What is a Project Manager?

A Project Manager at Atrium Health is a critical driver of delivery across our care continuum, academic research, community outreach, and technology platforms. You translate mission-aligned strategies into clear plans, coordinate diverse stakeholder groups, and deliver outcomes that improve patient access, safety, and experience. Whether you are enabling a new Epic EHR capability, coordinating a multi-site research program, or scaling community-based cancer education across a 30-county region, your work measurably advances health—guided by our “loved one standard.”

This role is uniquely interdisciplinary. You will interface with clinicians, researchers, IT architects, community leaders, vendor partners, and executives—often in the same week. Success requires rigor in scope, schedule, and budget management; fluency with healthcare operations and regulatory standards; and a communication style that earns trust across teams. The most successful Project Managers bring structure to complexity and consistently convert intent into impact.

You will see the breadth of our enterprise up close: programs hosted by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine academic core, outreach led by the Comprehensive Cancer Center, enterprise IT delivered through the PMO, and population health initiatives within Community Care Partners. Your work not only meets deliverables and compliance requirements—it improves outcomes for patients, families, and communities.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Approach your preparation with two equal priorities: demonstrating disciplined project execution and showing how your decisions improve health outcomes, research quality, access, and equity. Prepare narratives that quantify results, surface risks early, and show how you influence diverse stakeholders to align around clear, measurable objectives.

• Role-related Knowledge (Technical/Domain Skills) - Interviewers look for fluency with healthcare operations, EHR workflows (e.g., Epic), research program administration, data governance (e.g., REDCap, HIPAA), and enterprise IT delivery. Demonstrate how you’ve navigated sponsor requirements, IRB/NIH/NCI guidelines, or PMO methodology to meet scope, timeline, and quality targets.
• Problem-Solving Ability (How You Approach Challenges) - Expect scenario-based prompts that test how you frame problems, prioritize trade-offs, and de-risk execution. Strong answers show how you use artifacts (RAID logs, change control, RACI) and metrics (quality, cost, throughput) to inform decisions.
• Leadership (How You Influence and Mobilize Others) - Atrium Health values leaders who create clarity, earn trust, and drive accountability without formal authority. Highlight stakeholder mapping, executive-ready communication, vendor management, and how you hold teams to commitments while supporting them through constraints.
• Culture Fit (How You Work with Teams and Navigate Ambiguity) - We look for teammates who model the “loved one standard,” embrace diversity and community voice, and thrive in matrixed environments. Show collaborative behaviors, transparency, ethical judgment, and resilience under pressure.

Interview Process Overview

Interviews for Project Manager roles at Atrium Health are structured to evaluate both your project management toolkit and your ability to navigate a complex, mission-driven health system. You will encounter a mix of behavioral and scenario-based prompts, stakeholder simulations, and role-specific discussions (e.g., IT delivery for the Enterprise PMO, community engagement for outreach roles, research administration for academic programs). The tone is professional and rigorous, with a strong focus on measurable outcomes, compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.

Expect a paced process that balances depth with efficiency. Conversations often progress from high-level impact (how you set vision and outcomes) to execution detail (how you run the plan week-to-week), then widen to stakeholder leadership and risk management. For technology-oriented roles, anticipate more time on requirements, vendor coordination, construction/renovation interfaces, and change control; for community or research programs, plan for more emphasis on engagement strategies, sponsor reporting, and data integrity.

Atrium Health’s philosophy is to assess readiness for real-world delivery: how you convert ambiguity into structured plans, protect timelines and budgets, and communicate with executive clarity. Your examples should demonstrate integrity, accountability, and a proactive approach to safety, compliance, and equity.

This visual outlines the typical stages—from recruiter screen through panel interviews and role-specific assessments—so you can forecast pacing and preparation. Use it to plan your research, schedule mock interviews, and identify where to inject your strongest impact stories. Treat each stage as incremental proof of fit: early rounds build context; later rounds validate depth, detail, and leadership presence.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

Healthcare Domain & Regulatory Readiness

Healthcare context is non-negotiable. Interviewers will probe how you manage projects under HIPAA, IRB/NCI/NIH sponsor rules, and institutional policies—while keeping teams moving. They will look for how you validate workflows with clinicians, protect PHI, and build community trust in outreach.

