Project Specialist

At Canine Companions, we’re dedicated to making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. As an employee, you’ll help provide independence to individuals, while also giving a dog a meaningful job. Our commitment to our mission is reflected in our equally strong dedication to our employees. 

Our Employee Benefits 

We believe in offering a comprehensive benefits package to ensure the well-being and growth of our team: 

• Retirement Savings: Employer-matched 403(b) retirement plan 

• Community Engagement: Additional paid hours to volunteer within your community 

• Employee Assistance & Wellness Programs: Support for both professional and personal well-being 

• Inclusion and Diversity Committee dedicated to ongoing efforts to foster a diverse and inclusive workplace by setting actionable goals and evaluating progress 

Employee Testimonial  
" My co-workers are amazing, and I feel like I am truly part of a team. I love being surrounded by dogs every day. But most importantly I am so proud of the work that we do and the mission that guides us! " 
— Philanthropy Team Member 

The Project Specialist is responsible for coordinating, tracking, and supporting organization-wide initiatives aligned with the organization’s strategic plan and other organizational priorities. This position serves as a liaison among executive leadership, departments, regions and other stakeholders, facilitating communication, monitoring progress, identifying risks or delays, and providing timely information to support organizational decision-making.

Key Responsibilities  

Coordinate and track organization-wide projects and initiatives aligned with the strategic plan and organizational priorities.

Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestones, deliverables, and status updates.

Monitor project progress, risks and potential delays, and escalate issues as appropriate.

Facilitate cross-functional coordination among departments, regions, leadership and project workgroups to support successful implementation of organizational initiatives.

Maintain dashboards, scorecards, matrices, and other reporting tools used to monitor strategic and operational performance.

Coordinate the collection of performance data and other information from departments, ensuring required materials are complete, accurate, and submitted on schedule.

Prepare recurring reports, presentations, summaries, and briefing materials for executive leadership and the National Board of Directors.

Coordinate meetings related to organization-wide initiatives, including agendas, materials, documentation, decisions, action items, and follow-up.

Support committees, workgroups, and leadership teams responsible for advancing organizational priorities.

Develop and maintain documentation, templates, tracking tools, and other resources that support consistent project management practices. 

Coordinate the development of materials related to organizational initiatives and partner with Marketing or other departments when external-facing communications are needed.

Identify opportunities to improve project planning, reporting, communication, accountability, and organizational visibility.

Perform other project management and coordination responsibilities as organizational needs evolve.

Qualifications 

To be successful in this role, candidates should possess the following: 

Must Have:  

3–5 years of experience coordinating cross-functional projects, executive-level initiatives, strategic planning efforts, or organizational reporting processes.

Excellent project management skills, including ability to drive timely results, create and use tools for information gathering and reporting capability to leadership and board. 

Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, reports and stakeholder needs.

Strong analytical skills with the ability to organize and interpret operational and performance information.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear materials for executive, board, departmental, and external audiences.

Shows discretion, good judgment, organizational skills, initiative and the ability to work independently.

Proficiency with reporting tools, dashboards, spreadsheets, and document management systems.

Nice to Have:  

Bachelor's degree preferred, preferably in field directly related to this role, or combination of education and experience that would lead to the successful performance of the essential functions of the role.

Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), or similar project management certification preferred, but not required.

Compensation 

• Salary: $33.65-$36.50 per hour

• Schedule: full-time, temporary

Inclusion and Diversity Commitment  

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please still consider applying. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is a key to innovation and excellence. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions.  

The base salary range above represents the low and high of the range for this position. Actual salaries will vary and may be above or below the range based on various factors, including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. 

Pursuant to local Fair Chance Ordinances, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. 

Accommodation Request 

If you need accommodations during the interview process, please let us know. We are committed to ensuring all applicants have equal access to the opportunity to succeed.