Penn State Job Catalog

Additional levels that exist for this job profile can be seen below.
Missing levels within the leveling matrix can be added based on business need.

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Project Management

The Project Manager is a professional practitioner of project management responsible for leading and delivering complex projects through the application of established project management methodologies, governance frameworks, and industry best practices; is accountable for managing the full project lifecycle, including project initiation, planning, execution, monitoring and controlling, and project closeout; serves as the central point of accountability for project performance and works across organizational boundaries to align stakeholders, resources, schedules, budgets, risks, and deliverables to achieve project objectives.

This profile is intended for professionals whose primary responsibility is project management and who possess formal education, training, and demonstrated experience in project management methodology. Industry-recognized project management certification (e.g., PMI PMP, CAPM, PRINCE2, Agile certifications) is strongly preferred. This profile is not intended for employees who occasionally lead projects as part of another functional role or whose primary responsibilities are operational, administrative, technical, research, or programmatic in nature.   

• Lead projects through the full project management lifecycle, applying established project management methodologies, standards, and governance practices
• Develop and maintain comprehensive project management plans, including scope, schedule, budget, quality, communications, procurement, resource, stakeholder engagement, and risk management plans
• Establish project governance structures and facilitate project steering committees, executive reviews, and stakeholder decision-making processes
• Partner with executive sponsors, stakeholders, functional leaders, and project teams to define project objectives, business requirements, success criteria, and expected outcomes
• Direct project planning activities including project charters, business cases, work breakdown structures, schedules, resource plans, cost estimates, and project baselines
• Monitor and control project performance through the use of project management tools, metrics, dashboards, and reporting mechanisms
• Manage project scope, schedule, cost, quality, risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, and change requests to ensure project objectives are achieved
• Identify, assess, escalate, and mitigate project risks and issues; develop contingency and recovery plans when necessary
• Coordinate cross-functional project teams and facilitate collaboration among stakeholders who may not have direct reporting relationships to the Project Manager
• Lead project meetings, status reviews, risk assessments, lessons learned sessions, and project closeout activities
• Facilitate vendor evaluations, feasibility studies, requests for proposals, and contract-related project activities as applicable
• Ensure project compliance with institutional policies, governance requirements, regulatory obligations, and industry standards
• Produce and maintain project documentation, including project charters, schedules, status reports, financial reports, risk registers, issue logs, change requests, stakeholder analyses, and project closeout reports
• Advise leadership on project management practices, portfolio priorities, project health, and organizational project management maturity
• Contribute to the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of project management standards, methodologies, tools, templates, and processes
• May supervise project management staff and provide mentoring, coaching, and professional development guidance

Level:

– Principal Professional

Base Description:

– Completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Displays mastery of defined skill areas/applications, principles, theories and practices. Evaluates and enhances existing practices. Recognizes emerging trends in area of expertise. Works independently on complex or strategic assignments. Directs and delegates appropriate tasks to others. Implements strategies to ensure achievement of initiatives. Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and deliver to broad audiences. Identifies and implements innovative solutions to important, highly complex strategic and/or operational issues.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Indirect supervisor for other full–time employees
– May serve as direct supervisor for part–time, student, and/or temporary workers, volunteers, or a full–time employee

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– Validates and pays invoices
– Monitors and tracks budgets and funding
– May plan and forecast budgets

Problem Solving:

– Encounters complex and novel problems
– Applies policies, practices, specialized knowledge, and skills to resolve problems
– Understands benefits, limitations, and impact of potential solutions
– Anticipates potential problems and recommends possible solutions within general guidelines

Independence of Action:

– Works independently on complex or strategic assignments
– Uses existing practices as guidelines as well as working knowledge to determine specific work methods
– Carries out work activities independently, with supervisor available to resolve problems
– Reviews work of others to verify technical soundness

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates with both internal and external audiences
– Collaborates closely with team members and area leads across the University
– Prepares written and/or verbal presentations or proposals on complex issues and delivers to a broad variety of audiences
– Establishes and maintains networks to facilitate successful communication among units

• Comp Grade – 14
• Minimum – $102,936.00
• MidPoint – $128,688.00
• Maximum – $154,452.00

• Adaptability
• Attention To Detail
• Business Analysis
• Continuous improvement
• Presentation Skills
• Problem management
• Process improvement
• Project Management
• Project risk management
• Report writing
• Resource allocation
• Risk intelligence
• Scenario planning
• Stakeholder management
• Time Management