• Compliance & Governance: HIPAA, IRB processes, NCI/NIH requirements, Good Clinical Practice, data-sharing agreements (e.g., DMDA).

• Data Stewardship: Using REDCap or similar for education/outreach data, auditability, data integrity, and reporting.

• Community-Centered Design: Bi-directional engagement, Community Advisory Boards, culturally responsive education.

• Advanced concepts (less common): Federated data access models, limited data sets vs. de-identified data, clinical trial accrual metrics, CCSG compliance reporting.

• Example questions or scenarios:

  • "Walk us through how you ensured compliance while accelerating a research milestone under a sponsor deadline."
  • "How would you design an outreach program that increases screening rates across multiple counties and proves impact?"
  • "Describe how you executed a data-use agreement with external investigators and monitored downstream compliance."

Project Execution, Methodology, and Risk Control

Your toolkit should be visible: how you build roadmaps, WBS, RAID logs, status reporting rhythms, and change control—then keep the plan on track. Expect to discuss how you forecast resources, manage dependencies, and recover when a critical path slips.

• Planning & Controls: Scope statements, WBS, baselines, RACI, earned value basics, issue/risk logs, retrospectives.

• Change Management: Formal change control, stakeholder buy-in, training and adoption plans.

• Vendor & Contract Oversight: SOW creation, deliverable acceptance, subcontract execution and monitoring.

• Advanced concepts (less common): Benefits realization frameworks, cost-of-delay prioritization, multi-year portfolio roadmapping.

• Example questions or scenarios:

  • "A vendor slips on a key deliverable that jeopardizes go-live. What do you do in the next 48 hours?"
  • "Show us a status report you would send to executives when budget variance hits 10%."
  • "Describe your post-implementation 'lessons learned' process and one change you institutionalized."

Stakeholder Leadership, Communication, and Influence

You will lead without formal authority across clinicians, faculty, IT, vendors, and community partners. We look for concise, audience-tuned communication and the discipline to set expectations and hold teams accountable.

• Executive Communication: Brief, decision-forward updates with clear risks and asks.

• Team Facilitation: Structuring meetings for outcomes, conflict resolution, escalation paths.

• Community & External Relations: Representing Atrium Health at events, faith/community organizations, and consortiums.

• Advanced concepts (less common): Influence mapping, stakeholder-specific KPIs, narrative risk framing.

• Example questions or scenarios:

  • "Tell us about a time you reset expectations with a senior leader and regained confidence."
  • "How have you built trust with community stakeholders to co-create programming?"
  • "Role-play a 5-minute executive update on a delayed milestone—what do you say and ask for?"

Data, Financials, and Reporting

Your command of metrics and money will be tested. Interviewers expect you to quantify outcomes, manage budgets, and produce sponsor or compliance-ready reports.

• Budgeting & Variance Management: Forecasts, variance analysis, corrective actions.

• Operational & Clinical Metrics: Throughput, quality, screening rates, adoption/utilization.

• Sponsor & Institutional Reporting: Progress reports, CCSG metrics, ancillary study tracking.

• Advanced concepts (less common): EVM indices, sensitivity analysis, portfolio rebalancing.

• Example questions or scenarios:

  • "How did you design metrics for an education program and prove it was working?"
  • "Describe a time you inherited a project with financial drift—what did you do?"
  • "What does 'data integrity' mean in your reporting practice?"

Technical Fluency: EHR, Research Systems, and Enterprise IT

While you are not expected to code, you must be conversant in the systems you deliver. For IT-focused roles, expect deeper probes on infrastructure, construction interfaces, and vendor coordination.

• EHR & Clinical Systems: Epic workflows, change requests, stakeholder validation, training.

• Research & Outreach Tools: REDCap data capture, integration points, audit trails.

• Enterprise IT Delivery: Architecture alignment, Bluebeam Revu (for construction markup), low-voltage planning, nurse call/telecom needs.

• Advanced concepts (less common): Technology roadmap alignment, cybersecurity reviews, go-live command center playbooks.

• Example questions or scenarios:

  • "Explain how you shepherd an Epic enhancement from intake through go-live and stabilization."
  • "You’re coordinating IT infrastructure for a renovation—what artifacts do you produce and how do you validate them?"
  • "How do you handle competing demands on a multi-year technology roadmap?"

