Project & Operations Manager

Project & Operations Manager

Reporting to the Chancellor, the Project & Operations Manager serves as a strategic and operational partner supporting the execution of district-wide priorities, college initiatives, and executive-level operations. This role is responsible for coordinating complex, cross-functional initiatives; managing operational systems and workflows; and advancing projects that involve senior leadership, campus administrators, and external stakeholders. Working collaboratively with the Chancellor's Senior Leadership Team (SLT), campus leadership, and district teams, the Project & Operations Manager ensures alignment, coordination, and effective execution of strategic initiatives across Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. The position provides leadership and through partnerships will help identify continuous quality improvement areas to serve, along with facilitating executive communications, supporting district events and engagements, and maintaining cohesive operations, while upholding a high standard of professionalism, responsiveness, discretion, and organizational effectiveness in a dynamic environment. The Project & Operations Manager also provides operational oversight for special projects, Board of Trustees and committee activities, stakeholder and community engagement efforts, and is a steward in budget coordination; executing these duties with integrity, fiscal responsibility and ethical conduct. This role plays a key part in strengthening relationships across the district and community, while promoting scope completion, ensuring seamless executive support and organizational efficiency. Some evenings and weekends are required.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree required with a minimum of 5 years of experience in an executive office environment and/or in an Office Manager role.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common financial reports and legal documents.
• Ability to think, reason, and make sound judgments on how responsibilities are completed in compliance with college standards and guidelines.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work well both independently with little to no supervision as well as part of a team.
• Ability to organize and maintain records, reports, and projects.
• Excellent judgment and discretion in handling confidential information.
• Exceptional time management skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Formal project management certifications like PMBOK, PMP, or PMI.
• Experience utilizing Colleague.
• Experience working within a higher education environment.

Physical Demands:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Ability to lift up to 10 lbs. occasionally, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary. Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.

Typical Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serves as a strategic operations partner to the Chancellor, supporting the coordination and execution of district priorities, executive initiatives, and cross-functional operations across Eastern Iowa Community Colleges.
• Manages executive operations for the Chancellor's Office, including complex scheduling, communications coordination, meeting and briefing preparation, travel logistics, presentation development, and operational follow-through to support district priorities.
• Supports workflow management and project continuity across the Chancellor's Office and senior leadership team by tracking assignments, monitoring timelines, facilitating cross-functional communication, and maintaining documentation in reporting systems.
• Performs basic research and preliminary analyses; gathers pertinent information and compiles, analyzes, and summarizes data and information; collaborating with colleagues as necessary to support the most robust and available data possible.
• Oversees administrative and fiscal operations in support of the Chancellor's Office, including budget tracking, purchasing coordination, invoice processing, records management, and related operational functions in alignment with district procedures.
• Serves as a key liaison and point of contact for internal and external stakeholders engaging with the Chancellor's Office, demonstrating professionalism, discretion, sound judgment, and responsiveness in a fast-paced, highly visible environment.
• Represents the Chancellor's Office as a professional point of contact for campus leadership, students, community partners, elected officials, and other stakeholders.
• Performs additional strategic, operational, and project-related duties as assigned, recommended and initiated to support the priorities of the Chancellor and district.
• Supports and elevates district-wide community engagement, partnership initiatives, and stakeholder relations efforts in collaboration with senior leadership and campus teams.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

EICC Non-Discrimination Statement:

It is the policy of Eastern Iowa Community College District not to discriminate in its programs, activities, or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, creed, religion, and actual or potential family, parental or marital status, as required by the Iowa Code §§216.6 and 216.9, Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. §§ 2000d and 2000e), the Equal Pay Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. § 206, et seq.), Title IX (Educational Amendments, 20 U.S.C. §§ 1681-1688), Section 504 (Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. § 794), and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (42 U.S.C. § 12101, et seq.). If you have questions or complaints related to compliance with this policy, please contact EICC's Equal Employment Opportunity Officer/Equity Coordinator, Eastern Iowa Community College District, 101 West Third Street, Davenport, Iowa 52801, View phone number on click.appcast.io, mailto:View email address on click.appcast.io or the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, Cesar E. Chavez Memorial Building, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Suite 310, Denver, CO 80204-3582, Telephone: View phone number on click.appcast.io. FAX: View phone number on click.appcast.io; TDD: View phone number on click.appcast.io or Email: mailto:View email address on click.appcast.io