Senior Projects Manager, Campus Network

Position Summary

The Sr. Projects Manager, Network of Campuses serves as a key implementation and coordination leader within Vanderbilt University's Division of Administration, supporting the development and execution of Vanderbilt's expanding Network of Campuses. Working closely with the Assistant Vice Chancellor and senior university leaders, this role is responsible for driving alignment, accountability, communication, and execution across a broad portfolio of strategic initiatives involving academic and administrative stakeholders.

The Sr. Projects Manager serves as a central coordination resource for the Network of Campuses, helping translate strategic priorities into actionable plans, facilitating collaboration across multiple campuses and stakeholder groups, tracking implementation progress, and ensuring initiatives move forward effectively and efficiently. This position plays an important role in supporting Vanderbilt's growing presence in New York City, San Francisco, West Palm Beach, Chattanooga, and future campus locations.

The successful candidate will thrive in a highly collaborative and evolving environment, possess exceptional organizational and communication skills, and demonstrate the ability to manage complex initiatives while building strong relationships across a broad network of internal and external partners.

Key Functions and Expected Performance

Campus Network Program Coordination

• Coordinate and support strategic initiatives across Vanderbilt's Network of Campuses.
• Develop and maintain integrated project plans, implementation schedules, milestone trackers, and accountability frameworks.
• Monitor progress against key priorities and ensure alignment across multiple workstreams and stakeholder groups.
• Identify risks, dependencies, gaps, and barriers to execution and facilitate timely resolution.
• Ensure action items, deliverables, and commitments are clearly assigned, tracked, and completed.
• Support operational readiness planning and implementation activities for new campuses, programs, and initiatives.

Executive Planning and Leadership Support

• Partner closely with the Assistant Vice Chancellor and senior leaders to support strategic planning, implementation efforts, and special projects.
• Translate leadership discussions into actionable workplans, timelines, and implementation strategies.
• Develop executive-ready presentations, briefing materials, reports, dashboards, and decision-support documents.
• Prepare concise summaries and updates for senior leadership regarding project status, emerging issues, and key decisions.
• Support governance processes and leadership meetings associated with Campus Network initiatives.

Stakeholder Engagement and Meeting Management

• Coordinate across a broad network of academic, administrative, governmental, community, and industry stakeholders.
• Develop agendas, facilitate meetings, document decisions, track action items, and drive follow-through.
• Support recurring Network of Campus meetings, working groups, steering committees, and implementation teams.
• Advance communication, collaboration, and alignment among diverse stakeholder groups with varying priorities and responsibilities.
• Build productive working relationships across the university and with external partners.

Communications and Information Management

• Lead coordination of communications supporting Network of Campus initiatives and priorities.
• Develop communication plans, stakeholder updates, executive summaries, presentations, and briefing materials.
• Ensure timely, consistent, and effective communication across project teams and leadership groups.
• Support strategic messaging and information sharing that promotes awareness, alignment, and momentum across initiatives.
• Maintain visibility into key developments and ensure stakeholders remain informed and engaged.

Campus Visit, Travel, and Event Coordination

• Manage and maintain visibility into leadership travel, meetings, campus visits, and engagement activities across the Network of Campuses.
• Coordinate planning and logistics for stakeholder visits, site tours, executive meetings, and strategic events.
• Identify opportunities to maximize coordination and engagement across campuses and stakeholder groups.
• Ensure leaders have the information, materials, and support needed to effectively represent Vanderbilt and advance strategic priorities.

Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement

• Develop scalable tools, templates, governance frameworks, and reporting mechanisms that support campus expansion efforts.
• Document implementation processes, operating models, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, communication, coordination, and organizational effectiveness.
• Support the development of repeatable approaches that can be leveraged across current and future campus locations.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, accountability, and operational excellence.

Minimum Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution is required.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in program management, project management, strategic initiatives, operations, consulting, higher education administration, or related fields.
• Demonstrated success managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Exceptional organizational, planning, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing executive-level materials and presentations.
• Experience facilitating meetings, coordinating teams, and driving accountability without direct authority.

• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools.

   

Preferred

• Experience working within higher education, consulting, corporate strategy, operations, or chief of staff environments.
• Experience supporting senior executives and leadership teams.
• Knowledge of project management methodologies and best practices.
• Experience in organizational change, implementation planning, or process improvement initiatives.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or related certification.