Manager, Strategic Projects

Explore your passion with us!

Founded in 1988, Child Development Schools is headquartered in Austin, TX operating over 260 childcare centers in 11 states. Our three early childhood education brands are Childcare Network, Sunrise Preschools, and My Small Wonders. We proudly provide quality care and developmental education to over 30,000 children aged six weeks to twelve years.

We have a great opportunity for a Manager, Strategic Projects to join our growing company!

The Manager, Strategic Projects plans and directs all administrative, financial, and operational activities for the organization. Acts as a point of contact or gatekeeper between top management and other stakeholders. Collaborates with business leaders to gain alignment on the execution of baseline business, strategic, and infrastructure priorities. Provides oversight and guidance to projects of high importance. Acts as a key player in driving the execution of all aspects of the organization’s strategy.

Responsibilities

• Provide maximum leverage focusing on time management, meeting preparation and prioritization of activities
• Develop strong, trust-based relationships with key cross-functional leaders and employees at all levels to ensure buy-in to projects and initiatives
• Establish project management practices and standards to be utilized consistently across projects within the organization
• Manage internal and external communication by partnering with the communications team on company newsletter articles, reports, announcements, speeches, and presentations
• Establish clear metrics and KPIs to measure project progress and success and provide regular updates to stakeholders on project status
• Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to minimize project disruptions and ensure successful project outcomes
• Drive organizational change by facilitating the adoption of new processes, systems, or initiatives resulting from strategic projects
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by seeking feedback, analyzing project performance, and implementing lessons learned into future projects
• Coach and mentor project team members to enhance their skills, capabilities, and overall effectiveness in project execution
• Oversee large, cross-functional, organization-wide projects or initiatives
• Highlight industry trends that should be considered and evaluated

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business or related field
• 4-5 year's of demonstrated experience project management experience, including developing templates, tools, standards, and methodologies to meet organizational needs
• Ability to cultivate and manage relationships across business(es)
• Fundamental understanding of business, industry and trends
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Solid problem-solving skills
• Excellent ability to distill insights and look for opportunities
• Must have a desire to learn how the entire organization functions and the key drivers for success in every area
• Proficiency with Microsoft Suite