IT Project Manager

As a member of the IT Business Systems team, this position independently plans and executes university technology projects, coordinates cross-functional project teams, maintains the IT project portfolio, and helps ensure project outcomes align with the university’s strategic goals. The IT Project Manager also partners with campus departments to understand business needs, translate complex requirements, and support enterprise technology systems and processes.

The ideal candidate combines strong project leadership with business analysis, communication, relationship-building, and technical aptitude. This person is comfortable navigating ambiguity, coordinating diverse stakeholders, anticipating risk, and turning complex needs into practical and sustainable outcomes.

The IT Project Manager supports Seattle Pacific University’s mission by contributing to a Christ-centered learning and working community committed to academic excellence, service, and engagement with the world. In this role, the employee brings their skills, gifts, and professional expertise to work that matters-serving students, colleagues, and the broader University community in ways that reflect SPU’s values and purpose. To that end, all University employees are required to be aligned with and supportive of SPU’s Statement of Faith and its derivative policies and lifestyle expectations., * Independently lead the planning, review, and execution of university technology projects and initiatives

• Maintain and coordinate IT’s project portfolio in partnership with department leadership
• Define and manage project scope, schedules, milestones, dependencies, resources, risks, and outcomes
• Lead project meetings and maintain clear, timely communication across project teams and stakeholders
• Identify and resolve roadblocks while escalating risks and decisions appropriately
• Ensure project outcomes align with university priorities, business needs, and available resources
• Apply modern project-management tools and practices to strengthen IT project methodologies and delivery

Business Systems Analysis & Stakeholder Partnership

• Build strong, constructive relationships with departments and business units across the university
• Develop an understanding of stakeholder operations, strategic goals, workflows, data, and technology systems
• Facilitate discovery and requirements-gathering conversations with technical and nontechnical partners
• Translate complex business needs into clear functional and technical requirements
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, systems, service delivery, and user experience
• Present context, options, risks, and recommendations to support effective decision-making, * Provide Tier II and Tier III assistance, triage, research, and troubleshooting for enterprise technology systems and processes
• Assist with the design, development, implementation, and improvement of enterprise technology solutions
• Support administration and ongoing operation of enterprise systems
• Coordinate testing, implementation, communication, and change-management activities for technology updates
• Partner with Business Systems Analysts and other IT colleagues to support reliable and sustainable operations

Documentation, Standards & Governance

• Create and maintain project documentation, system documentation, policies, standards, and operating procedures
• Clarify roles, responsibilities, decision points, and support expectations across projects and operational processes
• Promote consistent documentation practices that support knowledge-sharing and long-term continuity
• Help establish repeatable processes that improve accountability, transparency, and service delivery

Continuous Improvement & Team Contribution

• Stay current with project-management practices, tools, technologies, and industry trends
• Evaluate and introduce appropriate methods that improve project delivery and organizational effectiveness
• Incorporate lessons learned into IT standards, methodologies, and future project planning
• Collaborate across technical disciplines and accept matrix-style assignments based on institutional priorities, team needs, and individual strengths

• Demonstrated experience leading technology projects involving multiple stakeholders, systems, or business units
• Experience using project-management, collaboration, and documentation platforms such as Jira, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Teams, SharePoint, or Confluence
• Strong knowledge of project-management principles, tools, methodologies, and risk-management practices
• Experience gathering, documenting, and translating business requirements into functional or technical solutions
• Ability to develop trusted working relationships with both technical and nontechnical stakeholders
• Strong written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, timelines, and dependencies
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Sound judgment and the ability to navigate ambiguity, competing priorities, and organizational change
• Experience developing policies, procedures, standards, or technical documentation
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively to a collaborative, matrix-style team environment
• Service-oriented approach with a commitment to stewardship, continuous improvement, and dependable follow-through
• Mission Alignment: A personal commitment to Christian faith; enthusiasm for supporting SPU’s mission; alignment with the University’s Statement of Faith; and willingness to uphold the lifestyle standards of our Christian community
• Bachelor’s degree in information technology, business, project management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience, * Experience managing technology projects in higher education or another complex, mission-driven organization
• Experience supporting enterprise applications, business systems, or system implementations
• Experience with business-process improvement, organizational change management, or systems analysis
• Experience maintaining a project portfolio or supporting project-governance processes
• Project-management certification such as PMP, CAPM, Scrum, Agile, or a comparable credential
• Familiarity with IT service-management practices and Tier II or Tier III enterprise support

Pulled from the full job description

• Health insurance
• Employee discount
• Vision insurance
• Health savings account
• Dental insurance

Seattle Pacific University is a Christian university fully committed to engaging the culture and changing the world by graduating people of competence and character, becoming people of wisdom, and modeling grace-filled community.

Information Technology supports this mission by delivering secure, reliable, and forward-looking technology that enables students, faculty, and staff to do their best work. SPU IT values service, stewardship, collaboration, transparency, continuous improvement, and thoughtful innovation in support of the university’s academic and operational priorities.