Project Manager

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It’s known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus’s DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world. DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW Scout, from the University of California, delivers high-quality online courses that expand college access and academic success for middle and high school students. We offer A‑G approved college preparatory and College Board‑approved Advanced Placement (AP) courses online and curricula for students, teachers, schools and districts, especially those serving California’s educationally underserved communities. UC Scout is a division of the UC Santa Cruz Extension. While UC Scout’s home campus is located at 3175 Bowers Avenue in Santa Clara, the UC Scout team is a fully remote team, with individuals making occasional visits to the campus as needed. UC Scout serves high school students, providing online high school courses for students and curricula for educators. UC Scout’s growing team comprises five departments: learning innovation, academics, support, outreach, and business intelligence. The team consists of approximately 50 full‑time staff and 70 part‑time employees. UC Scout works closely with UCSC Extension support staff, including IT, finance, and the office of the Dean to support UC Scout’s goals. UC Scout is actively evolving the way the team works by integrating AI tools into daily workflows. UC Scout expects all team members to engage curiously and confidently with emerging technologies—exploring how AI can make their work smarter, faster, and more impactful. This is not a team where AI is optional or treated with apprehension; it is a team that sees it as a professional advantage and a core part of how UC Scout operates. The incumbent reports to the Director of Marketing and Enrollment, who oversees the Outreach, Customer Support, and Business Intelligence departments at UC Scout. The incumbent works directly with various departments to set goals, establish project plans, and track progress and completion using defined guidelines and practices. The Project Manager oversees multiple projects simultaneously and must be a skilled communicator, both verbal and written. The Project Manager’s portfolio is focused on enrollment management, outreach and marketing campaigns, customer support operations, student‑facing program delivery, and other projects as needed. Teams supported include but are not limited to Outreach, Customer Support, and Business Intelligence. The Project Manager understands how a project in one department will impact other departments. The Project Manager communicates the business objectives and mission of UC Scout to audiences via meetings, presentations, and webinars. APPOINTMENT INFORMATION Budgeted Salary: $90,000 - $120,000/year. Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount. Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits Schedule Information Full‑time, Fixed Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week Days of the Week: Mon‑Fri Shift Includes: Day Job End Date: None Work Location: Remote Union Representation: RP Union - Research and Public Service Professionals Travel: Never or Rarely Job Duties 60% - Project Planning Project management responsibilities for a portfolio of substantive UC Scout projects (e.g., development of customer support processes to manage and track workloads; execution of outreach and marketing campaigns), from initiation through delivery, including system integration and vendor coordination. Key responsibilities include: Leads cross‑departmental project teams and, as needed, directs department staff and supervisors in developing project plans. Develops detailed project plans; schedules and monitors budgets, resources, and timelines; and drives delivery on schedule and within budget. Partners with senior leadership to prioritize initiatives, sequence work across departments, and ensure alignment with UC Scout’s strategic plan, annual goals, and resource capacity. Identifies interdependencies across projects and mitigates conflicts in timelines or staffing. Regularly explores and applies AI tools to streamline tasks, generate insights, and solve problems more efficiently. Anticipates the organizational impact of new processes or systems and develops change management strategies to support adoption. Establishes escalation points and proactively manages risks and mitigation strategies. Defines project success metrics, monitors post‑launch outcomes, and conducts post‑project evaluations to capture lessons learned and inform future initiatives. Coaches department leads and supervisors on project planning, workflow management, and accountability practices; promotes consistent project management standards across UC Scout. 15% - Project Analysis Key responsibilities include: Applies project management concepts with an in‑depth understanding of practices and procedures to support complex projects across multiple teams. Analyzes project‑related issues of diverse scope, identifies root causes, and determines solutions using sound judgment. Maintains an ongoing understanding of cross‑team workflows and how projects impact one another. Synthesizes information across departments to identify systemic issues and recommend strategic adjustments. 10% - Department Support Implements project management processes for departmental and cross‑functional work. Primarily supports the Customer Support, Outreach, and Business Intelligence departments, with projects that may extend across all UC Scout departments. Key responsibilities include: Serves as a central integrator across Customer Support, Outreach, and Business Intelligence, translating strategic goals into structured, actionable plans. Initiates, designs, and leads project proposals, reports, and supporting documentation. Contributes to a team culture of experimentation and continuous learning around emerging technologies. 