Program Manager, UVA Precision Health Initiative

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Charlottesville (VA); Hybrid; USD 95,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Virginia (UVA) seeks a Program Manager for the UVA Precision Health Initiative (UVAPHI). The role centers on translating strategic vision into actionable programs and coordinating cross-disciplinary activities across UVA and UVA Health.

This is an entrepreneurial, day-to-day leadership role to build a major new initiative from its early stages, working with the Initiative Director and leadership to drive long-term sustainability and impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least four years of relevant professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience in program or project management.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, solve problems, and move projects from concept through implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to develop relationships and work effectively with individuals from different disciplines and organizational levels.

Responsibilities

• Develop an external advisory board and coordinate invitations, meetings, and onboarding.
• Build a UVA Precision Health membership network across UVA and UVA Health.
• Develop and maintain the initiative's web presence and highlight expertise and activities.
• Strengthen partnerships with the Manning Institute of Biotechnology and clinical resources.
• Create internal communications, newsletters, and reports communicating activities and impact.
• Plan and coordinate seminars, symposia, retreats, advisory board meetings, and events.
• Establish metrics to track membership, collaborations, projects, funding, and outcomes.
• Support partnerships with industry, government, foundations, and patient advocacy groups.

Skills

Program management

Project management

Communication skills

Organization

Relationship building

Independent work

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (preferred)

Job description

The University of Virginia (UVA) seeks a highly motivated and collaborative Program Manager for the UVA Precision Health Initiative (UVAPHI), an emerging university wide program designed to accelerate discovery, translation, and implementation of precision health across UVA.

The Precision Health Initiative brings together clinicians, researchers, data scientists, educators, and institutional leaders from across UVA and UVA Health with the long-term goal of developing a sustainable, nationally recognized Precision Health Institute. The initiative will foster interdisciplinary collaboration, develop shared infrastructure and programs, support innovative research, expand access to precision diagnostics and therapies, and position UVA as a leader in precision health and precision medicine.

A major strategic priority will be developing a close partnership with the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology to help create a pathway from scientific discovery and therapeutic development to clinical translation. The Precision Health Initiative, and ultimately the Precision Health Institute, will help build the clinical research infrastructure and patient networks needed to bring novel therapies developed through the Manning Institute into clinical trials and patient care at UVA.

The Program Manager will work closely with the Initiative Director, Paul Kruszka, M.D., and translate its strategic vision into actionable programs.

This is an opportunity for an entrepreneurial individual to play a central role in building a major new initiative at UVA from its early stages.

The Program Manager will serve as both a strategic thought partner and an implementer, helping develop the Initiative while managing the day-to-day activities necessary to move it forward.

Initial Responsibilities

• Developing and coordinating an external advisory board, including identifying prospective members, coordinating invitations and onboarding, organizing meetings, preparing materials, and supporting ongoing engagement with national leaders in precision health
• Building a UVA Precision Health membership network that identifies and connects clinicians, investigators, trainees, and other faculty and staff engaged in precision health activities across UVA and UVA Health.
• Developing the Initiative’s web presence, working with UVA communications and web teams to create and maintain a website highlighting faculty expertise, research programs, clinical capabilities, funding opportunities, events, and accomplishments.
• Developing and strengthening the partnership with the Manning Institute of Biotechnology, including connecting investigators developing novel therapeutics with clinicians, disease experts, patient populations, and clinical research resources across UVA.
• Developing internal communications, newsletters, presentations, reports, and other materials that communicate the Initiatives activities and impact.
• Planning and coordinating seminars, symposia, retreats, advisory board meetings, working groups, and other Precision Health Initiative events
• Establishing processes to track membership, collaborations, projects, funding, publications, clinical programs, and other measures of impact.
• Supporting partnerships across UVA schools, institutes, departments, and centers with external academic, industry, government, foundation, and patient‑advocacy partners.

Long Term Responsibilities

As the Precision Health Initiative grows, the Program Manager will play an increasingly important role in developing the infrastructure required to transition the Initiative into a sustainable, nationally recognized Precision Health Institute.

