Senior Project Manager
$117k - $146k USD
Who we are
At CarGurus (NASDAQ: CARG), our mission is to give people the power to reach their destination. We started as a small team of developers determined to bring trust and transparency to car shopping. Since then, our history of innovation and go-to-market acceleration has driven industry-leading growth. In fact, we’re the largest and fastest-growing automotive marketplace, and we’ve been profitable for over 15 years.
What we do
The market is evolving, and we are too, moving the entire automotive journey online and guiding our customers through every step. That includes everything from the sale of an old car to the financing, purchase, and delivery of a new one. Today, tens of millions of consumers visit CarGurus.com each month, and ~30,000 dealerships use our products. But they're not the only ones who love CarGurus—our employees do, too. We have a people-first culture that fosters kindness, collaboration, and innovation, and empowers our Gurus with tools to fuel their career growth. Disrupting a trillion-dollar industry requires fresh and diverse perspectives. Come join us for the ride!
Role overview
We're seeking a proactive, independent self-starter to lead project management for our People & Talent organization. This is your opportunity to shape how critical people work gets done—driving clarity, consistency, and flawless execution across a growing organization while partnering directly with leaders on initiatives that impact every employee and our bottom line.
As our Senior Project Manager, you'll own cross-functional programs and projects that span multiple P&T functions and the broader business, reporting to the Senior Director, Compensation & People Operations. You'll oversee much of our program and project portfolio, lead quarterly and annual planning efforts, and ensure crystal-clear ownership, smart prioritization, and on-time delivery of our most important work.
This role demands someone who can communicate effectively with employees at all levels—from individual contributors to executives—to drive our P&T outcomes forward. You'll partner closely with P&T leadership, functional leads, and business stakeholders to execute high-impact initiatives aligned to organizational goals, while enabling consistent delivery through standards, frameworks, coaching, and portfolio-level oversight. Subject matter experts retain accountability for their project outcomes; you provide the strategic backbone that makes it all happen.
What you’ll do
Program & Project Delivery
- Partner with project sponsors and stakeholders to define scope, deliverables, timelines, success metrics, resources, and governance for People & Talent Initiatives.
- Lead cross-functional P&T programs and projects from initiation through delivery, ensuring alignment to quarterly and annual P&T goals. Identify key requirements needed from cross-functional teams and external vendors as appropriate.
- Track and manage interdependencies across teams to ensure predictable delivery and accountability.
- Assist P&T leadership with ad hoc tasks that contribute to our multi-year strategy.
Portfolio, Planning & Capacity Management
- Own P&T program and project portfolio management, including prioritization and alignment with quarterly planning and annual objectives.
- Support quarterly planning efforts by assessing demand, sequencing work, and facilitating trade-off discussions.
- Partner with leaders on P&T capacity planning to balance workloads across planned and unplanned initiatives.
- Support Comp & Audit Committee–related project planning and execution.
Governance, Communication & Change Management
- Establish clear governance models including approval paths, decision tracking, and escalation mechanisms.
- Provide regular, concise updates to leadership on project status, risks, dependencies, and mitigation strategies.
- Partner with stakeholders on change management, communications, and adoption strategies to ensure sustainable outcomes.
PMO Capability & Standards
- Develop and continuously improve project management standards, routines, and frameworks for P&T.
- Build PM capability across the organization through templates, tooling, coaching, and best practices.
- Ensure consistent, transparent reporting across programs and projects.
What you’ll bring
- 8+ years of experience leading medium-to-large, cross-functional programs and projects, including enterprise-wide initiatives; experience within a People & Talent or HR function strongly preferred.
- Proven experience establishing PMO practices, project governance, or portfolio management in a matrixed organization.
- Strong leadership and facilitation skills with the ability to influence without direct authority.
- Experience applying change management principles and measuring adoption and outcomes.
- Comfort partnering with leadership, legal, finance, engineering, and all people & talent teams and navigating complex dependencies.
- Strong analytical judgment and ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-changing environments.
- Demonstrated success defining and tracking KPIs for project performance and portfolio health.
- Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred in business, engineering, or a related field.
- Strong working knowledge of Agile practices and methodologies.
The displayed range represents the expected annual base salary / On-Target Earnings (OTE) for this position. On-Target Earnings (OTE) is inclusive of base salary and on-target commission earnings, which applies exclusively to sales roles.
Individual pay within this range is determined by work location and other factors such as job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.
This annual base salary forms part of a comprehensive Total Rewards Package. In addition to benefits, this role may qualify for discretionary bonuses/incentives and Restricted Stock Units (RSUs).
Position Pay Range
$117,000—$146,000 USD
Working at CarGurus
We reward our Gurus’ curiosity and passion with best-in-class benefits and compensation, including equity for all employees, both when they start and as they continue to grow with us. Our career development and corporate giving programs, as well as our employee resource groups (ERGs) and communities, help people build connections while making an impact in personally meaningful ways. A flexible hybrid model and robust time off policies encourage work-life balance and individual well-being. Thoughtful perks like daily free lunch, a new car discount, meditation and fitness apps, commuting cost coverage, and more help our people create space for what matters most in their personal and professional lives.
We welcome all
CarGurus strives to be a place to which people can bring the ultimate expression of themselves and their potential—starting with our hiring process. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We foster an inclusive environment that values people for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. That’s why we hope you’ll apply even if you don’t check every box listed in the job description. We also encourage you to tell your recruiter if you require accommodations to participate in our hiring process due to a disability so we can provide the appropriate support. We want to know what only you can bring to CarGurus. #LI-Hybrid