Manager Research Project C

Trustees of University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Pennsylvania is seeking a Manager, Research Project C to serve as the operational lead for a Lilly Research study and the WORKS study in partnership with external partners. The PM-C will oversee implementation, staffing, timelines, and risk management, acting as the primary operational contact for the industry partner.

The role also involves overseeing budgets, regulatory compliance, and a growing research portfolio, coordinating with the Principal Investigator and the research

Qualifications

• Master's degree in public health, epidemiology, health policy, social sciences, or related field with 5–7 years of experience.
• Experience managing complex multi-year research studies, including budgets, timelines, staffing, and IRB compliance.
• Experience supervising, training, and mentoring research staff.
• Experience with pre- and post-award grant management, including budget development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, able to work with investigators, sponsors, community partners.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities independently.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational oversight of studies in the lab's portfolio.
• Oversee day-to-day research operations, timelines, and resources across the lab's portfolio; build tracking systems, dashboards, and SOPs.
• Manage pre and post-award budgets and ensure compliance with sponsor, University, school, and IRB policies.
• Supervise, train, and mentor research staff; lead hiring, onboarding, and staffing plans.
• Lead grant planning and submissions and the launch of newly funded studies.
• Lead regulatory planning, including IRB submissions and ongoing compliance.
• Support strategic planning, partnership development, reporting, and lab communications.

Skills

Communication skills

Leadership/mentoring

Project management

Organizational skills

Budget management

Regulatory compliance

Education

Master's degree in public health / epidemiology / health policy

Tools

REDCap

Qualtrics

Job description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Manager Research Project C

Job Profile Title

Manager Research Project C

Job Description Summary

The Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, is seeking to hire a Manager Research Project C to serve as the operational lead for Dr. Venkataramani's Lilly Research study. The PM-C will oversee implementation, staffing, timelines, and risk management and will serve as the primary operational point of contact for the industry partner. The PM-C will also oversee the WORKS study, conducted in partnership with the Skills Initiative.

Job Description

The Opportunity for Health Lab, led by Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani in the Department of Medical Ethics and Health Policy, studies economic opportunity as a critical driver of health. The lab uses rigorous experimental and quasi-experimental designs to evaluate policies, programs, and partnerships that expand economic opportunity and improve health and well-being, including large-scale, community-based studies conducted with external partners.

The Manager, Research Project C serves as the operational lead for the lab, partnering closely with the Principal Investigator to plan, launch, and manage a growing research portfolio. The position provides operational oversight of a large, multi-year community health study conducted in partnership with an industry partner and serves as the primary operational point of contact for the partner.

The Manager oversees study implementation, budgets, staffing, regulatory compliance, and timelines across projects; supervises research staff; leads grant planning and the launch of newly funded studies; and builds the systems, procedures, and infrastructure that allow the lab to run multiple studies efficiently and to a high standard.

Job Responsibilities

• Provide operational oversight of studies in the lab's portfolio.
• Oversee day-to-day research operations, timelines, and resources across the lab's portfolio; build tracking systems, dashboards, and SOPs.
• Manage Pre and Post-award budgets and ensure compliance with sponsor, University, school, and IRB policies.
• Supervise, train, and mentor research staff; lead hiring, onboarding, and staffing plans.
• Lead grant planning and submissions and the launch of newly funded studies.
• Lead regulatory planning, including IRB submissions and ongoing compliance.
• Support strategic planning, partnership development, reporting, and lab communications.

Required Qualifications

• Master's degree in public health, epidemiology, health policy, social sciences, or a related field and 5 to 7 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-year research studies, including budgets, timelines, staffing, and regulatory (IRB) compliance.
• Experience supervising, training, and mentoring research staff.
• Experience with pre and post-award grant management, including budget development and proposal preparation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with investigators, sponsors, and community partners.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities independently.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with participant recruitment, engagement, and compensation in research settings.
• Familiarity with Penn research administration systems and policies.
• Managing several research budgets and accounts at once (sponsored, start-up and discretionary funds), with multi-year projections
• Proficiency with REDCap, Qualtrics, or similar research platforms, and with data visualization o