Lead Project Manager

What You'll Do

As a Lead Project Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing and guiding the project management aspects of designing, developing, and producing innovative online courses. Working in a highly matrixed environment, you will collaborate closely with key stakeholders and integrated services teams to ensure successful project execution. Your role will involve optimizing processes, managing team resources, and coordinating across projects to ensure timely delivery within scope and schedule.

You will work remotely on a contract basis with at least 30 hours per week of dedicated availability during normal business hours. This is a part-time, hourly, 1099 contract position.

This is a part-time, hourly, 1099 contract position.

What You Will Do:

• Collaborate with Stakeholders and Clients: Work directly with project sponsors, clients, and project team members (including the Design Lead and Delivery Team Leads) to ensure project objectives are clearly defined and met. Provide regular updates, manage expectations, and resolve any issues promptly through strong verbal and written communication, ensuring a seamless relationship with all stakeholders throughout the project lifecycle.
• Lead Project Execution & Kickoff Meetings: Oversee all project execution tasks, from leading project kickoff meetings with stakeholders to clarify scope, timelines, roles, and responsibilities, to developing detailed project timelines. Ensure alignment with scope, schedule, and budget, and facilitate regular project meetings to track progress, resolve challenges, and maintain team alignment for successful delivery.
• Project Management and Asana Expertise: Manage complex projects by creating and maintaining workflows in Asana. Use custom rules, task dependencies, and automated triggers to optimize project processes. Track progress, set task dependencies, balance team workloads, and ensure coordination with other Project Managers in the PMO using Asana’s reporting and management tools.
• Streamline, Innovate, and Optimize Processes: Focus on improving and streamlining workflows, managing team resource allocation, and ensuring appropriate project staffing. Continuously assess and optimize project management processes, seeking opportunities to introduce innovation and increase efficiency throughout the project lifecycle.
• Financial Reporting: Monitor project financials and provide regular margin and budget reports to stakeholders to ensure that the project stays on track financially and within approved budgets.
• Escalate Risks to Partner Success: Proactively identify potential risks and escalate them to relevant stakeholders, ensuring appropriate mitigation plans are in place to protect project and partner success.
• Program Design Decisions: Take accountability for program design decisions, ensuring alignment with the project vision and maintaining the integrity of instructional design throughout the project.

What You Need to Get the Job Done

• Advanced Degree: Preferred in Education, Instructional Technology, Business, or a related field.
• PMP Certification: Project Management Professional (PMP) certification is required.
• Leadership and Influence: Demonstrated ability to lead project teams and influence outcomes across complex
• organizational structures. Experience working in a matrixed environment is essential.
• Outstanding Communication Skills: Demonstrated expertise in written and verbal communication, with a proven ability to convey complex information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences, including clients, stakeholders, and team members.
• Project Management Expertise: Proficiency in Asana or similar project management tools, with experience in creating complex workflows, managing task dependencies, and automating processes for efficiency.
• Experience in Instructional Design Projects: Experience working on instructional design projects, preferably in higher education. Familiarity with curriculum development and instructional technology is highly desired.
• Adaptability: Proven ability to work flexibly and apply different project management methodologies (e.g., waterfall, agile, hybrid) to match project needs.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Experience using data dashboards and reporting tools to track project performance and inform decision-making.
• Relationship Building: Proven ability to establish collaborative, collegial relationships with clients and internal team members while ensuring project timelines and goals are met.

What Will Make Us REALLY Love You

• Process Improvement Expertise: Experience leading process improvement initiatives to drive operational efficiency.
• Methodology Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of and experience with waterfall, hybrid, and agile project management methodologies.
• Instructional Design Knowledge: Current knowledge of instructional design practices and trends, particularly in higher education.
• Organizational Excellence: Exceptional organizational skills, with strong follow-through and attention to detail.

If you’re ready to take on a leadership role in project management, drive innovation, and ensure successful project delivery while collaborating with clients and a talented team, we’d love to hear from you!

This position is not open to applicants residing in or otherwise based in the State of California. Additionally, applicants must be located in the Eastern, Central, Mountain, or Pacific time zones.

The application process includes both video and written responses. If you have any issues with submitting the video response, please visit our video application FAQ page.

iDesign is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building an inclusive environment in which everyone is a valued member. At iDesign, all hiring decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications. We seek applicants of diverse backgrounds and hire without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, or any other characteristic protected by law.