GIS Career Pathways: Project Manager
My Path to Becoming a Project Manager at Esri
Growing up in Redlands, California, Esri was always part of the community around me and eventually part of my career journey. I attended California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB), where I earned my bachelor's degree in Business Marketing and Sports & Entertainment Marketing.
During college, I had my first opportunity at Esri as an Events Marketing Intern, which gave me early exposure to the culture, people, and real-world impact of geographic information systems (GIS). As I continued to grow professionally, I later pursued my Master of Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Redlands, which helped strengthen my strategic thinking, leadership skills, and business foundation.
After graduation, I joined Target, where I spent eight years building a strong foundation in leadership, operations, recruiting, and project execution. I held roles ranging from Executive Team Lead to Senior and Campus Recruiter, managing complex initiatives, supporting large teams, and delivering results in fast-paced environments. These experiences shaped how I approach problem-solving, communication, and stakeholder management today.
My connection to Esri never truly left, and I eventually found my way back as a Digital Experience Project Manager supporting event websites and digital platforms within Esri’s marketing organization. Returning to Esri felt like coming full circle, blending my business, marketing, leadership, and academic background with technology and GIS to help deliver meaningful and impactful digital experiences.
What My Day-to-Day Looks Like as a Project Manager
No two days are exactly the same, which is one of the things I enjoy most about being a Project Manager at Esri. My role sits at the intersection of strategy, coordination, and execution.
On a typical day, I partner closely with designers, developers, content strategists, and stakeholders to plan and deliver projects that support esri.com and event-based digital experiences. I translate business goals into clear project plans, timelines, and priorities while facilitating meetings to remove blockers, align teams, and keep work moving forward.
I balance multiple projects at once while ensuring quality, accessibility, and user experience remain top priorities, and I collaborate across departments to make sure our digital products align with Esri’s mission and brand.
Many of the projects I support are highly visual, which is where maps truly shine. From showcasing event locations and global user communities to supporting storytelling through geography, GIS adds a powerful visual layer that helps connect people to place, data, and purpose, even when I am not creating maps directly myself.
Skills Needed to Be Successful
Being a Project Manager, especially in a digital and GIS-focused environment, requires a combination of hard skills and soft skills.
Hard Skills
Project management fundamentals such as planning, scheduling, and risk management; familiarity with digital products and web platforms; strong organizational and prioritization skills; data-informed decision-making and reporting; and comfort working with cross-functional and technical teams.
Soft Skills
Clear communication and the ability to translate complex ideas for different audiences; adaptability in fast-moving environments; relationship building and collaboration; problem-solving and critical thinking; and empathy and emotional intelligence when supporting teams.
My experience outside of tech, particularly in retail leadership at Target, helped me develop many of these skills, which are just as critical as technical knowledge in this role.
Tips for Overall Success in This Career Pathway
If you are interested in a Project Manager career at Esri or within the GIS industry, here are a few tips that have helped guide my journey.
- Your path does not have to be linear, and skills gained in marketing, operations, leadership, or customer-facing roles are incredibly valuable in project management.
- Learning how to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences is one of the most powerful tools you can bring to a project.
- Staying curious is equally important; you do not need to be a GIS expert on day one, but a willingness to learn and ask questions goes a long way.
- Building strong relationships is essential, as success as a Project Manager is rooted in trust, collaboration, and follow-through.
- Take advantage of internships and early-career opportunities whenever possible, as my first internship at Esri played a significant role in shaping my long-term career path.
Final Thoughts
Being a Project Manager at Esri allows me to combine my roots in the Redlands community, my education at CSUSB and the University of Redlands, and my passion for people and problem-solving into a career that is both challenging and deeply rewarding.
If you enjoy bringing structure to complexity, collaborating across teams, and helping ideas become reality, this career pathway may be a great fit for you.
I hope my journey helps you better understand what it is like to be a Project Manager at Esri and encourages you to explore where your own path might lead next.
You can connect with me on LinkedIn or email me at aluu@esri.com
