Project Manager

Title: Project Manager

Department: Education Youth Experiencing Childhood Homelessness (EYECH)

Salary Range: $71,717 - $92,980

For forward-thinking administrators and educators, opportunities abound in the School District of  Philadelphia. The School District of Philadelphia is committed to transforming the education  opportunities it offers the city’s 200,000 school-aged children. The District seeks leaders who have  a passion for working with schools, principals and communities who are committed to ensuring all  students achieve. Serving a population as diverse as ours requires creativity, commitment and  vision. Will you join us? 

Job Summary 

The role of the Project Manager is to help implement the District’s overall strategic management  goal: creating an aligned organization capable of supporting a high-performing system of schools. 

The work of the Project Manager will touch on all of the core components of strategic management:  determining organizational goals; prioritizing and pursuing the highest impact strategies to achieve  those goals; tracking progress against targets; strategic problem-solving; coordinating across  functional areas; evaluating and adjusting strategies based on data; holding the organization and  team members accountable for progress toward collective goals; and identifying and celebrating  individual and team contributions to overall efforts.  

A successful Project Manager will enjoy working at a fast pace; serving in leader, facilitator, and  team member roles; developing innovative, evidence-based strategies and solutions to operational  barriers; resolving policy barriers; and institutionalizing change. 

Essential Functions 

All Specialties 

∙ Drives incorporation of performance management approaches – and performance culture – in key  interactions across the organization. 

∙ Establishes routines and facilitates regular project meetings among various District staff involved  in implementing and evaluating Action Plan initiatives or project components, or System of Great  Schools process for purposes of progress monitoring, program review, and program  improvement. 

∙ Provides problem-solving support to initiative managers and helps ensure that input and feedback  from colleagues across the organization is solicited and incorporated. 

∙ Supports initiative managers to identify risks, strategize solutions, and develop plans to address  identified issues in order to maintain initiative/project momentum. 

Additional Functions for the Student Support Services Specialty 

•  Collaborates with managers of priority Action Plan initiatives to define performance goals, set targets, and develop project timelines and milestones to help reach performance goals.

•  Helps drive annual “system of great schools” process, including data analysis, recommendation development, decision-making, and communication; supports underlying quantitative and qualitative data analysis; develops annual recommendations for high-stakes school actions.

Supports the District’s policy review, revision, and adoption process to ensure compliance and consistency across policies and practice. 

Establishes routines and facilitates regular project meetings among various District staff involved in implementing and evaluating Action Plan initiatives or project components, for purposes of progress monitoring, program review, and program improvement. 

Provides problem-solving support to initiative managers and helps to ensure that input and feedback from colleagues across the organization are solicited and incorporated.    

•  Creates presentation materials and talking points for internal and external audiences and diverse stakeholder groups.

•  Researches education policy issues and strategic management practices and assists in disseminating information to the District’s Student Support Services team. 

•  Supports and helps lead implementation of high-priority special projects including, but not limited to, various District’s strategic partnerships with public, private, and social sector organizations.  

•  Serves as a liaison between the Office of Student Support Services and other District offices to build collaborative relationships across functional teams. 

•  Establishes and maintains relationships with key stakeholders across all levels of the organization and with external partners. 

•  Maintains grant compliance documents and supports the procurement and contracting process.

•  Supports and facilitates the planning and delivery of large-scale professional development.  

Minimum Requirements 

∙ Master’s degree from an accredited college or university. 

∙ Three years of full-time, paid, professional experience in project management, consulting, policy,  operations, or research, which has included working in education or a related field. 

 OR  

∙ Any equivalent combination of training and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office  of Talent.

Student Support Services and Student Enrollment Specialty 

∙ Master’s degree from an accredited college or university. 

∙ Three years of full-time, paid, professional experience in project management, consulting, policy,  operations or research which has included working in education or a related field.   

 OR  

∙ Any equivalent combination of training and experience determined to be acceptable by the Office  of Talent. 

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities  

∙ Demonstrated knowledge of: 

o process improvement and the methods utilized to implement systemic change. o principles, practices, and procedures underlying strategic planning. 

o principles, practices, and procedures underlying coordination of large-scale projects and  initiatives. 

∙ Demonstrated ability to: 

o lead and implement strategic initiatives under aggressive deadlines. 

o function as an entrepreneurial self-starter, a team leader, a facilitator, and as a member  of a team. 

o work on multiple projects simultaneously, as evidenced by an ability to balance and  prioritize multiple competing priorities. 

o identify and break down complex problems and develop strategies to address the  identified issues based on quantitative and/or qualitative evidence. 

o build and maintain strong, effective working relationships across all levels of an  organization. 

o coordinate cross-functional teams. 

o understand, interpret, and analyze a variety of data sources. 

o design and develop systems, tools, and schedules for collecting, maintaining, and  reporting on performance data. 

o adapt to different situations, particularly when new information is provided. o communicate in a clear and concise manner, both orally and in writing. 

o use Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Student Enrollment Specialty 

∙ Demonstrated knowledge of: 

o the principles, practices and procedures pertaining to public school enrollment. o principles, practices, and procedures underlying coordination of large-scale projects and  initiatives.  

o Microsoft Office products, especially, Excel, Word and Access. 

o Esri ArcGIS. 

o supervisory methods and techniques. 

∙ Demonstrated ability to: 

o build and maintain strong, effective working relationships across all levels of an  organization. 

o analyze data and provide alternative solutions to problems.  

o lead others and build consensus for viable solutions. 

o use computer applications such as Esri ArcGIS and Microsoft Office. 

o communicate effectively both orally and in writing. 

o establish and maintain effective working relationships. 

Disclaimer 

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being  performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive  list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.  

Nondiscrimination 

The School District of Philadelphia provides to all persons equal access to all categories of  employment in this district, regardless of race, color, age, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation,  ancestry, national origin or handicap/disability, gender identity, or genetic information. Please refer  to Board Policy 104 for further information regarding the District's commitment to Nondiscrimination  in Employment Practices.