NIAR Project Operations Manager - APEX

WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY; Wichita (KS); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Wichita State University’s NIAR is seeking a detail-driven Project Operations Manager to oversee the planning, execution, and financial oversight of laboratory projects and grant-funded initiatives.

You will collaborate with project teams, leadership, finance, and contracts to ensure scope alignment, timely invoicing, budgeting, and regulatory compliance. The role emphasizes risk management, data-driven performance, and documentation to support sponsor expectations and organizational growth.

Qualifications

• Seven years of related project management experience; 30 hours of college coursework can substitute for 1 year (max 4 years).
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Knowledge of budgeting, grant/contract requirements, and sponsor guidelines.
• Ability to ensure compliance with policies, laws, and regulations.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities.
• Experience with data collection and performance measurement.

Responsibilities

• Provides operational oversight for laboratory projects, including grant-funded and contract work.
• Supports planning, schedules, milestones, deliverable tracking, and risk monitoring.
• Manages budgets, burn rates, funding availability, and invoicing reconciliation.
• Coordinates with project teams to ensure work aligns with approved scopes of work.
• Analyzes data to inform decisions and improve performance; maintains documentation.

Skills

Project management

Budgeting

Compliance

Data analysis

Communication

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Job description

Job Information

NIAR is seeking a detail‑driven and highly organized Project Operations Manager to support the successful planning, execution, and financial oversight of laboratory projects and grant‑funded initiatives. This role serves as a central operational partner—working closely with project teams, leadership, finance, and contracts—to ensure projects stay on track, align with approved scopes, meet sponsor expectations, and maintain compliance with internal and external requirements. The ideal candidate brings strong project management experience, a commitment to operational excellence, and the ability to navigate complex workflows to support NIAR’s mission and research programs.

Job Summary

Performs project management in the laboratory to ensure effective execution, financial stewardship, and operational discipline of programs and projects. This role provides centralized oversight of project management activities, grant‑funded work, and associated financial tracking to ensure compliance, timely execution, and accurate billing. Serves as a key operational partner to leadership, project leads, finance, and/or contracts, helping protect the organization from risk while enabling growth, continuous improvement, and successful delivery of customer and sponsor commitments.

Essential Functions

• Provides operational oversight for laboratory projects, including grant‑funded and contract work.
• Supports project planning, schedules, milestones, deliverable tracking, monitoring project status, and identifying risks, issues and resource constraints.
• Manages laboratory activities related to the projects, including tracking funding, budgets, and allowable expenditures, and monitoring burn rates and funding availability.
• Coordinates with project teams to ensure work performed aligns with approved scopes of work.
• Works closely with internal and/or external partners to ensure accurate and timely invoices. Supports reconciliation of project budgets, expenditures and revenue, and identifies potential financial risks.
• Evaluates program effectiveness by collecting and analyzing data in support of key performance metrics.
• Ensures that activities are in compliance with policies, laws, and regulatory agencies.
• Makes sure to maintain records and documentation; coordinates with and provides reports and updates to internal and external resources and stakeholders.

Required Education and Experience

High school diploma or equivalent.

Seven (7) years of related project management experience. Every 30 hours of related college coursework can be substituted for one (1) year of experience (maximum of four (4) years).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Project management principles and workflow coordination.
• Budgeting, financial tracking, and grant/contract requirements.
• Compliance standards, policies, and sponsor guidelines.
• Basic data tracking and performance measurement methods.
• Strong organization and multitasking.
• Risk identification and problem‑solving.
• Financial monitoring and budget reconciliation.
• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Proficiency with project management and tracking tools.
• Work effectively with cross‑functional teams and stakeholders.
• Maintain alignment with scopes of work and sponsor expectations.
• Ensure compliance while supporting efficient operations.
• Analyze data to inform decisions and improvements.
• Manage documentation and produce timely reports.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to remain in a stationary position.
• Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment.
• Ability to communicate with others and accurately exchange information.
• Ability to interpret effectively, accurately and impartially, both receptively and expressively.