Manager, Project

Salary : $101,774.40 - $165,152.00 Annually
Location : Heywood Office and Operations Facility, Minneapolis, MN
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number: 2026-00340
Division: Metro Transit
Department: Transit Info
Opening Date: 10/01/2026
Closing Date: 10/18/2026 11:59 PM Central


WHO WE ARE
We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services.


We are committed to supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.


Metro Transit is one of the country's largest transit systems, employs more than 3,000 people, and provides ridership through an integrated network of buses and light rail, as well as resources for those who carpool, vanpool, walk or bike in the Twin Cities.


How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities region:

The Manager, Customer Experience (CX) Project Management , leads a team of Project Managers responsible for delivering priority CX projects on time, within scope and budget, and with the intended customer and organizational outcomes. This position establishes and maintains project management standards, methodologies, documentation, and supporting technology for CX projects and initiatives.
The Manager plans, directs, and oversees cross-functional teams implementing strategic CX initiatives and performs administrative, supervisory, and managerial responsibilities, including strategic planning, operating and capital budget development, workforce planning, hiring, coaching, and performance management. The position establishes goals and priorities and leads or supports the evaluation, selection, and implementation of solutions that advance Metro Transit's CX strategy.
This position is eligible for a hybrid (remote and in-office) telework arrangement. Candidate's permanent residence must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

What you would do in this job


1. Manage Project Management Team

• Hire, onboard, supervise, and evaluate a team of Project Managers supporting Customer Experience (CX) priorities, projects, and initiatives.
• Establish team goals, priorities, work plans, and performance expectations, ensuring staff have the resources necessary to successfully perform assigned work.
• Develop, monitor, and manage the Project Management business unit operating budget, including expense tracking, budget forecasting, and variance analysis.
• Ensure compliance with Metropolitan Council policies, procedures, and leave programs, including FMLA, Paid Parental Leave, Employee Sick and Safe Time, and other applicable requirements.
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff through performance management, training, and professional development opportunities.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing work environment through effective communication, employee engagement, and strategic leadership.

2. Establish Project Management Standards

• Develop, implement, and maintain project management standards, methodologies, templates, and best practices for Customer Experience initiatives.
• Develop and maintain a centralized library of project management tools, templates, and reference materials.
• Promote and reinforce consistent application of project management standards, methodologies, and documentation across Metro Transit.

3. Manage Project Management Technology

• Assess organizational business needs and gather stakeholder requirements for project management software and technology solutions.
• Evaluate and pilot project management tools to determine suitability for Metro Transit operations.
• Lead procurement activities, vendor coordination, contract administration, and ongoing vendor relationship management.
• Oversee implementation, administration, maintenance, and continuous improvement of project management software and related technology.
• Coordinate with Information Services and business partners to ensure long-term support, maintenance, and optimization of project management technology.

4. Lead Cross-Functional Project Partnerships

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders to identify project needs, establish project objectives, and define success measures.
• Assess organizational project management support needs and prioritize resources based on agency strategic priorities.
• Define project governance, roles, responsibilities, business capabilities, and workflow processes.
• Expand and strengthen project management practices across Metro Transit.

5. Advance Customer Experience Practices

• Promote Customer Experience best practices within the Project Management team and develop staff competencies in customer-centered project delivery.
• Partner with departments across Metro Transit to integrate customer-focused principles into business processes, projects, and decision-making.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, reports, and project updates demonstrating the value and impact of Customer Experience initiatives.
• Collaborate with business partners to align project management activities with organizational functions such as budgeting, staffing, and operational planning.

6. Support Strategic Customer Experience Initiatives

• Evaluate project management needs and recommend strategies to support Customer Experience priorities and strategic initiatives.
• Partner with business units to establish project goals, performance measures, evaluation criteria, and desired outcomes.
• Develop project dashboards, scorecards, and reports to communicate project status, progress, and outcomes.
• Provide recommendations to support budget requests and resource planning for project management initiatives.
• Develop and maintain a centralized Customer Experience project calendar to improve agency-wide coordination and visibility.

