Project Manager, Belmont Innovation Labs

We are now accepting applications for a qualified Project Manager, Belmont Innovation Labs at Belmont University. 

Employment Type: Staff

Internal Job Category: Exempt (Staff) Full-Time

Department: Belmont Innovation Labs

Hours: 37.5

Priority application deadline: September 20th

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

About Belmont Innovation Labs 

The Innovation Labs embodies Belmont University’s commitment to being a leader in social innovation and entrepreneurship education, grounded in our Christ-centered heritage and values. By cultivating the vital mindsets, skillsets, and soulsets of our students (both undergraduates and life-long learners), we empower them to pursue human flourishing and community thriving in their chosen careers and vocations. By leveraging Belmont's core strengths in social innovation education across all 12 colleges, the Innovation Labs extends Belmont’s impact beyond campus, equipping external partners to tackle complex social challenges with innovative solutions in three critical focus areas: childhoods, livelihoods, and neighborhoods. Together, we strive to lead in fostering positive change and advancing the common good by inviting changemakers both to come together, learn together and solve together through our convenings, academic offerings and collaborative innovation initiatives. 

Role Overview:

The Innovation Lab’s Project Manager oversees the multifaceted operations within the innovation lab, focusing on seamless project management, stakeholder engagement, process optimization, tool development, and cross-university integration. This role is pivotal in ensuring the successful operational execution of innovation projects through various stages, from ideation to launch, while maintaining high standards of quality, timeliness, and stakeholder satisfaction.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Project Management:

Process management

   - Oversee the end-to-end innovation lab processes spanning 12-24 months, including readiness assessments, ideation, prototyping, piloting, launch, evaluation and continuous improvement review phases.

- Design and plan project time and benchmarks including creating project scope of work, creating detailed project roadmaps, identifying key stakeholders and managing stakeholder engagement along the project. 

- Compile and manage project teams, manage project budget and manage project vendor success.

   - Develop and enforce project timelines, ensuring deadlines are met, problems are troubleshooted, deliverables are achieved at each stage.

- Risk management and quality assurance across projects in portfolio including task and project schedule management, progress tracking and developing project reports (weekly, monthly, quarterly and annually).

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

   - Create and regularly improve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for each phase, detailing protocols, benchmarks, and best practices to streamline processes and ensure consistency.

- Create and maintain internal SOPs for recurring organizational and operational activities. 

Event management

- Oversee execution of strategic events end-to-end ensuring high-quality delivery of experience

- Create and manage event execution plan including speaker identification, agenda creation, event logistics oversight, marketing and communications and strategic network cultivation.

2. Tool Development:

   - In partnership with the project owner, design and/or oversee project management tools to effectively plan, track and collaborate.

   - Design and develop templates for major deliverables at each stage of the innovation lab process.

   - Establish SOPs for the creation and utilization of these tools, ensuring clarity and efficiency in their implementation.

3. Integration and Capability Identification:

   - Identify and evaluate capabilities across various university units that can enhance the innovation lab process.

   - Integrate relevant units into the innovation pathway, fostering collaboration and leveraging diverse expertise to enrich projects.

- Evaluate and improve projects and integrations through team performance reviews, creating and managing after action reviews/reports, overseeing project close-outs and facilitating project hand-offs. 

4. Relationship Cultivation:

   - Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with clients and strategic stakeholders involved in each innovation lab project.

   - Serve as a primary point of contact, understanding their needs, and ensuring alignment with project objectives.

Belmont University seeks to attract and retain highly qualified faculty and staff who will support our mission and vision. As a Christ-centered and student-focused community, we aim to:

• Form diverse leaders of character;
• Equip people to solve the world’s complex problems through teaching, research and service;
• And be radical champions for helping people and communities flourish.

Required Skills and Qualifications:

- Project Management Expertise: Proven experience in managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality outcomes.

- Strategic Relationship Building: Exceptional interpersonal skills to engage with clients, stakeholders, and internal teams across in-person and virtual environments, fostering productive relationships.

- Process Optimization: Proficiency in developing SOPs and optimizing workflows to streamline project execution.

- Tool Development: Ability to create effective templates and tools tailored to different stages of the innovation process.

- Cross-Functional Integration: Experience in identifying and integrating diverse capabilities across organizational units to enhance project effectiveness.

- Adaptability and Innovation: Capability to adapt to changing project needs and contribute innovative ideas to improve processes.

- Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication abilities to articulate project goals, requirements, and outcomes effectively.

This position requires a forward-thinking individual with exceptional organizational skills, a strategic mindset, and a collaborative approach to drive successful innovation projects within the lab while fostering strong relationships both internally and externally.

- Project Management Expertise: Proven experience in managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality outcomes. Familiarity with the EOS/Traction model preferred. Familiarity with Google Suite, ClickUp, Hubspot and Microsoft Office suite preferred.

Required Education: Bachelor's Degree required.

Required Experience: 1-3 years of experience in Higher Education, Project Management, Non-Profit or Social Enterprise

The selected candidate will be required to complete a background check satisfactory to the University.

Belmont University participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.