10% - Project Communications Manages internal and outward‑facing project communications to ensure clarity, accuracy, and consistency across stakeholders. Key responsibilities include: Develops executive summaries, dashboards, and regular status updates to inform senior leadership and support decision‑making. Provides project updates at UC Scout all‑team meetings and other forums, as appropriate. Oversees and proofreads communications from other departments to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment. Ensures transparency of timelines, risks, and resource needs across leadership and project stakeholders. 5% - Project Management Infrastructure Designs, implements, and maintains the project management systems, tools, and governance structures that support effective execution across UC Scout. Key responsibilities include: Establishes and maintains a formal project intake and evaluation process. Defines project scope and approval pathways before launch, including clear ownership, decision rights, and accountability. Establishes and maintains standardized project management frameworks and documentation practices. Stays current with relevant AI developments and proactively identifies opportunities to apply them in their role. Evaluates and recommends improvements to tools and workflows to enhance efficiency and transparency. Maintains and optimizes UC Scout’s project management toolset (e.g., Google Workspace, Asana, Airtable, Confluence). Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. Advanced knowledge of project management principles, practices, and methodologies, with demonstrated success implementing them in complex, cross‑functional environments. Demonstrated experience managing projects in a marketing, enrollment, outreach, or student services environment, with a clear understanding of how these functions drive organizational outcomes. Demonstrated ability to anticipate risks, prioritize effectively, and apply sound judgment to solve complex problems. Demonstrated ability to clearly communicate project updates and strategic recommendations to non‑technical stakeholders—including marketing and customer support teams—translating complex project information into clear, actionable guidance for diverse audiences at all levels of the organization and across departments. Demonstrates a growth mindset toward emerging technologies, with experience or willingness to explore and adopt AI‑powered tools to enhance productivity, support data‑driven decision‑making, and drive continuous improvement in workflows and outcomes. Strong attention to detail. Proven ability to lead cross‑functional team projects. Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and build alignment through well‑reasoned, persuasive communication. Strong organizational, tracking, and planning skills, including the ability to analyze projects of broad and diverse scope and understand cost and resource impacts. Experience working within a student‑facing academic program, enrollment, or curriculum delivery organization. Demonstrated experience embedded within or directly supporting a marketing, outreach, or customer support team managing projects that include campaign execution, enrollment pipelines, or customer‑facing service delivery. Familiar with the goals, workflows, and success metrics of these functions. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives while balancing strategic priorities and operational demands. Experience establishing or improving project governance systems, workflows, or intake processes. Preferred Qualifications Project Management Certification. Special Conditions of Employment Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre‑employment criminal history background check. Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process. Must live within the state of California or willing to relocate to California. Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation. This is a fully remote position, and the selected candidate must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and be able to fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement. This position works remotely, requiring a telecommuting agreement and adherence to the UCSC Telecommuting/Remote Work Guidelines. The employee shall be available in a full‑time capacity during assigned telecommuting work hours (specific hours to be discussed with the supervisor). While telecommuting/remote working, the employee is responsible for ensuring a worksite environment suitable for accomplishing their regular job duties during scheduled hours of work and, if applicable, arranging for dependent care just as they would if they were working at the regular UCSC worksite. Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends as directed. Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting. Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training. The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program. Misconduct Disclosure Requirement As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer. “Misconduct” means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct: UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy Abusive Conduct in the Workplace All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries. EEO/AA The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status or other protected categories covered by the UC Anti‑Discrimination Policy. It is the policy of the University of California to undertake affirmative action and anti‑discrimination efforts, consistent with its obligations as a Federal and State contractor. #J-18808-Ljbffr