What education and experience are required for this job (minimum qualifications)


Any of the following combinations of experience in project management, public administration, policy and procedure development, planning, management, or a related field and completed education in Management, Planning, Public Policy, Project Management, Public Administration, or a related field:

• High school diploma/GED with 10 years of experience, including 3 years of management, supervisory, project leadership, or staff leadership experience.
• Associate degree with 8 years of experience, including 3 years of management, supervisory, project leadership, or staff leadership experience.
• Bachelor's degree or higher with 6 years of experience, including 3 years of management, supervisory, project leadership, or staff leadership experience.

* Metropolitan Council Employees Only: Successful completion of any one of the following four Metropolitan Council Leadership/Supervisory training programs will substitute for lead/supervisory experience. You must attach your certificate(s) as proof of completion of the program to your application. Only completion of one of the four programs listed below will substitute credit (6 months or 1 year) for lead/supervisory experience.

Metro Transit Leadership Academy = 1 year
Project Management Development Program (12-month session) = 1 year
Four Learning Institute Certificates - You must obtain all four certificates listed below to receive credit for 6 months supervisory experience.

• Leading Self-Personal Effectiveness Certificate
• Leading Self-Communication Certificate
• Leading Self-Business Skills Certificate
• Leading Others-Preparing for Supervisor Certificate

What additional skills and experience would be helpful in this job (desired qualifications):

• Ability to think strategically and develop strategic planning documents.
• Demonstrated experience establishing or maturing PMO frameworks, processes, or governance models.
• Experience employing Waterfall and Agile methodologies in project delivery.
• Experience working in IT services, shared services, or matrixed delivery organizations.
• Ability to set performance measurements and metrics for people and projects.
• Active PMP®, PgMP®, PMI-ACP® certification, or related certification.
• Ability to promote an equitable, positive, and respectful work environment that values cultural diversity among all employees.

What knowledge, skills and abilities you should have within the first six months on the job:

• Knowledge of advanced project management principles, methodologies, governance, and continuous improvement practices.
• Knowledge of organizational policies and procedures related to budgeting, procurement, contracting, hiring, and workforce management.
• Knowledge of project management software, tools, and supporting technologies.
• Knowledge of customer experience principles and public transit operations.
• Skill in developing and implementing project management standards, policies, procedures, and documentation.
• Skill in leadership, coaching, performance management, team development, and building collaborative relationships.
• Skill in Microsoft Office Suite and project management software.
• Ability to lead multiple complex, cross-functional projects with competing priorities while aligning resources and outcomes with organizational objectives.
• Ability to establish project goals, performance measures, and success metrics.
• Ability to build effective partnerships and influence stakeholders across all levels of the organization.
• Ability to communicate effectively with technical and nontechnical audiences.

What you can expect from us:

• We offer the opportunity to make a difference and positively influence the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
• We encourage our employees to develop their skills through on-site training and tuition reimbursement.
• We provide a competitive salary, excellent benefits and a good work/life balance.

More about why you should join us!

Additional information

Union/Grade: TMSA / Grade J
FLSA Status: Exempt
Safety Sensitive: No

What your work environment would be:
Work is performed in a standard office setting. May require travel between primary work site and other sites.

What steps the recruitment process involves:

1. We review your minimum qualifications.
2. We rate your education and experience.
3. We conduct a structured panel interview.
4. We conduct a selection interview.

Once you have successfully completed the steps above, then:

If you are new to the Metropolitan Council, you must pass a background check which verifies education, employment, and criminal history. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.
If you are already an employee of the Metropolitan Council , you must pass a background check which verifies education and employment if not verified previously. If the job you're applying for is safety-sensitive, is a supervisory or management job, is in the Finance, Information Services, Audit, or Human Resources departments, or has access to financial records, files/databases, cash, vouchers or transit fare cards, you must pass a criminal background check. If you have a criminal conviction, you do not automatically fail. The Metropolitan Council considers felony, gross misdemeanor, and misdemeanor convictions on a case-by-case basis, based on whether they are related to the job and whether the candidate has demonstrated adequate rehabilitation.
IMPORTANT: If you make a false statement or withhold information, you may be barred from job consideration.

