Senior Transformational Program Manager

At ACT Your Work Makes a Difference

Education has power - a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight for fairness in education, and we remain devoted to helping anyone who struggles to access that power. This is what matters to us and we must do better -- we've never been more sure of our purpose.

ACT Education Corp. team members are part of an organization dedicated to an important mission: Helping people achieve education and workplace success. Advancing the mission internally, by helping team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT values a diverse workplace and is committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which every team member has equal opportunity to grow.

We want our team members to have the well-being and confidence they need to do their best work, in an environment where both they and the company thrive. To support this, our total rewards include company paid life insurance, medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, 401(k) with company contributions, paid holidays, paid time off, and so much more. You can find a comprehensive list of our benefits here.

We are seeking a Senior Transformational Program Manager to help us fulfill that mission. The Senior Transformational Program Manager will be responsible for driving one large-scale transformation project in our Measurement Research and Development department that align with the organization's strategic objectives. The role will entail overseeing the execution and delivery of the assessment development transformational initiative, ensuring that they meet the desired outcomes within the specified timeframe and budget. This is a contract position for 9-12 months.

The finalist will be hired at the salary and level commensurate with their qualifications. For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary in the range of $120,000 to $150,000 . ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including, skills, experience, and internal equity. This position is not eligible for incentive pay.

***This is a fixed-term/project based position that is scheduled to last for 9-12 months.***

Location: Remote (can also be onsite or hybrid if in Iowa City, Iowa area)

What you will be working on:

Lead and manage transformational initiative from implementation inception to completion, ensuring that goals are met and projects are delivered on time and within budget.
• Collaborate with stakeholders, including the Steering Committee and Core Teams, to define project scope, objectives, and deliverables.
• Partner with vendor management to produce and manage RFPs.
• Lead efforts to execute proof-of-concepts with potential vendors, external partners with our internal technology, content and research teams.
• Develop roadmaps, plans, including timelines, milestones, risk assessments, and resource alignments.
• Coordinate with Technology Leads to integrate technological solutions into transformation initiatives.
• Monitor and report on progress, presenting regular updates to management and stakeholders.
• Identify and mitigate risks and issues that may impact project success.
• Manage relationships with external vendors and partners to ensure seamless implementation of transformation strategies.
• Drive continuous improvement efforts by analyzing project performance and implementing best practices.
• Ensure effective change management and communication strategies are in place to support the adoption of new processes and systems.

This could be the job for you if you have (minimum requirements):

• At least 5 years of progressively responsible project or program management, proven experience in managing large-scale transformation projects in a complex organizational environment.
• Strong understanding of project management methodologies and tools.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think strategically and execute methodically.
• Experience in stakeholder management and collaboration across multiple teams.
• Proficiency in risk management and problem-solving.
• Familiarity with technological solutions and their application in business transformation.
• Skills and knowledge required for success in this position attained through experience, education (Bachelor's degree in business administration, Project Management, or a related field), or a combination of both

It's a plus if you have:

• Change management and organizational development experience are highly desirable.
• Experience in large-scale assessment is preferred.

When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it. By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry-helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life's transitions.

More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We're doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we're all in this together.

We know transformation does not come without challenge. That's why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success.

Learn more about working at ACT at act.org!

ACT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. ACT participates in E-verify. ACT's online position announcements are intended only to provide general descriptions of employment opportunities; none of the information provided for any position should be interpreted as a commitment by ACT to specific terms and conditions for employment.

Application FAQs

**If you have received an ACT employment-related communication from an email address that is not affiliated with @act.org and/or that requests personal or financial information, please do not reply. Instead, reach out to us at careers@act.org with the details. ACT's recruitment team appreciates your interest in working with us to transform college and career readiness pathways for all learners and wishes you the best of luck in your career journey.**