices College-wide
- Engage with stakeholders, sponsors, and cross-functional teams to ensure alignment with project objectives and institutional goals
- Develop and implement comprehensive change management strategies to support the adoption of new processes, systems, and structures
- Facilitate workshops and learning sessions as well as facilitate and deliver communications to promote awareness and adoption of changes
- Support the development of organizational project management capabilities by applying change management strategies, including targeted workshops, hands-on mentoring, and role modeling best practices
Non-Essential Duties - 5%
- Serve on educational, departmental, or College-wide committees, work groups, task forces and/or councils to advance project management work
- Other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, in business, information technology, education, project management, or related field from an accredited college or university
- At least 5 years of experience managing complex technology or organizational transformation projects
- Proficiency in project management methodologies (Waterfall, Agile, Kanban, Scrum, Lean) and related tools
- Strong budgeting, scheduling, and risk management skills
- Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels; excellent presentation skills to explain technological terms, practices, modules and standard operating procedures
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in fast-paced, change-oriented environments
- Experience working with technology transformation projects or large-scale creation of content
- Ability to handle confidential information with tact and discretion and recognize the confidential nature of ArtCenter business
- Ability to enforce and implement policies and procedures
- Demonstrated experience in cultivating an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming environment into workplace practices within ArtCenter's diverse communities
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in higher education administration
- Current certification(s) in project management such as PMP, CAPM, Agile, or similar certification(s)
Physical Demands and Working Environment
The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
This is a full-time position. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The position is eligible for flexible scheduling and can be performed hybrid with the expectation of at least 3 days in the office. The demands of this work may include weekends or evenings. The college reserves the right to modify schedules as needed to meet the business needs with appropriate notice.
Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting with frequent interruptions and distractions; extended periods of time viewing computer monitor; interactions with other individuals. Due to the nature of the work environment, there is regular exposure to fumes, dust and noise.
Physical: The position is performed in an office setting. Employee is stationary most of the time but may move around the office environment for brief periods of time. Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight (up to 10 pounds); to operate modern office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information. Regular and consistent attendance are required for most positions. Ability to travel between campuses.
Vision: Must be able to have the visual capacity to perform activities such as preparing and reading reports, viewing a computer terminal and other normal office work with or without correction.
Hearing: Must be able to communicate effectively in the course of normal office communication or exchange ideas with or without correction.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by the employee assigned to this job; they do not purport to describe all functions. Employees may be assigned other duties, and the essential functions may be changed from time to time as necessary.
Diversity Statement
ArtCenter is fully committed to fostering a culture that values diversity, equity, inclusion, access and belonging not only in vision but in practice. Our path forward is predicated on our belief that multiple points of view, life experiences, ethnicities, cultures and belief systems are essential to academic and creative excellence. We strive to learn more about difference while respecting the rich diversity in our world, attending to important questions about racial injustice and decolonizing our curriculum. Our campus environment must be vigilant in supporting the full participation of students, faculty, and staff of every race, color, ethnicity, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, socioeconomic status and political viewpoint.
Equal Opportunity Employer
ArtCenter is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and does not discriminate against its employees or applicants on the basis of race (including hair texture and protective hairstyle), color, religion (includes religious dress and grooming practices), sex/gender (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, and/or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition (genetic characteristics, cancer, or a record or history of cancer), military or veteran status, national origin, ancestry, disability (mental and physical, including HIV/AIDS, cancer, and genetic characteristics), genetic information, request for family care or medical leave, age (over 40), criminal background (Fair Chance Act), reproductive health decision-making, off-duty and off-premises cannabis use, or any other actual or perceived characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity is extended to all persons in all aspects of the employer-employee relationship, including without limitation, recruitment, hiring, upgrading, learning and professional development, promotion, compensation, benefits, leave of absence, transfer, discipline, layoff, recall and termination. This commitment applies to all persons involved in the operations of ArtCenter and prohibits unlawful discrimination by any employee of ArtCenter. Applicants who wish to request an accommodation for a disability may contact the Office of Employee Experience and Engagement at (626) 396-2470.
Applicant Rights (Prior Cannabis Use)
ArtCenter will not request information from an applicant relating to the applicant’s prior use of cannabis. ArtCenter will not use information obtained from a criminal history about an applicant or employee’s prior cannabis use, unless ArtCenter is permitted to consider that information under applicable law.
Employment At-Will
All employment with ArtCenter is for an unspecified term and is “at-will.” Employees are free to resign at any time, with or without reason, and with or without prior notice. Similarly, ArtCenter has the right to terminate the employment relationship at any time, with or without cause, and with or without prior notice. This “at-will” employment, which includes the College’s right to transfer, discipline, demote, or change the conditions of employment with or without cause and with or without prior notice, cannot be modified, amended or waived by any oral or implied agreement, and may be modified or altered only by an express individualized written employment agreement signed by both the employee and the College president
ArtCenter Employees have a Mandatory Duty to Report
All employees who know or have reason to know of allegations or acts that violate ArtCenter’s Title IX Policy prohibiting discrimination, harassment, retaliation, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, sexual violence, dating violence, and stalking shall promptly inform the , Title IX Coordinator or designee, or the Associate Dean of Students or designee. Faculty, who have a mandatory duty to report, are required to disclose all information including the names of the parties, even where the person has requested their name remain confidential.
Pursuant to the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), all employees who know of or have reason to suspect child abuse or neglect involving alleged victims under age 18 shall promptly inform local law enforcement or the county welfare department.
