Project Manager, Temporary Professional

The Dialogue CoLab, generously funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations and convened by Vanderbilt University, seeks to rebuild public faith in higher education’s ability to cultivate civil discourse, both on campus and beyond. The CoLab, a twelve-campus collaborative effort, draws on the collective wisdom and experience of those who have built exemplary, demonstrably effective, campus civil discourse programs. Unlike approaches that focus on individual institutions or programs, the CoLab aims to build a diverse, cross-sector coalition. The CoLab will be a place to illuminate common challenges, learn from one another’s frameworks, test new interventions, and develop strategies that can be applied in varied institutional contexts—and then share that expertise as widely as possible. Ultimately, the CoLab seeks to amplify, accelerate, and disseminate a body of knowledge that will strengthen campus resilience and civic capacity, nationwide. 

Summary:

The Project Manager provides strategic planning, coordination, and execution support for all major CoLab activities from December 2025 through May 2026. This role independently develops project frameworks, manages complex timelines, evaluates digital platforms, and leads cross-functional collaboration across participating campuses. The Project Manager ensures smooth execution of national convenings, supports program design, and contributes to long-term strategic planning for the CoLab’s future direction.

This position requires strong analytical skills, independent decision-making, and the ability to structure and lead project workflows with minimal supervision

Project Manager Role/Responsibility

• Develop and maintain the overall project milestone plan, ensuring all CoLab activities progress on schedule and align with project objectives.
• Lead weekly project review discussions with CoLab leadership, providing expert guidance on priorities, risks, and resource needs.
• Exercise independent judgment to adjust timelines, escalate issues, and recommend strategic solutions.

• Conduct evaluative research on online platforms suitable for sharing best practices, building community, and supporting long-term collaboration.

• Develop a decision framework, assess vendor options, and recommend a platform based on strategic fit, scalability, and functional requirements.

• Oversee implementation of the selected platform and identify ongoing resource needs for post-May 2026 management and sustainability.

• Collaborate with the CoLab team to design the program agenda, learning objectives, and participant experience for the January 2026 in-person convening.

• Manage follow-up activities including communications, feedback collection, and assessment of program outcomes.

• Provide project leadership and planning support for the May 2026 CoLab Summit, a large-scale national gathering at Vanderbilt showcasing best practices and emerging dialogue models

• Participate actively in all CoLab virtual and in-person meetings from December 2025 through May 2026.

• Build relationships with representatives across the twelve participating campuses to support information exchange and collective problem-solving.

• Represent the CoLab with professionalism and clarity, reinforcing Vanderbilt’s commitment to advancing civil discourse initiatives.

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race,