ABOUT SAN FRANCISCO BAY UNIVERSITY:

San Francisco Bay University (SFBU), a nonprofit, WASC-accredited, university situated in the heart of Silicon Valley in Fremont, California, seeks an innovative and experienced Project Manager for AI Initiatives. SFBU’s mission is to offer inclusive, innovative, and inspirational education for lifelong careers and our vision is to set the standard as a national model of higher education in service of the common good.
At SFBU, students come first. We prioritize students’ needs by fostering personal engagement among students, faculty, and staff. We are committed to providing affordable quality education with a deep commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.
We encourage you to learn more about SFBU by reviewing our strategic plan at https://www.sfbu.edu/strategic-plan.
Position Overview: San Francisco Bay University is seeking a strategic and collaborative Project Manager for AI Initiatives to coordinate the development of AI-enhanced online degrees. SFBU sees this initiative as one which boldly leads higher education into the future of learning; A future in which AI faculty avatars deliver content through best-in-class personalized pedagogy and adaptive learning strategies, while human faculty guide students outside the classroom to support their academic and professional growth.
This is a full-time, regular (initial 12-month term, renewable annually, subject to performance), hybrid, staff position, reporting to the Vice President for Strategy and Innovation, and offers an exciting opportunity to help shape and transform higher education. The Project Manager will work in close collaboration with the President, Provost, Vice President for Strategy and Innovation, AI Pedagogy team, Instructional Design team, AI Strategist, Faculty, Subject Matter Experts, and external Salesforce implementation team, marketing and enrollment consultants to develop and execute on project milestones.
SFBU’s first-to-market degree in this innovative format is an MBA, which will be followed by a pipeline of graduate and undergraduate degrees, certificates, and credentials.
With a keen focus on program quality and the student experience, the Project Manager will help SFBU steward AI-enhanced degrees into reality.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in project management, instructional design, educational technology, business, or a related field.
• 5–7+ years of experience managing complex, multi-phase educational or instructional technology projects, preferably in higher education or edtech.
• Proven track record in launching online degree programs, particularly asynchronous or self-paced models, with measurable impact on student outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience in budget management, resource allocation, vendor/contract oversight, and cross-department coordination.
• Strong knowledge of project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Scrum, Waterfall) and change management practices; PMP, CSM, or Prosci certification preferred.
• Experience managing risk, resolving cross-team blockers, and facilitating quick, effective decision-making.
• Proficiency in using data analytics and dashboards to track project performance, inform decisions, and demonstrate ROI.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills, with a history of leading diverse teams and building consensus.
• Familiarity with Salesforce or other enterprise CRM systems.
• Strong commitment to institutional values of affordability, inclusion, educational innovation, and social justice through demonstrated efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s degree in instructional design, project management, educational technology, or a related discipline.
• Experience integrating AI technologies, adaptive learning tools, or personalized pedagogy into academic programs.Familiarity with WASC or equivalent accreditation standards.
• Background in both higher education and industry/edtech settings.
• Experience with implementation of enterprise systems, such as learning management systems or CRM integrations.
• Experience supporting cross-cultural teams and inclusive leadership practices.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Strong knowledge of educational technology trends and adaptive learning systems.
• Skill in leading multidisciplinary teams in a fast-paced, goal-oriented environment.
• Ability to manage project portfolios, multiple deadlines, and shifting priorities.
• Knowledge of compliance and data privacy issues related to online education.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency in project tracking software and collaboration tools (e.g., Asana, Smartsheet, Slack, Zoom).
• Demonstrated strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

• Lead the end-to-end implementation of AI-enhanced online graduate and undergraduate degree programs, from initial planning through launch and post-implementation review.
• Define clear objectives, success metrics, and ROI for each degree path, ensuring alignment with SFBU’s mission, vision, and values.
• Develop, own, and manage the program roadmap, including scope, schedule, budget, change control, and risk management processes.
• Coordinate and lead diverse internal teams (President, Provost, VP for Strategy and Innovation, AI Pedagogy team, Instructional Design, AI Strategist, Faculty, SMEs and external consultants) to drive unified decision-making and delivery.
• Oversee external partnerships and contracts, including Salesforce implementation, marketing, and enrollment consultants, ensuring deliverables meet institutional standards and project goals.
• Ensure rigorous testing by leading functional, performance, and user-acceptance testing, integrating iterative testing, constituent feedback, and data-driven improvements.
• Integrate adaptive learning strategies and personalized pedagogy into course design, working closely with instructional designers to create high-quality, student-centered experiences.
• Identify and remove barriers to delivery, secure necessary resources, and escalate cross-team blockers to maintain project momentum.
• Provide timely, transparent progress updates and outcomes to executive leadership, constituents, and external partners.
• Conduct retrospectives and lessons-learned sessions to capture insights and embed process enhancements into future initiatives.
• May supervise project support staff or contracted vendors.
• Provides team leadership across cross-functional internal and external stakeholders.
• No direct budget ownership, but responsible for managing project-related spending and vendor scope.
• Perform other duties as assigned.