Senior Director, Project Management

About the Role

This is a senior leadership role responsible for running the day-to-day project management (PM) practice within UNH Marketing while also serving as an active, hands-on project manager on key initiatives. The Senior Director of Project Management operates as a player-coach, leading the PM function strategically and directly managing projects alongside a small team of PMs. The role requires high independence, proactive thinking, and the ability to build strong working relationships across a complex, fast-paced university environment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Project Leadership (25%)
  • Own and continuously evolve a comprehensive project management strategy aligned with the marketing department's goals and the university's broader strategic objectives.
  • Lead the identification, prioritization, and implementation of key projects, bringing a clear point of view and recommended approach to leadership.
  • Proactively forecast capacity, risks, and resource needs 1 to 3+ months out, surfacing issues and proposed solutions before they become problems.
  • Drive process improvement across the PM practice, including tools, workflows, intake models, and prioritization frameworks.
  • Communicate proactively and regularly to the marketing team and key university partners on PM initiatives, process updates, and project status.
• Player-Coach Responsibilities (25%)
  • Actively project manage key initiatives alongside direct reports, modeling best-in-class PM behavior in real time.
  • Balance strategic responsibilities with day-to-day project management work, maintaining a strategic view of the practice.
  • Own the schedule, timing, next steps, and stakeholder communication on directly managed projects without prompting from leadership.
  • Serve as the primary point of contact and decision-maker for PM-related questions from across the university.
• Team Leadership and Staff Development (15%)
  • Lead, coach, and develop a team of project managers, with a demonstrated track record of growing PM talent over time.
  • Hold regular 1:1s and team meetings that drive accountability, development, and alignment.
  • Proactively identify development needs for each direct report and create actionable plans to address them.
  • Maintain open, direct communication with staff around roles, workload, growth, and performance.
  • Foster a team culture of ownership, high standards, and continuous improvement.
• Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management (15%)
  • Build and maintain strong working relationships with stakeholders across the university, including those who may resist PM processes.
  • Navigate difficult stakeholder dynamics with persistence and professionalism, bringing proposed solutions and escalation paths.
  • Ensure key stakeholders are prepped, informed, and aligned for meetings and key project milestones.
  • Proactively anticipate stakeholder needs and address potential friction points before they escalate.
  • Serve as an educator and advocate for PM practices and process improvements.
• Project Planning and Execution (15%)
  • Oversee the development of project plans, timelines, and resource allocation to ensure on-time delivery.
  • Monitor project progress across the team, identifying and proactively addressing roadblocks.
  • Own intake triage, assessing which projects belong in Central Marketing and routing others appropriately.
  • Establish and enforce project management methodologies, standards, and best practices.
• Resource Management (5%)
  • Optimize resource utilization by aligning project requirements with available capacity and skill sets.
  • Implement best practices in resource allocation, tracking, and reporting, including maintaining a forward-looking view of capacity and risk.
  • Manage outside vendor and freelancer relationships where applicable.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and a minimum of 10 years of experience in project management, with at least 5 years in a PM leadership role with direct reports. Master’s degree preferred.
• Demonstrated experience running a PM practice or function, not just managing individual projects or a single team.
• Proven track record of developing PM talent, with specific examples of staff growth and advancement under your leadership.
• Experience across multiple mediums and channels, including print, digital, and out-of-home.
• Experience managing outside vendor and freelancer relationships.
• Track record of independently owning and evolving PM processes, tools, and workflows without direction.
• Strong problem-solving skills with a bias toward bringing solutions, not just surfacing problems.
• Ability to navigate resistance and difficult working relationships with professionalism and persistence.
• Thrives in a high-paced, high-volume environment and can adapt rapidly to shifting priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Comfortable operating with a high degree of autonomy and managing up to leadership proactively.

Benefits

More information on benefits can be found here.

Pay

$80,270.00 - $143,800.00. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations.

Location

Durham