Lead Project Manager

California Institute of Technology; Big Pine (CA); On-site; USD 145,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

California Institute of Technology seeks a Lead Project Manager for the Deep Synoptic Array (DSA) to oversee design, construction, and future operations. You will coordinate governance, budgets, scheduling, risk, and regulatory activities across a large, multi-institution collaboration.

Working closely with PI teams, engineers, and stakeholders, you will drive execution from conceptual design through construction and long-term operation, travel to Caltech and partner sites as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field and significant leadership of large scientific or engineering projects.
• Ph.D. in a related discipline is preferred for advanced leadership roles.
• Experience coordinating multidisciplinary teams across large organizations.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the DSA project scope, schedule, budget, and PM functions.
• Lead integrated project planning across conceptual design, construction, and long-term operations.
• Direct governance, document control, reporting, and organizational practices to support execution.
• Manage risk, contingency planning, issue resolution, and mitigation strategies with senior leadership.
• Coordinate executive-level collaboration among investigators, engineers, staff, partners, and funding agencies.
• Prepare for major technical and external reviews and oversee resulting actions.
• Oversee organizational planning and cross-functional coordination across the collaboration.
• Oversee Environmental Impact Study processes with regulators and communities.
• Plan procurement and implementation of project infrastructure including buildings and power systems.
• Ensure alignment of objectives, schedules, budgets, and quality with project goals.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Strategic thinking

Communication

Multi-disciplinary leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in Project Management/Astronomy/Engineering/Physical Sciences

Ph.D. in Astronomy/Engineering/Physics or related

Tools

Microsoft Project

Jira

Slack

Microsoft Teams

Job description

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

The Deep Synoptic Array (DSA) is a next-generation radio telescope being developed for deployment in a radio-quiet valley in Nevada. Comprising 1,650 dishes, the DSA is designed to survey the sky at unprecedented speed and sensitivity. During its five-year initial survey, the DSA is expected to detect more than one billion astronomical sources, produce images and transient alerts in real time, and rapidly deliver science-ready data products to the astronomical community. The DSA brings together scientists, engineers, technical experts, and project professionals across a large, multidisciplinary collaboration. As the project advances toward construction and operations, the DSA offers an opportunity to contribute to the development and delivery of a major new facility at the forefront of radio astronomy.

Job Summary

The Lead Project Manager, in partnership with the Principal Investigator (PI) team and Deputy Project Manager, provides strategic leadership and integrated project management for the design, development, construction, and future operation of the DSA, one of the world's most advanced radio astronomy initiatives. The position is responsible for coordinating project planning, governance, budgeting, scheduling, risk management, environmental compliance, infrastructure development, and organizational planning across a large, multidisciplinary, multi-institutional collaboration.

Working closely with the Principal Investigators, Deputy Project Manager, Project Engineer, institutional leadership, consultants, contractors, funding agencies, and government organizations, the Lead Project Manager ensures alignment across scientific, engineering, technical, operational, and administrative workstreams while supporting the successful execution of the project from conceptual design through construction and operations.

Essential Job Duties

The Lead Project Manager provides strategic leadership for execution of the DSA project scope, schedule, budget, and integrated project management functions, working in partnership with the Deputy Project Manager and broader project leadership.

• Serve as the primary project management lead, providing strategic direction across multiple technical, programmatic, and organizational workstreams.
• Lead integrated project planning and execution supporting conceptual design, construction, and long-term operations, including project schedules, budgets, milestones, deliverables, and resource planning.
• Direct project management methodologies, governance processes, document control systems, reporting mechanisms, and organizational practices that support effective project execution.
• Lead project-wide risk management, contingency planning, issue resolution, and mitigation strategies, providing decision support to project leadership on matters affecting project success.
• Provide executive-level coordination among Principal Investigators, scientists, engineers, technical staff, institutional leadership, collaborators, consultants, contractors, funding agencies, government organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Coordinate preparation for major technical, scientific, programmatic, and external reviews, including funding agency milestones, external review committees, and oversight boards, and oversee resulting action items.
• Lead organizational planning, stakeholder communications, and multidisciplinary coordination across the expanding DSA collaboration, ensuring alignment of priorities, responsibilities, and project objectives.
• Manage the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) and associated regulatory activities in coordination with consultants, the Bureau of Land Management, tribal representatives, regulatory agencies, and local communities.
• Oversee planning, specification, procurement, and implementation of project infrastructure, including buildings, power systems, communications, utilities, and access roads.
• Coordinate consultants, contractors, and partner institutions to ensure alignment with project objectives, schedules, budgets, technical requirements, and quality standards.
• Support strategic planning and development of project execution plans, technical and programmatic documentation, funding proposals, presentations, and other materials supporting future project funding and long-term project needs.
• Organize and facilitate executive meetings, technical reviews, workshops, and cross-functional coordination meetings, ensuring effective communication and follow-through.
• Coordinate closely with the broader DSA management team to establish priorities, resolve project issues, and support strategic decision-making as the project advances toward construction and operations.
• Travel as required to Caltech, OVRO, partner institutions, and project sites.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Project Management, Astronomy, Engineering, Physical Sciences, or a closely related discipline.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience leading large, complex scientific, engineering, construction, or technical projects, or an equivalent combination of project management and scientific or engineering leadership experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading multidisciplinary teams across complex organizational environments.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while coordinating diverse technical and scientific stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Astronomy, Engineering, Physics, or a related scientific discipline.
• PMI Project Management Professional (PMP) certification and/or INCOSE ASEP (or higher) certification.
• Experience managing large-scale astronomy, observatory, scientific infrastructure, or construction projects.
• Experience working within large, distributed, multi-institutional scientific collaborations.
• Experience implementing project governance, integrated scheduling, document control, and enterprise risk management processes.
• Knowledge of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) procedures and regulatory compliance.
• Experience with project management software and collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Project, Jira, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with executive leadership, funding agencies, scientists, engineers, contractors, and regulatory organizations.

Required Documents

• Resume.

Hiring Range

$144,700 - $170,000 Per Year The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training. As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks.

EEO Statement

Caltech is an equal opportunity employer and, as a federal contractor, takes affirmative action to employ qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Disability Accommodations

Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.

If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail].

Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail].