Program Manager

University of South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 64,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

University of South Carolina is seeking a Program Manager for the Center for Science Education (CSE) to lead and coordinate high-impact STEM outreach programs and discipline-based education research.

You will oversee the annual Science and Engineering Fair across K–12 levels, manage budgets, recruit volunteers, and collaborate with educators, districts, and universities to broaden participation in STEM across South Carolina.

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a related field and 3+ years of related experience.

Responsibilities

• Plan, prepare, and run annual Science and Engineering Fair events.
• Coordinate outreach with K–12 educators, districts, and community partners.
• Support DBER research design, data collection, and reporting.
• Recruit, train, and supervise undergraduate research assistants.
• Manage records, communications, and scheduling in cloud-based systems.
• Contribute to grant proposals, reports, and dissemination of findings.

Skills

Observing instructors

Educational research methods

Cloud computing

Google Docs

Google Sheets

Google Slides

Google Forms

Schedule coordination

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

Program Manager

Location: Columbia, Richland County

Schedule: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm with one hour for lunch. Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department.

Basis: 12 months

Salary Range: USC Market Range: MRH - $63,557 $79,446 $95,336; Anticipated Hiring Range: $63,557 - $79,446

Desired Start Date: 09/16/2026

Number of Vacancies: 1

We are only accepting applications submitted by September 26, 2026.

From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.

The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.

The University of South Carolina (USC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about USC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.

The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:

• Health and Life Insurance
• Retirement Programs
• Paid Tuition
• Dependent Scholarships
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Professional Development Opportunities

Click here to learn more about why you should work at USC.

The Center for Science Education (CSE) at the University of South Carolina invites applications for a Program Manager who will play a central role in advancing the Center’s outreach, research, and educational missions. This position combines leadership of high-impact STEM outreach programs with coordination of innovative discipline-based education research (DBER) focused on improving undergraduate STEM teaching and learning.

The Program Coordinator will oversee the planning, organization, and implementation of the annual Science and Engineering Fair (SEF), including elementary, middle, and high school competitions and related recognition events. The Coordinator will also support additional science outreach and competition programs, working collaboratively with K–12 educators, school districts, community partners, judges, donors, and university stakeholders to expand participation and strengthen STEM engagement across South Carolina.

Key outreach responsibilities include event planning and execution, budgeting, scheduling, recruitment of participants and volunteers, management of records and communications, coordination of event logistics, and maintenance of institutional knowledge and documentation. The Coordinator will build and sustain relationships with educators, administrators, community partners, and external stakeholders while ensuring compliance with university, state, and federal policies.

In addition to outreach responsibilities, the Program Coordinator will serve as an operational leader for the CSE’s research mission. Working closely with the Center’s Co-Directors, the Coordinator will support the design, implementation, and dissemination of research examining evidence-based teaching practices in STEM courses. Particular emphasis will be placed on coordinating classroom observations, managing undergraduate observer programs, maintaining research datasets, preparing instructor feedback reports, and supporting faculty reflection communities focused on instructional improvement.

The Coordinator will recruit, train, and supervise undergraduate research assistants; ensure data quality and observer reliability; coordinate observation schedules; support data analysis and visualization; assist with IRB and research documentation; and contribute to grant proposals, reports, presentations, and publications. The position also includes identifying and pursuing external funding opportunities that support both STEM outreach initiatives and education research activities.

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job related field and 3 or more years of job related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with teacher observations and data collection/analysis of educational research.
• Expert in data cleaning and analysis, running virtual meetings, and collaborating with secondary teachers and university instructors (or faculty).
• Experience and passion for running logistics for outreach events (e.g Science and Engineering Fair).

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Proficiency in observing college instructors as well as qualitative and quantitative educational research methods.
• Proficiency with cloud computing including Google documents, spreadsheets, slides, and forms.
• Able to work with and around secondary teacher’s schedules, communication skills with parents, teachers, and community partners in-person, virtually, and with digital forms of communication.

Job Duties

The Program Coordinator will be responsible for planning, preparing, and running the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences (MCAS) annual Science and Engineering Fair (SEF), including the High School, Middle School, and Elementary School Fairs as well as the Post-SEF award ceremony. They will be similarly responsible for other science outreach and competition events (e.g. the Junior Science & Humanities Symposium, or JSHS). This includes budgeting, facilitating, recruiting for hire necessary support for event, and scheduling events (e.g. physical space and food expectations) with CSE director(s) in a timely manner with the expectation of maintaining, updating, and sharing all organization via cloud records of past and present structure, purchased awards, and timelines (preparatory and day-of) necessary for the success of the events. All events must be organized in compliance with relevant federal, state and University policies.

The Program Coordinator will be responsible for communicating, advocating for, and networking with participants in outreach programs (e.g. SEF, JSHS). They will collaborate with primary and secondary school administrators and teachers in all of the appropriate counties and districts for the events to recruit participants, experts (e.g. judges), local philanthropists. This involves contacting multiple schools, administrators, and teachers via email, video conferencing, or physical travel (if necessary). It is critical the Program Coordinator keeps a record of all such stakeholders via contact spreadsheets. This also involves keeping track of those that attend events.

The Program Coordinator will collaborate with CSE director(s) to design and refine discipline-based education research (DBER), such as those centered on classroom observation using the COPUS protocol and its role in informing instructional change. This includes collaborative research design focusing on research questions, data collection, data analysis, and documentation.

The Program Coordinator will coordinate and oversee the collection, validation, and management of classroom observation (e.g. COPUS) data to ensure effectiveness, reliability, consistency, and usability for research and reporting. This involves regular meetings with observers and helping facilitate reflection meetings among observees (faculty).

The Program Coordinator will analyze, synthesize, and summarize research data (e.g. observations) and prepare structured feedback reports and research summaries to support faculty development, program evaluation, and dissemination of findings. Summaries and visualizations will be designed to support reflective community sessions, enabling faculty to interpret and respond to their observation results.

Contribute to the overall success of the McCausland College of Arts and Sciences by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

EEO Statement

The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender (including transgender), gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDs status, military status, national origin, pregnancy (false pregnancy, termination of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery therefrom or related medical conditions, breastfeeding), race, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other bases under federal, state, local law, or regulations.