Responsibilities include

• Working with leadership to develop and implement the Initiative’s long‑term strategic plan, priorities, governance structure, and measures of success.
• Manage a sustainable financial model for the Precision Health Institute, with the goal of creating a lasting enterprise supported by diversified sources of funding.
• Assist in building partnerships with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to bring precision therapies and clinical trials to UVA, creating opportunities to expand clinical research revenue to support the Institute’s mission.
• Working closely with the Manning Institute of Biotechnology and UVA Health to create an integrated translational pathway connecting therapeutic discovery and development with disease‑specific clinical expertise, patient identification, trial readiness, clinical trials, and implementation into patient care.
• Helping establish UVA as a destination for precision medicine and precision therapeutics clinical trials, including industry‑sponsored, investigator‑initiated, and early‑phase studies.
• Identifying and pursuing federal, foundation, and other grant funding opportunities, including multidisciplinary and large‑scale collaborative grants that support the Institute's scientific and clinical priorities.
• Coordinating with UVA advancement and institutional leadership to develop philanthropic support for the Institute, including relationships with individual donors, foundations, and other philanthropic partners.
• Assisting with strategic relationships with industry, government, foundations, patient advocacy organizations, and other academic institutions that expand the Institute's capabilities, reach, and financial sustainability.
• Supporting development of precision health research and clinical programs, including population genomics, rare disease, genomic medicine, data science, precision therapeutics, and other emerging areas.
• Developing metrics and dashboards to evaluate the Initiative's growth, scientific productivity, clinical impact, collaborations, external funding, clinical trial activity, and national visibility.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least four years of relevant professional experience. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree, consistent with UVA requirements.
• Demonstrated experience in program or project management.
• Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently, take initiative, solve problems, and move projects from concept through implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to develop relationships and work effectively with individuals from different disciplines and organizational levels.
• Ability to communicate effectively with faculty, clinicians, researchers, senior institutional leaders, external partners, and community stakeholders.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to deliver accurate and timely work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience in an academic medical center, university, healthcare, research, biotechnology, life sciences, or related environment.
• Experience developing or managing interdisciplinary research or clinical programs.
• Experience supporting strategic planning, organizational development, or creation of new programs or institutes.
• Experience with clinical research or clinical trial development, particularly programs that bridge scientific discovery and clinical translation.
• Experience with grant development, philanthropic initiatives, industry partnerships, or other approaches to program sustainability.
• Familiarity with precision medicine, genomics, genetics, rare disease, data science, clinical research, or therapeutic development is desirable but not required.
• Experience working with patient advocacy organizations, foundations, advisory boards, or external stakeholders is desirable.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will be someone who enjoys building rather than simply maintaining programs. They will be comfortable moving between high level strategic discussions and hands‑on execution and will have the initiative to identify what needs to happen next and make it happen.

The individual should be excited by the opportunity to connect people across a complex academic institution, develop new collaborations, create organizational infrastructure, and help transform an emerging university initiative into a sustainable and nationally recognized Precision Health Institute.

This position is located in Charlottesville, VA, and will require occasional on‑site program and event support and meeting attendance, though some remote work may also be permitted.

This position is full‑time (40 hours per week) with full‑time benefits. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

Anticipated Hiring Range: $95,000 - $105,000, commensurate with education and experience.

This position is for two years (this is a restricted position), with opportunity for renewal based on performance and funding.

This position will remain open until filled. This is an exempt level, benefited position. The University will perform background checks on all hires (if required) prior to employment. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. For this role, the University will not sponsor or consider candidates requiring sponsorship for employment visas now or in the future. This is a 2 year term‑limited restricted position.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.

Project Management Professional (PMP/PMI) certification preferred.

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers and disposition to travel some distance to attend meetings and programs.

Minimum Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's degree required.
• Experience: 4+ years of relevant professional experience required. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Licenc ose: Project Management Professional (PMP/PMI) certification preferred.
• PHYSICAL DEMands: This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers and disposition to travel some distance to attend meetings and programs.