Senior Project Manager

Reporting to the Head of Education Initiatives, the Senior Project Manager supports effective execution and coordination across DataKind's Education portfolio. You'll coordinate work across Research, Product, Data Science, and our partner-facing teams, manage a set of projects and grants directly, and serve as a steady point of contact for institutional partners and funders. You bring substantive knowledge of education, particularly higher education, and the ability to contribute meaningfully to applied research, implementation, and partner-facing work when a workstream needs extra capacity.

Responsibilities

Coordinate timelines, milestones, deliverables, and dependencies across the Education portfolio, working with functional leads to keep commitments on track; Manage designated projects and grants day to day, including deliverables, budget tracking, and funder reporting; Facilitate planning and problem-solving across Research, Product, Data Science, and partner-facing teams, ensuring clarity around responsibilities, priorities, and dependencies; Handle routine project matters with institutional partners, funders, and collaborators, using your own judgment and escalating strategic issues to leadership; Contribute to applied research and evaluation work, project deliverables, and partner- and funder-facing materials; Find and fix gaps in how the portfolio coordinates, tracks work, and runs

Requirements

Deep alignment with DataKind's mission and values, and demonstrated commitment to educational equity and data-driven social impact; 6+ years of professional experience managing or coordinating complex, externally funded projects, preferably in applied research, education, evaluation, or technical assistance settings involving grant reporting, budget monitoring, and multiple teams and stakeholders; Substantive knowledge of education, preferably higher education, along with familiarity with ed tech or technical assistance models; The ability to anticipate needs, spot emerging problems, and move work forward without close direction; Strong written and verbal communication, including turning complex technical and research work into clear project updates, funder reports, and partner materials; Strong facilitation skills and a track record of moving work forward across teams without direct authority; Proficiency with project management platforms such as Asana or comparable tools, including timeline, milestone, and dependency management; Demonstrated adaptability and comfort navigating ambiguity, shifting priorities, and evolving organizational structures; Applicants must have a U.S.-based permanent address and be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis indefinitely without employer visa sponsorship

Nice to have

Experience working in or with a nonprofit or philanthropically funded organization; Familiarity with customer success, implementation, product analytics, or education research and evaluation; Working understanding of higher education policy, student success, or institutional improvement; Ability to engage with research findings, data analyses, and evaluation results and communicate their implications to varied audiences

Benefits

Flexibility and time off: shared time off, organization-wide recharge days, bi-weekly meeting-free days, flexible PTO (with a minimum of 20 vacation days encouraged annually); 100% employer-paid medical, vision, and dental benefits for employees (72% for dependents); Wellness reimbursement program; 12 weeks paid parental leave; Professional development funding each year, plus mentorship and advancement opportunities; 401(k) plan with 5% employer matching; In-person gatherings for conferences, strategic planning, and an annual staff retreat