Program Manager

Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Bethesda (MD); Hybrid; USD 104,000 - 129,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Bethesda, MD is seeking a Program Manager for the Community College Pilot. You will build tracking systems, coordinate data collection across HHMI sites, and translate data into actionable insights supporting student success and transfer pathways.

This hybrid role requires 3–5 years in higher education or institutional research, a Bachelor's degree (Graduate degree preferred), and comfort working with students and partner colleges.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required; graduate degree preferred.
• 3–5 years in higher education, student success, institutional research, or related field.
• Experience with data tracking and reporting across multiple sites.
• Ability to work with diverse partners and students.

Responsibilities

• Builds and runs the tracking systems. Develops and maintains systems for monitoring student participation, persistence, transfer, and graduation outcomes across Pilot sites. Owns data quality, consistency, and confidentiality.
• Coordinates data collection. Works with institutional partners to gather program data, reconciles inconsistencies, and ensures reporting requirements are met.
• Turns data into usable information. Analyzes quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends and challenges. Prepares summaries, dashboards, and reports for internal and external audiences.
• Supports evaluation. Assists with evaluation framework development and dissemination of lessons learned and effective practices.
• Leads student success work. Collaborates with partner institutions on student recruitment, engagement, and retention.
• Serves as a community college resource. Brings knowledge of community college student experiences, transfer pathways, and institutional practices to the team's program design.
• Acts as the point of contact for site issues. Serves as the first point of contact when questions or issues arise across Pilot sites.

Skills

Data analysis

Data governance

Data visualization

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

Student information systems

Survey tools

Data visualization platforms

Job description

Primary Work Address: 4000 Jones Bridge Road, Chevy Chase, MD,20815

HHMI is focused on supporting and moving science forward in avariety of different ways ranging from conducting basic biomedicalresearch, empowering educators, inspiring students, developing thenext generation of scientists – even stretching into film and mediaproduction. Our Headquarters is in the greater Washington, DC metroarea and is home to over 300 employees with expertise ininvestments, communications, digital production, biomedicalsciences, and everything in between. The work housed here supportsand augments the groundbreaking research conducted in HHMI labsacross the nation. As HHMI scientists continue to push boundariesin laboratories and classrooms, you can be sure that yourcontributions while working here are making a difference.

This is a role for someone who thinks in systems and finds genuinesatisfaction in making data tell a useful story about how studentsare doing.

The Program Manager supports HHMI's Community College Pilot,tracking what is happening across Pilot sites and helping the teamrespond to what the numbers show, working closely with the SeniorProgram Manager and Program Coordinator.

The work is more analytical than most program roles at this level. The Program Manager builds and maintains the trackinginfrastructure and coordinates data collection across institutions,while also carrying real programmatic responsibilities, includingsupporting student success work and serving as a resource oncommunity college student experiences and transfer pathways.

Why This Role Matters

HHMI's Community College Pilot supports promising science studentsat community colleges through transfer and bachelor's degreecompletion in the life sciences. What makes the Pilot distinct isthat support is built around individual students rather than routedonly through institutional programs, so someone has to keep trackof how individual students are actually doing, not just how a sitereports it. This role carries that responsibility. Fluency with thedata and genuine relationships with students and institutionalstaff are what keep a program with this many moving parts pointedin the same direction. When questions or issues come up acrosssites, this role is often the first point of contact, and how thosemoments are handled shapes how smoothly the rest of the team can dotheir work.

What You Will Actually Do

• Builds and runs the tracking systems. Develops andmaintains systems for monitoring student participation,persistence, transfer, and graduation outcomes across Pilot sites.Owns data quality, consistency, and confidentiality.

• Coordinates data collection. Works with institutionalpartners to gather program data, reconciles inconsistencies, andensures reporting requirements are met. Serves as the person whoknows where the gaps are.

• Turns data into usable information. Analyzesquantitative and qualitative data to identify trends andchallenges. Prepares summaries, dashboards, and reports forinternal and external audiences.

• Supports evaluation. Assists with evaluation frameworkdevelopment and dissemination of lessons learned and effectivepractices.

• Leads student success work. Collaborates with partnerinstitutions on student recruitment, engagement, and retention.Monitors participation in program offerings and flags students whomay need additional support.

• Serves as a community college resource. Brings knowledgeof community college student experiences, transfer pathways, andinstitutional practices to the team's program design anddecision-making.

• Acts as the point of contact for site issues. Serves asthe first point of contact when questions or issues arise acrossPilot sites, coordinating with the broader team to resolve themrather than solving every problem independently.

What We Are Looking For

• Brings data discipline. Builds systems that hold up overtime, thinks about data structure before output, and catchesquality problems before they compound.

• Offers community college fluency. Brings directprofessional experience in or with community colleges andunderstands what transfer actually asks of students, not just whatthe paperwork says.

• Makes data useful, not just accurate . Does not stop atcorrect numbers, and frames findings in ways that help a programteam understand what to do next.

• Stays organized under complexity. Tracks a wide set ofinstitutional relationships and data streams simultaneously withoutlosing threads.

• Communicates across audiences. Writes a technical datasummary for an internal team and a clear student-facing email inthe same morning.

• Is mission-connected. Cares specifically about scienceaccess and transfer equity, not just program management in theabstract.

• Education and experience. A bachelor's degree isrequired ; a graduate degree is preferred. A minimum of three tofive years of professional experience in higher education, studentsuccess, institutional research, program evaluation, or a relatedfield is required .

Nice To Have

• Background supporting transfer students or science studentpopulations.

• Experience with student information systems, survey tools, ordata visualization platforms.

• Experience with program assessment and longitudinal studenttracking.

What This Role Is Not

• Not a pure data role. This role works closely withstudents and institutional partners, not just spreadsheets.

• Not a research or evaluation lead role. This rolesupports evaluation but does not design or own itindependently.

• Not a supervisory role. This is an individualcontributor position.

• Not a role for someone without community collegeexperience. Direct professional experience working in or withcommunity colleges is required, not preferred.

Practical Details

This position is based at HHMI headquarters and follows a hybridwork arrangement. Domestic travel is required for site visits,convenings, and conferences. This role reports to the Director ofUndergraduate Science Pathways.

Please note that we are not able to sponsor a visa for this position at this time.

Physical Requirements

Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extendedperiods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) orarm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for exampleusing a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word;ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to moveabout workspace. The position requires mobility, including theability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as alaptop computer or tablet).

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essentialduties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests forreasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individualbasis.

Please Note:

This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties,responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed asan exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word "may," the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described aboveare "essential functions" of the job, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Compensation and Benefits

Our employees are compensated from a total rewards perspective inmany ways for their contributions to our mission, includingcompetitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans,time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visit our Benefits at HHMI site to learn more.

Hiring Pay Range

$103,508.00 - $129,385.00

Pay Type: Annual

The posted range reflects HHMI’s good faith estimate of the anticipated hiring salary range for this role at the time ofposting. Actual hiring compensation is determined by a candidate’squalifications, experience, and internal equity.

HHMI is an Equal OpportunityEmployer

We use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employmenteligibility of all new hires.