Senior Project Manager - Economy

Senior Project Manager

ECOnorthwest is a public policy consulting firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, with offices in Seattle, Bend, Eugene, and Los Angeles. For 50 years, policymakers and business leaders have trusted ECOnorthwest to inform the complex issues that shape communities. ECOnorthwest has worked with a diverse range of over 2,000 public, private, non-profit, and foundation clients in the United States and around the world to craft effective and feasible solutions. To answer the complex questions of our time, we integrate economic analysis with complementary disciplines to provide a more complete understanding of how policy choices affect peoples' lives.

Overall purpose of the position

Senior Project Managers are experienced professionals and leaders within the firm. They have the networks, skills, and expertise to consistently lead complex economic development projects, including strategy development, stakeholder engagement, and public sector or public-private partnership initiatives. They can take high-level or ambiguous direction and translate it into clear scopes of work, work plans, deliverables, and timelines with minimal oversight.

Senior Project Managers lead project work with a high degree of independence, partnering with Project Directors for guidance as needed and exercising strong judgment about when to seek input. They often serve as the primary client contact, confidently facilitating meetings, leading discussions, and presenting findings to senior public and private sector stakeholders. They are accountable for successful project delivery, including proactive task management, anticipating next steps, and meeting deadlines. While they may delegate work to Project Managers and Associates, they maintain overall responsibility for outcomes, often managing multiple concurrent workstreams with strong organization and attention to detail.

In addition, they contribute to business development by representing the firm externally, building networks, and supporting or leading proposals and new opportunities. They are expected to balance project and business development responsibilities while maintaining a 70% billable utilization target after ramp-up.

Essential functions of the position

• Lead and oversee delivery of complex economic development projects from scoping through completion, including developing work plans, budgets, timelines, and implementation strategies from high-level or ambiguous direction.
• Proactively support Project Directors by anticipating needs, structuring decisions, and bringing forward clear recommendations that advance project direction and reduce the need for day-to-day oversight.
• Manage day-to-day execution across multiple workstreams, ensuring strong organization, proactive task management, clear accountability, and consistent follow-through on deadlines.
• Serve as a primary client-facing lead by facilitating meetings, presenting findings, and managing relationships with senior stakeholders using professionalism, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Coordinate and align internal project teams and subconsultants by identifying resource needs, delegating effectively, and fostering strong communication and collaboration.
• Oversee project performance by monitoring budgets, tracking progress, and identifying risks early, escalating issues as needed.
• Lead the development of high-quality deliverables, including owning the narrative structure, synthesizing inputs into clear arguments, and ensuring outputs are decision-ready for senior audiences.
• Ensure quality assurance across all analyses and materials, maintaining accuracy and alignment with client needs and firm standards.
• Mentor and support staff development while contributing to overall team performance, firmwide collaboration, and technical capacity.
• Contribute to business development efforts by identifying opportunities within existing work, strengthening client relationships, and helping shape and position new pursuits.

Required competencies

Technical Competencies

• Demonstrated experience managing complex economic development projects, including public sector and public-private partnership initiatives.
• Strong ability to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data into clear, actionable insights.
• Advanced writing skills, with the ability to produce clear, structured, and analytically rigorous reports, memos, and presentations.
• Ability to communicate complex technical findings and recommendations effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Knowledge of economic, planning, and policy analysis frameworks and methods, and the ability to apply them appropriately.
• Understanding of data sources, limitations, and appropriate analytic techniques.
• Ability to adapt quickly, learn new subject matter, and apply new tools or frameworks as needed.

Project and Team Management Skills

• Proven ability to translate high-level or ambiguous direction into actionable project plans with minimal oversight.
• Strong project execution skills, including proactive task management, follow-through, and anticipation of next steps.
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams effectively.
• Strong client engagement skills, including the ability to facilitate high-profile meetings and manage relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to manage consultant teams and coordinate interdisciplinary project efforts.
• Strong internal collaboration skills: communicates clearly, flags risks early, and supports overall team performance.
• Ability to manage project scopes and budgets assertively while maintaining client trust and project alignment.
• Demonstrates ownership and accountability for project outcomes and team performance.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, solve problems, and guide teams through complex or evolving project conditions.
• Ability to provide constructive feedback, delegate effectively, and foster a positive, inclusive team environment.

Personal Aptitudes/Interpersonal Skills

• Demonstrates professionalism, credibility, and sound judgment in high-visibility and sensitive environments.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively across diverse stakeholders.
• Diplomacy and political awareness when working with public, private, and community partners.
• Intellectual curiosity and a willingness to engage in a wide range of project types and topics.
• Collaborative mindset and ability to act as a thought partner to colleagues and clients.
• Reliability, timeliness, and strong ownership of work.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive, respectful, and collegial work environment.
• Open-minded, attentive listener who seeks to understand different perspectives.

Qualifications

• Degree in economics, mathematics, computer science, planning, political science, environmental policy, or a related field (Master's generally preferred).
• Minimum of seven years of relevant professional experience (Master's may substitute for 2 years of experience) in consulting or a related field, including specifically: experience managing the production of project deliverables, and experience with scope development, project budgeting, and contracting procedures.
• Demonstrated excellence in written and oral presentation.
• Understanding of economic methods, theory, and practice.
• Experience interpreting qualitative, quantitative, and statistical research findings.
• Spanish language skills are considered a plus

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to work for long periods at a computer.

This job description is a general description of the duties and requirements of the position. It is subject to revision by the management of ECOnorthwest, as needed.