Student Project Manager

The Student Project Manager plays a pivotal role in delivering high-quality, competency-based classroom experience for students. This full-time role blends recruitment, relationship management, and end-to-end project management to ensure that real-world projects are well-designed, well-supported, and successfully completed by students across multiple academic majors. The ideal candidate is a self-starter who thrives in an independent environment, brings both sales and project management sensibilities, and is energized by building partnerships and supporting learners in a fully online, asynchronous setting.

Key Responsibilities Project Leader Recruitment & Pipeline Management Identify, recruit, and engage qualified Project Leaders from industry to sponsor and lead student capstone projects across various academic majors. Develop and maintain an ongoing pipeline of prospective Project Leaders to ensure active projects are staffed year-round. Conduct outreach and presentations to prospective Project Leaders, articulating the value of engaging with student talent.

Manage the full recruitment lifecycle from initial contact through project onboarding, ensuring a timely and positive experience for all Project Leaders. Maintain accurate records of outreach activity, pipeline status, and recruitment outcomes. Project Design & Project Leader Support Work closely with Project Leaders to co-create student capstone project briefs that are appropriately scoped for the competency-based, online learning environment.

Guide Project Leaders in designing deliverables and milestones that students can meaningfully complete without direct faculty oversight. Provide ongoing support and coaching to Project Leaders throughout the project lifecycle, including check-ins, troubleshooting, and facilitation as needed. Help Project Leaders understand student context, including the asynchronous, self-directed nature of the academic program, to set realistic expectations.

Develop onboarding resources and templates to streamline the process for new Project Leaders. Own timelines, milestones, and risk tracking across the full portfolio of active student projects, ensuring projects stay on schedule and meet quality standards. Software & Platform Enablement Onboard and train Project Leaders on the software tools and platforms used to manage and deliver capstone projects. Provide ongoing technical guidance and troubleshooting support to ensure Project Leaders and students can navigate the platform effectively.

Identify and escalate recurring platform or process issues to appropriate internal stakeholders. Client Engagement & Reporting Serve as the primary operational point of contact for the university client, providing regular updates on project status, recruitment progress, and program health. Proactively communicate challenges, escalations, and resolutions to ensure client confidence and program continuity. Prepare and deliver periodic progress reports and summaries that demonstrate program outcomes and engagement metrics.

Contribute to strategic discussions with the client around program growth, process improvements, and success benchmarks. Student Support Serve as a responsive resource for students navigating questions about their capstone project, platform tools, or program logistics. Foster a supportive, solution-oriented environment for students in a faculty-independent academic model. Escalate academic or programmatic concerns appropriately in alignment with institutional policies.

Qualifications 3+ years of experience in a role that combines outreach, sales, recruitment, or business development with project or program management. Demonstrated success in a client-facing role, with the ability to build trust and manage expectations across diverse stakeholders. Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple active projects and relationships simultaneously. Experience supporting or working within online, competency-based, or non-traditional educational environments strongly preferred.

Comfort and proficiency with digital collaboration and project management tools; ability to learn and train others on new software quickly. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt style for industry professionals, students, and institutional clients. Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and maintain consistent progress toward defined goals. Bachelor’s degree; relevant experience may substitute.

About PeopleGrove PeopleGrove is the trusted leader in student and alumni lifecycle engagement, experiential education, and career readiness. Our platform helps institutions prepare students for career success and lifelong connections through innovative, scalable solutions. We believe career success is built on meaningful experiences and human connection — and our team is passionate about making that a reality for millions worldwide.