Junior Project Manager

Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois is dedicated to delivering expert pension service to Illinois public educators. The Junior Project Manager supports the planning, coordination, and execution of organizational projects within the pension system, collaborating with cross-functional teams and assisting in various project management activities. Responsibilities Assist with planning, coordinating, and monitoring project activities, schedules, milestones, risks, budgets, and deliverables to support successful execution Maintain and update project documentation, prepare status reports and presentations, and help facilitate project meetings and Agile ceremonies Support requirements gathering by collaborating with stakeholders, documenting business processes, and creating user stories, acceptance criteria, and process maps Participate in refining requirements, supporting test planning and UAT, and validating new or updated functionality Assist with product backlog refinement, prioritization, and evaluating business value to ensure alignment with project and product goals Provide end-user support, gather feedback, document issues, and assist in incident triage and resolution Support communication and organizational change management activities, including preparing training materials, documenting impacts, and sharing updates with stakeholders Conduct basic research and data analysis to aid decision-making and scope definition, while building foundational understanding of system functionality and integrations Use project management and Agile tools (e.g., Azure DevOps, Jira, MS Project) to support planning, tracking, and documentation activities Skills Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Systems, Project Management, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience 1–3 years of experience in project coordination, business analysis, product support, or related technical/business role Exposure to Agile or Waterfall project methodologies Experience documenting business requirements, user stories, or process flows Experience working with project or task management tools (e.g., Azure DevOps, Jira, Trello, MS Project) Strong communication, analytical, and organizational skills Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to convey ideas clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences Strong organizational skills and attention to detail in documentation Foundational understanding of project management principles (Waterfall and Agile) Ability to analyze business processes and identify opportunities for improvement Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams Problem-solving mindset with the ability to research issues and propose options Basic understanding of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and Agile frameworks Comfortable facilitating small meetings or breakout discussions Exposure to technical concepts, business requirements gathering, and backlog management Company Overview The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is one of the largest pension systems in the United States. It was founded in 1939, and is headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, USA, with a workforce of 201-500 employees. Its website is Company H1B Sponsorship Teachers'​ Retirement System of the State of Illinois has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 1 in 2022. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.