Associate Director, Project Management

About Braven

Braven is a national nonprofit committed to preparing promising college students for strong first opportunities after graduation through a career-accelerating program. We partner with higher education institutions and employers to deliver a life-changing experience, starting with a semester-long course and continuing with support through graduation. Our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

About the Role

To achieve our ambition of serving 80,000-100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring an Associate Director, Project Management. This role will serve as a project manager for multiple high-impact, cross-functional projects within the Product team. As a member of the Project Management subteam, you will utilize Agile methodology, Scrum, and Kanban frameworks to create and lead cross-functional project teams, including complex technical projects, to reach key milestones and deliver impactful results enabling Braven's ambitious goals. This role reports directly to the Head of Program Enablement.

What You’ll Do

Support, manage, and execute the life-cycle of a portfolio of multiple short- and long-term cross-functional projects, ensuring excellence in all aspects of service delivery (85%)

• Manage end-to-end operational and tactical aspects of cross-functional projects of varying size, scope, technical level, organizational impact, and risk.
• Create and maintain quality project documentation and assets, including project charters, schedules, and lessons learned.
• Evaluate assigned projects and plans using Agile methodology, Scrum, and Kanban frameworks.
• Identify and gain agreement on project requirements, objectives, scope, timing, and resources with organizational stakeholders.
• Effectively communicate and consult with product owners, product managers, project sponsors, and contributors to ensure consistency and alignment on project methodologies for successful delivery.
• Collaborate closely with product owners, Program Managers, and subteam leads to understand needs, prioritize work, and resolve conflicts.
• Manage the project backlog and develop new user stories in collaboration with the product owner.
• Facilitate project meetings and regularly communicate project status to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with teammates to identify project risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Identify and manage project dependencies for timely completion.
• Develop and cultivate effective working relationships with sponsors and teams to ensure cross-team communication, transparency, and achievement of goals.
• Communicate project status, risks, and issues clearly and concisely to all stakeholders, including Braven leadership.
• Ensure timely completion of project deliverables and milestones, and overall project success.
• Contribute to tasks within the scope of projects, as assigned.

Contribute to the development of the Braven Project Management Centers of Excellence and the Product Team (15%)

• Collaborate with other Project Managers to align prioritization and share/codify best practices.
• Commit to utilizing standard project management methodologies while offering feedback for continuous improvement.
• Perform other duties to support the vision and direction of the Product Team, as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

• At least 5 years of work experience.
• At least 3 years of experience with highly cross-functional project management (formal or informal).
• Experience with project management tools such as Asana, Jira, or Smartsheet.
• Experience with agile methodologies, specifically Scrum and Kanban.

Preferred Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree.
• Work Experience: 5+ years of demonstrated excellence in cross-functional project management or complex program management; experience managing people directly and laterally, ideally in a nonprofit setting.
• Certifications: Certified Scrum Master or Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Additional Preferred Skills:
• Experience as a Technical Project Manager or similar, managing complex technical projects.
• Familiarity with software development and emerging technologies.
• Demonstrated commitment to building strong, welcoming cultures.
• Relentless prioritizer and systems-level problem solver who thrives in ambiguity.
• Compelling communicator and collaborator, adapting approach for diverse stakeholders.
• Committed to continuous learning and a growth mindset.
• Willingness to roll up sleeves and do what it takes to move the mission forward.
• Exemplification of Braven’s core values.
• Experience that informs belief in Braven’s mission and ability to work with student Fellows.

No one meets 100% of preferred qualifications. If much of this describes you, we encourage you to apply.

Work Demands

• Ability to work in-person in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), New York (NY), or Newark (NJ) 3 days per week.
• Travel not exceeding three to four weeks per year.
• Ability to support Braven’s programming eight nights per year.

Additional Requirements

• Authorized to work in the U.S.
• Braven does not offer employment visa sponsorship.

Application & Interview Process

• Phone screen with Talent Team member.
• Performance Task.
• Interview with Hiring Manager.
• Panel Interview with Key Partners.
• Final Interview.
• Reference Checks.

Compensation and Benefits

Braven offers competitive base salaries based on the midpoint of the market for nonprofits of similar size, with opportunities for growth. Salary offers are determined carefully using external and internal benchmarking and are not negotiated based on individual candidate expectations. Salary ranges are:

• Atlanta (GA): $87,200-$108,900
• Chicago (IL): $92,000-$114,900
• New York (NYC) or Newark (NJ): $101,200-$126,400

This is based on a 50-hour work week. This is a full-time, regular, exempt, and benefits-eligible position.

Braven also provides comprehensive benefits:

• Unlimited vacation time, plus org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns (minimum 19 days/year).
• $25,000 lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health.
• 401K match up to 5% of base annual salary.
• 85% coverage of health insurance premium for employee and dependents.
• 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• One-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff.

Braven is firm in its compensation philosophy; only candidates who believe our total rewards package aligns with their expectations should apply.

Location

Hybrid model: 3 days/week in office (Tuesday-Thursday), 2 days/week remote (Monday-Friday). Must live within commuting distance of Atlanta, Chicago, New York, or Newark hubs.