This visualization highlights the topics that frequently surface in interviews: compliance, stakeholder leadership, Epic/EHR, PMO/RAID artifacts, community engagement, data/reporting, and vendor management. Prioritize your preparation where words are most prominent, but be prepared to shift emphasis based on the specific posting (IT PMO, research, or outreach).

Key Responsibilities

You will plan, execute, and close projects that advance Atrium Health’s strategic goals while meeting sponsor, regulatory, and quality standards. Day to day, you will convert objectives into project plans, facilitate cross-functional execution, and produce clear, actionable communications for diverse audiences.

• Build project charters, roadmaps, and governance models that align with enterprise priorities and domain standards (PMO methodology, sponsor requirements).
• Lead cross-functional teams—clinical, IT, research, community partners—through milestones, risks, and decisions using disciplined cadence, RACI, and escalation paths.
• Manage scope, schedule, budget, and quality; maintain RAID logs; oversee vendor/subcontract performance; and conduct structured change control.
• Produce sponsor/institutional reporting with impeccable data integrity; design metrics that demonstrate outcomes and guide decisions.
• For outreach roles: design and deliver culturally responsive education programs; coordinate events; engage Community Advisory Boards; collect and analyze REDCap data; report CCSG metrics.
• For IT roles: coordinate infrastructure planning, read/annotate construction drawings, align to architecture standards, and prepare go-live readiness and post-implementation reviews.

You will collaborate closely with Research, Academics, Clinical Operations, Education, the Enterprise PMO, and external stakeholders. Expect to translate strategy into action, coach teams through adoption, and represent Atrium Health at community events and vendor meetings.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

Strong candidates pair disciplined project management with healthcare fluency and stakeholder leadership. Experience varies by track, but the fundamentals are consistent: deliver reliably, communicate clearly, and uphold safety and compliance at all times.

• Must-have technical skills
  • Project management methodology: Chartering, WBS, RAID, change control, retrospectives, portfolio basics.
  • Tools: Microsoft Office (advanced Excel/PowerPoint), project tracking (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet or equivalent), REDCap exposure for research/outreach roles.
  • Healthcare systems literacy: Epic/EHR workflows, research compliance frameworks (HIPAA, IRB, NCI/NIH).
• Must-have experience
  • 2–5+ years managing cross-functional projects or programs in healthcare, research, IT, or community health.
  • Proven ability to manage budgets, monitoring/variance, and sponsor or institutional reporting.
  • Executive-ready communication; facilitation of complex stakeholder groups and vendors.
• Soft skills that distinguish
  • Influence without authority, crisp executive communication, cultural humility, and community partnership building.
  • Analytical problem-solving, risk anticipation, and calm under pressure.
  • Customer service orientation with the “loved one standard.”
• Nice-to-have qualifications
  • PMP or other PM certifications; Epic exposure; experience with Bluebeam Revu and low-voltage planning for IT infrastructure.
  • Community health education experience; CHES certification; knowledge of CCSG reporting; experience managing subcontracts and DMDAs.

This module provides compensation insights across Project/Program Manager roles within the Atrium Health/Advocate Health enterprise, showing typical ranges by specialization (IT PMO, research programs, community outreach) and location. Use it to calibrate expectations based on scope, experience, and track, and be prepared to discuss how your impact and skillset align with the upper bands.

Common Interview Questions

Expect questions that validate your command of healthcare delivery, disciplined project management, stakeholder leadership, and measurable impact. Prepare brief, outcome-focused stories tailored to the specific track you are pursuing.

Role-Related and Domain Knowledge

Interviewers assess your understanding of healthcare, research, outreach, or IT environments.

• How have you ensured HIPAA and IRB compliance while meeting an aggressive timeline?
• Describe your experience with Epic change requests and stakeholder validation.
• Walk us through how you used REDCap (or similar) to track education/outreach metrics and produce sponsor-ready reports.
• What strategies have you used to build trust with community partners across diverse populations?
• Share an example of managing subcontracts or DMDAs and ensuring downstream data compliance.

Project Execution and Methodology

You will be asked to demonstrate disciplined planning, risk control, and change management.

• How do you structure a project charter and define success criteria for a multi-site rollout?
• Describe a time you used a RAID log to prevent a critical issue from impacting go-live.
• Tell us about a change control you led—what changed, who you engaged, and how you managed impact.
• Show us a status dashboard you would send to executives; what are the top three elements?
• How did you run a lessons-learned session and institutionalize the findings?

