Senior Director of Project Management

Essential Duties:

1. Vision & Strategy

• Design and lead the development of a reimagined PMO that balances operational excellence with relational hospitality.
• Set and communicate the strategic direction of project management support across the organization.
• Align the PMO’s efforts with broader organizational priorities and initiatives.
• Serve as a collaborative member of the Strategic Support Office Lead Team, contributing to the collective advancement, growth, and health of the entire office.
• Special projects or initiatives, as assigned by the VP, Strategy.

2. Project Portfolio Oversight

• Own the organization-wide project portfolio management process, including intake, prioritization, capacity planning, resource allocation, and status reporting.
• Lead or contribute to governance processes that bring clarity, alignment, and transparency across teams.
• Ensure delivery of complex, cross-functional projects on time, on scope, and on mission, with a focus on measurable outcomes.

3. Team Leadership, Development, & Stewardship

• Manage and coach a growing team of project managers and business analysts, providing direction, support, and opportunities for development.
• Build a strong culture rooted in Young Life’s values—Hope & Hospitality, Excellence & Grace, and Relational & Intentional.
• Empower team members to work effectively in matrixed, faith-informed environments.

4. Process, Tools & Methodology

• Establish standard project management processes and tools that are scalable, adaptable, and grounded in best practices.
• Evaluate and enhance project management platforms, dashboards, and reporting tools.
• Support adoption of consistent practices across the PMO and other operational functions.

5. Stakeholder Engagement & Partner Experience

• Serve as a trusted partner to functional, project, product, and program leaders.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, enabling informed decision-making and strategic agility.
• Establish positive partnerships with internal customers/stakeholders and effectively manage these relationships to promote successful outcomes.
• Foster high-quality partner experiences by creating transparent, consistent, and relational engagement practices.
• Prioritize transparent communication and customer-centered practices.
• Model "Unreasonable Hospitality" in how the PMO engages with internal partners.

6. Center of Excellence & Community of Practice

• Establish a Project Management Center of Excellence that provides frameworks, tools, and training to support consistency and excellence.
• Build and facilitate a Community of Practice to empower and connect project managers across the organization.
• Evaluate and evolve methodologies (Agile, hybrid, traditional) that best suit the organization’s diverse environments.

Education:

• • Bachelor’s degree required.
• • PMP, PgMP, or comparable certifications strongly preferred.

Working Conditions:

• Flexible and/or Remote work environment
• Limited travel required

Experience and Qualifications Required for the Position:

• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in project management and strategic execution, with 5+ years of team leadership.
• Minimum 5+ years of ministry or non-profit programmatic experience/exposure.
• Experience building or leading PMOs or Centers of Excellence.
• Proficiency in portfolio management, change adoption, and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong understanding of project delivery methodologies (Agile, hybrid, waterfall).
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Experience in nonprofit, global, or faith-informed environments preferred.
• Proven relational skills.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to analyze complex problems, devise logical and creative solutions and empower people to implement them.
• Works well with a team.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong understanding and experience with demonstrated ability to successfully navigate and lead in cross-functional environments.
• Proven track record of effective collaboration across a complex, diverse, and geographically distributed organization.
• Experience leading projects and initiatives/programs end-to-end, including developing work plans, assessing dependencies, coordinating with appropriate stakeholders, developing financial models, and synthesizing findings into recommendations.
• Ability to appropriately manage expectations across scoped and proposed projects and related stakeholders.
• Ability to manage numerous projects simultaneously from conception to completion in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Characteristics:

• Rooted in Christian faith with a passion for ministry and mission
• Relational leader with high emotional intelligence and cultural agility
• Strategic thinker with a builder’s mindset and service orientation
• Comfortable leading in ambiguity while building clarity
• Inspired by "Unreasonable Hospitality" and the integration of values into operations
• Passionate about shaping high-impact functions and teams within a globally impactful mission

Additional Job Description

The Senior Director of the Project Management Office (PMO) will act as the principal leader and builder of a newly focused and values-driven PMO within Young Life’s Strategic Support Office. This individual will provide organizational leadership and oversight for delivering high-impact projects that enable Young Life’s global mission, offering exceptional project management support across functions, products, and ministry programs. This role requires someone with strategic vision, strong relational skills, and a deep understanding of project management, change adoption, programmatic realities, and cross-functional execution. This leader will uphold the values of hospitality, excellence, and relationships while developing scalable, consistent processes that empower others. Key outcomes include maximizing the value of deliverables and ensuring leadership and staff adoption of new systems, processes, projects, and strategies that enhance and support the health of Young Life’s global ministry portfolio while simultaneously driving and enabling impactful growth. The Senior Director of the Project Management Office expands Young Life’s project management capabilities and the team’s service capacities through a Project Management Center of Excellence and Community of Practice that, together, promote best practices, increase organizational effectiveness, and uphold the Strategic Support Office’s values of hospitality, excellence, and relationships.

Additional Job Description

• The anticipated salary for this position can range from $92,071-$127,505.50 depending on relevant education, experience, and location.