Job Description

For nearly 40 years, nonprofit AccessLex Institute® has been partnering with our member institutions – the nearly 200 state-affiliated and nonprofit ABA-approved law schools – to meet the ever-changing needs and challenges of law students and the legal education community we serve. From providing free resources for every step of the law school journey to maximizing the value and affordability of a law degree through research and policy advocacy, we exist to increase access and further the success of aspiring lawyers from admission to law school to admission to the bar. Helix Bar Review is our latest service in pursuit of our nonprofit mission – empowering the next generation of lawyers. Learn more at AccessLex.org and HelixBarReview.org

This is a hybrid position. Incumbent can expect to report to the Corporate Office in West Chester, PA once per month as needed. Office time will be more frequent in beginning. Budget for the Project Manager is $105,000-115,000 annually.

The Project Manager leads cross-functional initiatives from initiation through completion, supporting continuous improvement of project management processes across the organization, including Helix Bar Review. This role requires a proactive, detail-oriented professional who excels at managing multiple concurrent projects, optimizing resources, and communicating effectively with diverse stakeholders.

The ideal candidate combines strong project management fundamentals with the ability to influence without authority, adapt quickly to new business domains, and drive projects to successful outcomes on time and within budget.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Project Ownership and Delivery

• Work with various business domains to ensure projects are supported properly and are delivered successfully
• Develop and maintain comprehensive resource allocation plans across multiple concurrent projects, proactively identifying capacity constraints, resource conflicts, and staffing gaps
• Forecast resource needs, identify constraints, and partner with functional leaders to ensure optimal staffing
• Manage project budgets including labor costs, vendor expenses, and capital expenditures; track financial performance and provide variance reporting where required
• Balance resource demands across competing priorities, making data-driven recommendations for project sequencing and resource optimization
• Manage and lead effective and efficient project teams
• Coordinate internal resources and third parties/vendors for the execution of projects
• Ensure that projects are delivered on time, within scope and budget
• Facilitate project kickoff meetings, status updates, and post-project reviews
• Perform risk management to minimize project risks
• Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation (project charters and project plans) to track progress of Company projects
• Use appropriate verification techniques to manage changes in project scope, schedule, and costs (change request form)
• Collaborate in the development of the project schedule, and monitor and report on project progress
• Capture lessons learned and contribute to ongoing improvement of project management practices

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Communication

• Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes across all organizational levels, managing expectations and building consensus
• Produce high-quality written documentation including comprehensive status reports, project charters, business cases, and post-implementation reviews
• Facilitate difficult conversations and conflict resolution among project stakeholders with competing interests or priorities
• Partner with project sponsors and department stakeholders to understand business needs and translate them into actionable project plans
• Work with Helix Bar Review teams on bar preparation initiatives while maintaining business focus
• Interface with vendors and external partners as needed
• Serve as the primary point of contact for project team members and stakeholders, ensuring transparency and alignment
• Build and maintain strong cross-departmental relationships to facilitate information flow and remove organizational barriers
• Other duties as assigned

Candidate Requirements:

• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). To succeed in the Project Manager position, candidates should possess the following KSAs:
  • REQUIRED
    • 3-5 years of project management experience managing multiple concurrent projects across different business domains
    • Demonstrated excellence in resource planning and allocation, including experience managing resource constraints and competing priorities
    • Ability to manage stakeholders across all organizational levels
    • Keen problem-solving skills and the ability to provide logical and creative solutions
    • Superior organizational, written and verbal communication, and collaboration skills
    • Experience conducting oral presentations, facilitating project management, and preparing written reports
    • Ability to quickly understand new business domains and technical concepts
    • Experience with change management and organizational adoption
    • Comfortable with technology concepts to effectively manage IT-related projects
    • Proficiency with project management software (MS Planner, Asana, or similar) and Microsoft applications
    • Experience with reporting tools
    • Understanding of basic system integration and implementation concepts
    • Ability to facilitate technical discussions without being a technical expert
• • PREFERRED
    • Experience in nonprofit or education sectors
    • Knowledge of compliance and regulatory project requirements
    • Experience in a PMO or structured project management environment
    • Financial services or legal industry exposure
    • Knowledge of corporate governance, systems development processes
    • Knowledge of risk assessment design and delivery; control design, implementation and monitoring, and key metric development, tracking, and reporting
• • Background Experiences.The following are required unless otherwise noted:
    • Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Management, Communications, or similar related field.
    • Project management certifications (CAPM, PMP) a plus.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work: This is a full-time, hybrid, exempt position; the incumbent is expected to be present and accessible for at least 40 hours per week, subject to approved leave time, travel, and other absences as described in the Employee Handbook or as otherwise agreed by the Company. The Company’s standard hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 8:15 am to 5:00 pm.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: AccessLex Institute provides equal employment opportunity to all individuals regardless of their race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state, federal, or local law.