Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is seeking experienced, motivated, and dedicated leaders and educators to participate in the design and delivery of an innovative four-year medical school curriculum that engages medical students in active and novel learning.

Job Description:

Job Title: Project Manager for Strategic Planning and Operations

Reports to: Senior Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs and Development

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Location: Bentonville, Arkansas (On-site)

Who We Are

Founded in 2021, Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is a nonprofit, four-year MD program that will enhance traditional medical education with the arts, humanities, and whole health principles. The school’s culture embraces self-care to empower students to care for their own well-being as well as their patients’. The school’s state-of-the-art medical education facility is located in Bentonville, Arkansas on the Crystal Bridges campus, home to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Heartland Whole Health Institute. The school has been granted preliminary accreditation status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.

About The Position

The Project Manager for Strategic Planning and Operations leads and coordinates projects that advance AWSOM’s strategic and operational priorities under the direction of the Senior Associate Dean, Faculty Affairs and Development as well as the Executive Vice Dean. This role is responsible for planning and managing initiatives, monitoring progress toward institutional goals, and ensuring timely delivery of key outcomes. The Project Manager serves as a central resource for cross-functional collaboration, data analysis, and reporting, while developing tools and materials that promote accountability and informed decision-making across strategic and operational initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Plan Implementation & Monitoring

• Develop and maintain systems to track progress on strategic plan objectives.
• Coordinate data collection and reporting for strategic plan initiatives, progress and outcomes.
• Prepare regular progress reports and dashboards for senior leadership and governance.
• Work collaboratively with the leadership to identify risks, barriers, and opportunities related to selected initiatives and recommend solutions.

Operational Planning & Coordination

• Support the Executive Vice Dean and senior associate deans in managing high-level operational priorities.
• Develop and maintain project management tools, timelines, workflows, and project plans for selected programs, areas, and initiatives.
• Facilitate cross-departmental meetings and ensure follow-up on action items.
• Serve as a liaison between leadership and administrative units to ensure smooth execution of operational plans.

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Oversee development and dissemination of communications related to strategic and operational initiatives.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement activities, including faculty and staff input sessions.
• Prepare presentations and briefing materials for leadership meetings and external stakeholders.

Continuous Improvement & Analytics

• Monitor effectiveness of processes and recommend improvements to enhance efficiency.
• Utilize data analytics to inform decision-making and optimize resource allocation.
• Stay current on best practices in strategic planning and project management.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree, required.
• At least 3 years of experience leading or coordinating project-based initiatives, including monitoring progress, managing timelines, and coordinating inputs from various stakeholders to meet initiative goals, required.
• Experience analyzing, organizing, and reporting operational and strategic data to support decision-making, required.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, required.
• Proven ability to meet deadlines, required.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively problem-solve, required.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, and ability to learn new software applications, required.
• Master’s degree in higher education, organizational development, public policy, social sciences, humanities, or a related field, preferred
• Project management coursework or certification, preferred.
• Experience working in higher education/medical education, preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in process improvement, preferred.
• Experience supporting strategic planning, institutional research, or continuous improvement initiatives, preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

Physical Demands: In the work environment described, position requires sitting at a desk and utilizing a computer and a telephone for prolonged periods of time and good eye/hand coordination, bending and stretching, and physical stamina to lift and transport a minimum of 10 pounds. Visual acuity to review written materials is required for this job.

Work Environment: Work is performed full-time (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) in a professional, climate-controlled office environment with standard office equipment, including computers, printers, and telephones. This role requires working in an open setting near colleagues. The noise level is typically low to moderate. The role also requires interaction with both the public and internal team members in a professional and courteous manner. Some local travel will be required, and a flexible schedule may be necessary to accommodate business needs, including occasional evening and weekend work hours.

Alice L. Walton School of Medicine is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment.

All offers of employment are contingent on your successful completion (where permitted by state law) of a confidentiality agreement and background check. In addition, you will need to provide proper identification verifying your eligibility to work in the United States.