Project Manager I

About the role

The Purchasing Partner owns a portfolio of User Experience (UX) Research vendor engagements end to end, from intake through agreement execution and invoicing. This is an ownership role, not a support role. You are accountable for the momentum of every case in your queue: driving requests across the finish line, following up with stakeholders and securing the approvals needed to close them, resolving blockers that sit outside your direct control, and proactively reporting status to your manager and stakeholders before anyone asks.

Location: Remote [USA - ONLY]

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact and expert guide for User Experience (UX) Researchers navigating vendor and procurement processes.
• Own a portfolio of User Experience Research (UXR) vendor engagements end to end, from intake through Statement of Work (SOW) creation and execution, Purchase Order (PO) issuance, and invoicing, and drive each case to completion.
• Manage momentum on every case in your queue, advancing each request daily and creating urgency for others when the next action sits with another party.
• Act as the central point of coordination across all parties on an engagement, including researchers, associates, vendors, and approvers or leadership, maintaining the full picture of each case and keeping everyone aligned on what is needed and by when.
• Proactively communicate status to your manager and stakeholders on a daily cadence, covering progress, risks, and blockers, without being prompted.
• Take ownership of resolving blockers, including those caused by other teams or outside your direct control; surface them immediately, propose a path forward, and follow through until resolution.
• Anticipate stakeholder needs and potential blockers and mitigate them upfront rather than reacting to gaps after they have stalled a case.
• Own data integrity across Key Performance Indicator (KPI) and Service Level Agreement (SLA) trackers, and maintain vendor resources and process documentation, including documents, team wikis, and toolkits, for the Research team.
• Identify recurring friction in the intake-to-agreement pipeline, propose process improvements, and manage projects to implement solutions.
• Uphold and provide guidance as a trusted Subject Matter Expert (SME) on compliance policies and requirements for engaging with vendors.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• 4 years of experience in project coordination, project or program management, procurement, vendor management, or operations, with demonstrated end-to-end ownership of an assigned workstream.
• Self-starter with demonstrated ability to drive multiple cases to completion simultaneously across cross-functional teams and external partners in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities, maintaining visibility into every engagement, following up persistently, escalating when needed, and closing every loop.
• Demonstrated ability to manage momentum across a portfolio of active projects with minimal day-to-day supervision, keeping every case advancing and creating urgency for others when the next action sits with someone else.
• Experience proactively reporting status to managers and stakeholders through written updates on a regular cadence, without being asked.
• Demonstrated ability to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to increase personal productivity and scale coverage, identifying where they add value and maintaining ownership of output quality.
• Ability to communicate quickly and clearly with peers, cross-functional stakeholders, and senior management, adapting communication style to the audience.
• Ability to make thoughtful judgment calls and act effectively in ambiguous situations rather than waiting for direction.
• Track record of being detail-oriented and organized while managing a high volume of work.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project or program management experience, including formal Project Management (PM) training or certification such as Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), or equivalent.
• Experience in procurement, sourcing, agreement management, or vendor management, especially supporting research, Research and Development (R&D), or creative teams.
• Experience with case, ticket, or workflow management systems.
• Familiarity with User Experience (UX) research or research operations.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k