Stakeholder Leadership and Communication

Your ability to influence, escalate, and maintain trust is central.

• Tell me about a time you had to reset expectations with a senior sponsor.
• How do you facilitate productive meetings with clinicians, researchers, and IT at the table?
• Describe a conflict between vendor and internal teams—how did you resolve it?
• How do you set and enforce a RACI without alienating partners?
• Give an example of an executive update you delivered under pressure.

Problem-Solving and Case Scenarios

Scenario prompts will test your judgment and structure.

• Budget variance hits 12% mid-project—what’s your next move?
• A critical clinical workflow test fails one week before go-live—walk us through your decision tree.
• Community event attendance is below target for two months; how do you diagnose and improve?
• A sponsor adds a deliverable post-award; how do you rebaseline and secure alignment?
• Two departments request conflicting features—how do you prioritize?

Technical and IT Delivery (for IT PMO-focused roles)

Expect deeper probes on infrastructure, vendors, and roadmap alignment.

• How do you translate a demand intake into a prioritized, multi-year technology roadmap?
• Describe your process for reviewing and annotating construction drawings for IT infrastructure.
• How do you ensure vendors meet deliverables and quality? What artifacts do you use?
• Outline your go-live readiness checklist and command center plan.
• How do you manage cybersecurity reviews and change control for an enterprise rollout?

Use this interactive module on Dataford to practice by topic, build structured answers, and time your responses. Prioritize categories most aligned to your target track, then expand to secondary areas to avoid coverage gaps.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How difficult are the interviews and how much time should I prepare?
Plan for a moderately rigorous process with deep dives into execution detail. Allocate 10–15 hours to refine STAR stories, build one-page executive summaries of 2–3 flagship projects, and practice scenario questions aloud.

Q: What separates successful candidates at Atrium Health?
Clear, outcomes-driven narratives; disciplined use of PM artifacts; and domain fluency (Epic, REDCap, sponsor compliance, or IT infrastructure depending on track). Leaders who communicate crisply and link decisions to patient, clinician, or community impact stand out.

Q: What is the culture like?
Mission-centered, collaborative, and metrics-driven. We expect the “loved one standard,” respect for community voice, and accountability to safety and compliance in every decision.

Q: What timelines should I expect after interviews?
Timelines vary by role and stakeholder availability, but you can generally expect updates within 1–2 weeks after panel completion. Proactive, professional follow-ups are welcome.

Q: Is the role remote or on-site?
Several Project Manager roles are hybrid or remote, with some requiring travel for community events, site walkthroughs, or construction meetings. Confirm expectations with your recruiter based on the specific posting.

Other General Tips

• Prepare executive one-pagers: Bring a concise one-page brief for two flagship projects, including objectives, scope, timeline, budget, metrics, risks, and outcomes.
• Quantify relentlessly: Convert activities into outcomes—screening rate increases, reduced cycle time, cost variance corrected, adoption percentages, or sponsor milestones met.
• Show your artifacts: Be ready to screen-share sample RAID logs, charters, RACI, or change requests (sanitized for confidentiality) to prove your operating rhythm.
• Match vocabulary to the track: Use Epic terms for clinical workflows, REDCap/IRB language for research, and PMO/architecture terms for IT infrastructure.
• Pre-wire your stories: Prepare a vendor recovery story, an escalation done well, a compliance win under pressure, and a post-implementation improvement you institutionalized.

Summary & Next Steps

Project Managers at Atrium Health convert strategy into outcomes that patients, families, clinicians, and communities can feel. You will lead complex initiatives—enterprise IT, academic research programs, and community outreach—with discipline, empathy, and an unwavering commitment to safety, compliance, and equity.

Focus your preparation on four areas: domain fluency (Epic, REDCap, sponsor/IRB compliance, or IT infrastructure), disciplined PM execution (plans, RAID, change control, vendor management), leadership and communication (executive-ready updates, stakeholder alignment), and measurable impact (budget adherence, quality and access metrics, adoption). Calibrate your stories to the specific track, and tie every decision to an outcome that advances our mission.

Use Dataford’s interactive modules to practice and refine your answers. You are ready to lead with clarity and deliver with purpose—bring the details, own the outcomes, and show how your work makes care better for every person we serve.