Senior Infrastructure Project Manager at Northeastern University in Boston, MA (Main Campus)

Job description

• The Division of Information Technology Services (ITS) is seeking a highly experienced and motivated individual to join our team as an Senior Infrastructure Project Manager. This role is responsible for driving the successful delivery of large-scale, complex IT projects and programs that support the university’s strategic priorities. The Senior Project Manager will lead cross-functional teams, manage diverse stakeholder expectations, and ensure that all initiatives are delivered within scope, schedule, and budget—while aligning to business value and user needs. The ideal candidate will be a self-starter with a proven track record of managing complex strategic IT initiatives in dynamic environments. This role requires a strategic thinker who is also hands-on, with strong leadership and influencing skills.
• This is a hybrid position that requires on-site presence in the Boston office 3 days per week.
• *Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University is unable to work sponsor for this role, now or in the future

Responsibilities

• Project Leadership & Execution
• Lead the planning, execution, and delivery of multiple large and complex IT projects across departments, ensuring alignment with university priorities and strategies.
• Develop and manage detailed project plans, milestones, scope statements, budgets, timelines, and resource allocations.
• Ensure project deliverables are completed on time, within scope, and on budget while maintaining high quality standards.
• Conduct risk assessments and implement proactive mitigation strategies.
• Monitor project activities, ensuring the currency, quality, and integrity of information, while providing consistency in content.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Communication
• Serve as the liaison between technical teams, business units, and executive sponsors.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
• Facilitate effective communication across cross-functional teams to ensure shared understanding of objectives, progress, and changes.
• Present project updates, risks, and performance metrics to governance groups and leadership.
• Team Leadership & Collaboration
• Provide direction and support to cross-functional project teams, including internal staff and external vendors.
• Establish clear goals and responsibilities and promote accountability across team members.
• Foster a collaborative environment that encourages innovation, ownership, and problem-solving.
• Monitoring, Reporting & Financial Oversight
• Track and report on project progress, milestones, risks, issues, and financials.
• Develop and publish status reports, prepare and modify schedules or plans as required.
• Ensure post-project evaluation, lessons learned, and knowledge documentation.
• Manage project budgets responsibly, identify cost-saving opportunities, and ensure financial accountability.
• Management and coordination of Infrastructure Initiatives and Vendors
• Appoint and manage vendor/subcontractor projects such as installation and servicing cable (copper, coaxial, fiber-optic), optical, telecommunications and T1 networks as well as enterprise-wide, student residential and cabling networks such as NUnet, ResNet and HuskyCable.
• Review job reports constantly to track labor, material, and over-all job progress and status.
• Ensure quality of inventory and timely procurement and delivery of materials to jobsite.
• Coordinate installations of new networks and extensions of current network.
• Lead planning and execution of AV upgrade projects, including classroom, conference room, and event space audio-visual system installations and refreshes.
• Manage low voltage cabling projects, including structured cabling, cable pathway/tray installations, and coordination of testing and certification.
• Oversee networking infrastructure initiatives, including switch/router upgrades, wireless access point deployments, and network closet (MDF/IDF) buildouts.
• Coordinate broader IT infrastructure initiatives across campus, partnering with ITS teams and departments to plan and execute technology upgrades supporting Northeastern's facilities and academic spaces.
• Facilitate construction related technology relocation activities with external vendors, IS Customer Services and Northeastern departmental customer contact.
• Keep appropriate individuals informed of all installation and/or troubleshooting activities.

Requirements

• Education
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Project management training/certification preferred (e.g., PMP, Agile, PRINCE2)
• Experience
• 10–15 years of overall IT experience, including 8-10 years of progressive IT project management experience, including managing large, complex, cross-functional IT initiatives in matrixed organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in delivering enterprise-level technology projects, such as CRM, ERP, infrastructure, data integration, or cloud-based systems.
• Minimum of 7-9 years of experience engaging with business units, technical teams, and executive stakeholders to translate business needs into actionable project plans.
• Proven ability to lead diverse project teams, set direction, communicate vision, and influence outcomes without direct authority.
• Experienced in navigating organizational change, managing competing priorities, and driving projects forward in ambiguous or evolving environments.
• A strong history of using data-driven insights to guide project planning and risk management.
• PMO Knowledge and Skills
• Expert in project management methodologies, including Waterfall, Agile, and hybrid approaches.
• Proficient with project management tools such as MS Project, Smartsheet, ServiceNow, Confluence and, Jira.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make sound decisions under pressure.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with experience presenting to senior leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships, foster collaboration, and resolve conflicts across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Deep understanding of business processes and IT alignment, with the ability to deliver measurable value.
• Skilled in resource planning and budgeting for large-scale projects.
• Self-motivated, organized, and capable of working independently in fast-paced environments.
• Good understanding of current and emerging technologies and how other enterprises are employing them to drive digital business.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of business needs, with the ability to establish and maintain a high level of customer trust and confidence.
• Infrastructure Knowledge and Skills
• Progressive work experience in Audio Visual (AV) & Network infrastructure; hands-on experience.
• Excellent problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Familiarity with blueprints, construction documentation, and AutoCad
• Knowledge of cabling structures including fiber optic, copper, and coaxial.
• Working knowledge of audio-visual (AV) systems, including AV upgrades and installations for classrooms, conference rooms, and event spaces, and their integration with campus IT infrastructure.
• Familiarity with low voltage cabling standards and practices, including structured cabling, cable pathways/tray systems, terminations, and testing and certification.
• Understanding of enterprise networking concepts, including LAN/WAN architecture, switches, routers, wireless access points, and network closet (MDF/IDF) design and buildout.
• Broad IT infrastructure knowledge spanning data centers, telecom/network rooms, and campus facilities, with the ability to coordinate cross-functional infrastructure projects that meet industry and university standards.
• Higher Education experience.is a plus, though not required:

Skills

Required

• Strong leadership and influencing skills
• Self-starter
• Strategic thinker
• Hands-on
• MS Project
• Smartsheet
• ServiceNow
• Confluence
• Jira
• AutoCad
• Audio Visual (AV) systems
• Structured cabling

Benefits

• Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.
• Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.
• All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
• 113S
• $113,865.00 - $165,105.00
• With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.