Academic Project Manager – Sustainability & Organizations (S&O) HEC Paris – (M/F)

Within the Sustainability & Organizations (S&O) Center at HEC Paris, you contribute to the launch and deployment of structuring academic initiatives addressing climate and social sustainability challenges, in a rapidly evolving environment (creation of HEC Institut, development of new Labs). 

Strategic orientations and priorities are led by faculty members. 

Your role is distinctly operational and catalytic: you enable these visions to come to life by ensuring their structuring, coordination, and execution over time. 

You will work at the core of complex, multi-stakeholder projects that are often still loosely defined, where your ability to structure, anticipate, and drive progress makes a real difference. 

Main responsibilities 

I – Turning vision into operational frameworks (BUILD) 

You intervene very early in the process, when projects are not yet fully shaped. 

Concretely, you may: 

• Translate an academic intent into a structured roadmap (objectives, milestones, stakeholders, deliverables)  

• Propose an organizational model for a new Lab (interaction rhythm, governance, roles)  

• Produce concept notes or working documents to support reflection  

• Conduct targeted benchmarks (e.g., research centers, innovative teaching formats, academic partnerships)  

• Identify key stakeholders and structure the project ecosystem 

II – Operational orchestration and project management (RUN) 

You are a key support point for professors to move projects forward. 

Concretely, you: 

• Structure and manage project timelines and agendas (milestones, meetings, priorities)  

• Prepare meeting agendas, produce minutes, and ensure follow-up on decisions  

• Coordinate stakeholders with different logics (faculty, program teams, external partners)  

• Monitor progress, identify bottlenecks, and propose solutions  

• Ensure continuity and momentum over time 

Example: driving progress on a project involving several professors, a corporate partner, and a program, despite scheduling constraints and competing priorities. 

You are not the “owner” of academic content — you are responsible for enabling its execution and delivery. 

III – Contribution to S&O activities (HEC Paris’ “THINK / TEACH / ACT” framework) 

Depending on priorities, you contribute to different formats: 

THINK – Research & knowledge production 

• Organize seminars, workshops, or academic events (e.g., monthly Lunch Seminars — potentially in collaboration with other Centers), in coordination with the Dean of Faculty’s Office and/or the Impact Lab 

• Support research or action-research projects as needed, based on S&O leadership guidance 

TEACH – Programs & pedagogy 

• Contribute to the operational delivery of educational initiatives supported by S&O (student projects, courses, guest sessions, etc.) 

• Ensure ongoing coordination with HEC programs (Pre-Experience, MBAs, Executive Education) 

ACT – Visibilité & engagement 

• Contribute to organizing impact-oriented events or formats with the Dean of Faculty’s Office, HEC Institute, and/or Corporate Communications 

• Support the promotion of activities (content, communication, outreach) in collaboration with S&O and/or HEC Institute’s communication teams 

• Support relationships and interact with selected external partners (academic or non-academic) 

IV – Contributing to an agile collective (real impact of the role) 

You operate within a small, lean team, with minimal hierarchy. 

• Contribute to the functioning of an agile and committed team (prioritization, coordination, mutual support, constructive feedback)  

• Help structure what does not yet exist: take initiative based on the needs of leadership or the team, without waiting for a fully defined framework  

• Contribute to the development of processes, tracking methods, and internal tools  

• Provide occasional support to transversal projects (partnerships, development, events, communication – DARE Media Hub), with a strong service mindset, including towards colleagues  

• Conduct monitoring/curation activities and bring forward new ideas and inspirations  

• Demonstrate a proactive, continuous improvement mindset (tracking, clarity, organization, escalation when needed, seeking input, etc.) 

This role is a key “enabler of motion” in a demanding and still-evolving environment.

As part of the development of HEC Institute, you will contribute directly to fostering greater cross-center collaboration and to enhancing the coherence and impact of projects (structuring, multi-center coordination, sharing of best practices, and scaling up). 

• Master’s degree (or equivalent)  

• ~5 years of experience, ideally in project management  

• Exposure to demanding environments (consulting, entrepreneurship, complex projects, higher education, etc.) is a plus  

• Strong interest in climate and social sustainability issues 

Key Skills 

• Excellent structuring ability (bringing clarity to ambiguity) and follow-through (keeping stakeholders aligned at every stage)  

• Strong cross-functional project management skills  

• Solid analytical and synthesis capabilities  

• High level of proactivity: ability to make proposals and report effectively on progress  

• Fluent English  

• Excellent written (notes, reports, briefing documents) and oral communication skills (French and English)  

• Comfortable in complex, multi-stakeholder environments  

• Strong interpersonal skills with diverse profiles (academics, executives, internal teams)  

• Proficiency with office and collaborative tools

The Sustainability & Organizations (S&O) Center at HEC Paris aims to rethink the role of organizations in addressing climate and social challenges, by combining academic research, education, and engagement with economic and public stakeholders. 
It operates at the intersection of climate, ecological transition, and social sustainability. 
As part of the development of HEC Institute -which aims to bring together HEC Paris’ Centers of expertise and accelerate the generation of knowledge and solutions at the intersection of Think / Teach / Act - S&O is strengthening its focus on these climate & social issues by launching new thematic Labs and exploratory Initiatives in close collaboration with key internal stakeholders, as well as with leading academic and corporate partners. 
HEC Paris is pursuing a renewed ambition through its strategy and its “Dare the Impossible” campaign, inviting researchers, students, and partners to tackle the most complex challenges of our time. 
In this context, the School is embracing new responsibilities: training leaders capable of acting in an uncertain world, producing high-impact knowledge, and actively contributing to major environmental and societal transitions. 
HEC Paris is a leading business school, educating future decision-makers through its programs (bachelor’s in arts & sciences, Grande École, MS/MSc, MBA, Executive MBA, Executive Education, PhD), and supported by a top-tier international faculty.