Associate Project Manager

Job Title: Associate Project Manager

Location(s): Raleigh NC OR Charlottesville VA (No Relocation)

Workplace: On-site (Raleigh or Charlottesville)

Clearance Required: None

Position Overview:

We are seeking a highly organized and people-oriented Associate Project Manager to support our customer program. This role will act as a deputy to the Project Manager, ensuring our Azure DevOps (ADO) project management platform operates smoothly, coordinating resources, and shepherding new projects from intake through mobilization. The ideal candidate thrives in a fast-paced environment, is comfortable encouraging and guiding stakeholders to meet deadlines, and can keep multiple projects and priorities moving forward simultaneously.

This is a great opportunity to learn more about the world of Data Science, specifically AI/ML, at Elder Research while also developing as a project manager with a focus on operations, customer engagement, process management, and leadership

Position Requirements:

• Serve as the day-to-day operational support for the Project Manager and our customers leadership team.

• Maintain and improve the ADO (Azure DevOps) project workflow, ensuring accurate, complete, and compliant project data entry.

• Oversee the intake process for new projects:

• Review intake forms and ensure all required information is captured.

• Set up projects and tasks in ADO.

• Link relevant resources (e.g., workflows, documentation).

• Facilitate requirements gathering with internal and customer stakeholders.

• Coordinate project meetings, calls, and stakeholder communications.

• Develop and compile Commitment Decks for approved projects, outlining project scope, deliverables, and timelines.

• Track and report on project statuses across all active customer initiatives.

• Act as a liaison between internal teams and customer teams to clarify expectations, align workflows, and resolve issues.

Qualifications:

• 3-5+ years of experience in project coordination, project management, or a similar operational support role.
• Must be highly proficient with project management platforms (Azure DevOps (ADO) & Jira
• Strong organizational skills with a proven ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; able to motivate and influence others without direct authority.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) for creating documentation and presentations.
• Self-starter with a proactive approach to identifying and solving problems.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with requirements gathering and process documentation.
• Background in technology or engineering project environments.
• Comfort working with geographically dispersed teams.

Work Environment:

• Collaborative, fast-moving, and down-to-earth team culture.
• Direct engagement with our customers leadership and stakeholders.
• Candidates must be based in Raleigh, NC or Charlottesville, VA