Academic Project Manager

Application close date: 27 June 2026 The Position As the Academic Project Manager, you will be responsible for project managing our academic qualification or course development teams to deliver our new or improved qualifications or courses on time and within scope and budget. This will be done through collaborating with our Learning Innovation & Development team and/ or academic subject matter experts to ensure project timelines are being met and, where appropriate, applying creative problem-solving and stakeholder management to ensure changes are made where required. The responsibilities of the Academic Project Manager role include: Project Management Creating new project plans in collaboration with our product strategist and learning experience design teams considering resource and budgets constraints. Draft and update project documents including budgets, project charters, project plans, communications plans, and resource reports. Lead, manage and motivate our development teams as they work to create or improve our online qualifications or courses. Developing awareness of different stakeholders’ priorities, limitations, and perspectives to help arbitrate decisions while considering trade-offs and competing priorities. Track project timelines and escalate delays or risks proactively Run Daily Stand-Up (DSU’s) and weekly status meetings with project teams to measure and track project progress. Creative problem-solving, scenario planning and change management to adapt project plans as unforeseen circumstances arise. Relationship Management Manage deliverables and timelines with the qualification or course development teams to ensure alignment with project timelines. Potentially responsible for line-management functions within the Learning Innovation & Development team. Process Improvement and Collaboration Contribute to the overall success and growth of the Milpark Project Management team through collaboration and knowledge sharing. Collaborate with colleagues from across the business to refine and improve. Collaborate closely with project managers to ensure effective implementation of project and resource planning. Process, Systems and Administrative Efficiency Drive improvements in departmental processes to reduce administrative burden on academic staff. Partner with internal teams such as HR, Finance, IT, and Academic Operations to ensure alignment and integration. Oversee departmental use of systems and tools (e.g. project tracking software, document repositories). Ensure that all required documentation and project outputs are filed, tracked, and accessible. Oversee invoicing, payment tracking, and compliance with financial processes for independent contractors Assist with reporting, data collation, and internal presentations or reviews. Knowledge and background experience: An undergraduate qualification with 3+ years’ work experience and preferably experience in an Academic Project Management role. An awareness and view on the role of education in transforming South Africa. Working and collaborating in a remote working environment. Managing and/or working with budgets. Strong listening, verbal, and written communication skills. Ability to organise, prioritize and allocate workload to align with project plans. An action-driven mindset with strong cross-team collaboration skills, including conflict resolution, negotiation, and seasoned presentation skills. Personal characteristics: An alignment with Milpark’s values and a belief in our strategic intent. Accountability and responsibility that results in taking ownership of responsibilities that fall within your scope of work. Proactive, with an inclination towards being able to take actions and decisions towards achieving certain outcomes in a dynamic, fast-moving environment. Ability to be flexible and deal with change constructively. Ability to collaborate with colleagues from different departments and develop strong working relationships that are based on trust, mutual respect, and authenticity. Curious, creative, and innovative. Empathy for our students and a relentless focus on improving the Milpark student experience. By submitting your personal information and application, you hereby confirm: That you have read and understood our Privacy Policy/Notice. To access, copy and paste the link into your web browser: https://resource.milpark.ac.za/public/downloads/Milpark%20Education%20Applicant%20and%20Employee%20Privacy%20Notice.pdf That you have no objection to us reviewing and processing any personal information provided in the course of your application, as well as any information that you have provided in support of your application. That you have no objection to us retaining your personal information in our database for future employment opportunities that might arise. Preference will be given to applicants from designated groups, and appointments will be made in line with our EE requirements