The Metropolitan Council is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and veteran-friendly employer. The Council is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the region and strongly encourages persons of color, members of the LGBTQ community, individuals with disabilities, women, and veterans to apply.

If you have a disability that requires accommodation during the selection process, please email View email address on click.appcast.io.
We believe our employees are a key to our agency's success! In order to attract and retain high quality employees, the Council provides a highly competitive benefits package both in choice and coverage levels. Some highlights about our benefits are listed below:

• Guaranteed monthly retirement income through Minnesota State Retirement System pension fund
• Opportunity to save additional funds for retirement on a tax-deferred basis through a voluntary deferred compensation (457) plan
• Two or more medical plans from which to choose, with employer contribution towards premiums over 80%
• Dental insurance, life insurance and vision insurance

The following benefits are provided to all employees as part of working for the Council. You will have access to free:

• View email address on click.appcast.io clinic
• bus/rail pass valued at over $1200 per year
• parking at many job locations
• fitness centers at many job locations
• Employee Assistance Program
• extensive health and wellness programs and resources

01


Applicant Instructions: It is important that your application shows all relevant education and experience you possess. The supplemental questions listed below are to further evaluate your education and experience and to determine your eligibility for this position. Answer each question completely, and please do not type "see resume." Otherwise, your application will be considered incomplete, and you will not receive further consideration for this position. The experience you indicate in your responses should also be consistent with the Work History section of this application. If you attach a resume and/or cover letter to your application, it will be reviewed at the education and experience review step.I have read and understand the above instructions regarding my application and supplemental questions.

• Yes
• No

02


How did you first hear about this job opening?

• CareerForce Center
• Community Event/Organization
• Employee Referral
• Facebook
• Glassdoor
• Indeed
• Job Fair
• LinkedIn
• Metro Transit Bus Advertisement
• X (formerly known as Twitter)
• Website: governmentjobs.com
• Website: metrocouncil.org
• Website: metrotransit.org
• Website: minnesotajobnetwork.com
• Other

03


If you selected 'Other', please describe where you first heard about this job. If you selected 'Employee Referral' please enter the employee's first and last name, ID number (if known), and job title.Type N/A if not applicable.
04


Please select which combination of education and experience you have:

• High school diploma/GED with 10 years of experience, including 3 years of management, supervisory, project leadership, or staff leadership experience.
• Associate degree with 8 years of experience, including 3 years of management, supervisory, project leadership, or staff leadership experience.
• Bachelor's degree or higher with 6 years of experience, including 3 years of management, supervisory, project leadership, or staff leadership experience.
• None of the above

05


Please describe your management, supervisory, project leadership, or staff leadership experience. In your response, include how many years of experience, where the experience took place, and duties of the role(s) held. If you don't have this experience, please type N/A.
06


Please describe your experience aligning project objectives to organizational goals and strategy, including how project metrics rolled up to higher level goals or strategy. If you don't have this experience, please type N/A.
07


If you have certifications in Project Management, please indicate which certification(s) you have below. If you don't have this experience, please type N/A.
08


Please describe your experience establishing or maturing PMO best practices, frameworks, processes, or governance models. If you don't have this experience, please type N/A.
09


Please describe your experience setting clear project goals and metrics, including frameworks developed for evaluation and reporting progress. If you don't have this experience, please type N/A.
10


Please describe your experience promoting an equitable, positive, and respectful work environment that values culture and diversity among all employees. If you don't have this experience, please type N/A.
11


The Metropolitan Council recognizes that Artificial Intelligence (AI) and generative tools are increasingly used in application processes. While the Council permits the use of AI to assist in the preparation of application materials, all applicants must certify the following statement:

• I affirm that all information provided in my application including any uploaded documentation is true and accurate. I further affirm that I have personally reviewed, verified, and approved all content, including any content generated with the assistance of AI. I will provide all interview responses directly and in real-time without unauthorized assistance. I will not use AI avatars, external assistance in answering including computer-generated suggestions, or any recording and transcription tools during the interview process unless I have received prior approval from Human Resources for a disability-related reasonable accommodation.

Required Question