Program, Operations and Collaboration Manager

University of Maryland; College Park (MD); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism at the University of Maryland seeks a Program, Operations and Collaboration Manager to oversee the Center's program operations, administrative infrastructure and external collaborations.

Reporting to the Center's director, you will translate strategic objectives into plans, coordinate with newsrooms, universities and grant partners, and improve processes to support investigative reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Three (3) years of professional program management or higher education experience.
• Additional work experience as defined above may be substituted on a year for year basis for up to four (4) years of the required education.

Responsibilities

• Translate the Center's strategic objectives and grant commitments into operational plans, timelines, partner deliverables and efficient administrative processes.
• Manage the operations of a portfolio including investigative reporting collaborations with professional newsrooms and university partners, fellowships, internships, data-sharing, and alumni/impact assessment.
• Coordinate and resolve operational problems, improve program systems, and escalate to the director as needed.
• Administer purchasing, contracts, travel or reimbursement processes within a university setting.

Skills

Business acumen

Oral and written communication

Microsoft Office

Independent judgment

Policy development

Policy interpretation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Description Summary

About the Philip Merrill College of Journalism:

The Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, consistently ranked among the world's leading journalism schools, develops journalists and media scholars with rigorous reporting, research and analytical skills; a commitment to ethics; and an appreciation for the First Amendment's essential role in a free society.

Located a few miles from Washington, D.C., the College prepares students for a dynamic profession with a faculty that includes acclaimed researchers and repeat winners of journalism's leading honors, including Pulitzer, Peabody and Emmy awards.

Merrill College students enjoy small classes while having access to the resources and opportunities of a leading public research university. Students leave the university with strong writing and visual skills, a command of technology and a nuanced understanding of data analysis, artificial intelligence and audience engagement.

About the Position:

Reporting to the Center's director, the manager will translate the Center's strategic objectives and grant commitments into operational plans, timelines, partner deliverables and efficient administrative processes. The position will manage the operations of a portfolio that includes investigative reporting collaborations with professional newsrooms and university partners, graduate and postgraduate fellowships, summer internships, a data-sharing initiative, grant-funded activities, alumni and impact assessment, and journalism award submissions.

Physical Demands: N/A

Licenses/Certifications: N/A

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Experience: Three (3) years of professional program management or higher education experience.
• Other: Additional work experience as defined above may be substituted on a year for year basis for up to four (4) years of the required education.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of business acumen to understand key business drivers, organizational communications, and data.
• Skill in oral and written communication.
• Skill in the use of Microsoft Office products.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion.
• Ability to develop and administer new policies and procedures.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, regulations, and laws.

Additional Job Details

Overview

The Howard Center for Investigative Journalism, a grant-funded journalism training program based at the University of Maryland's Philip Merrill College of Journalism, seeks a Program, Operations and Collaboration Manager to manage the Center's program operations, administrative infrastructure and external collaborations.

Funded by the Scripps Howard Foundation, the Howard Center prepares students for investigative reporting careers by producing deeply reported investigative journalism in partnership with major national newsrooms. In collaboration with the Associated Press global investigations team, a FRONTLINE (PBS) documentary unit and the Howard Center at Arizona State University, the Center was named a finalist for the 2025 Pulitzer Prize in Investigative Reporting for an in-depth, data-driven investigation into deaths in police custody.

Key Responsibilities

Reporting to the Center's director, the manager will translate the Center's strategic objectives and grant commitments into operational plans, timelines, partner deliverables and efficient administrative processes. The position will manage the operations of a portfolio that includes investigative reporting collaborations with professional newsrooms and university partners, graduate and postgraduate fellowships, summer internships, a data-sharing initiative, grant-funded activities, alumni and impact assessment, and journalism award submissions.

Within established university policies, Center priorities and delegated parameters, the manager will independently establish operating methods and timelines, coordinate participating organizations, identify and resolve operational problems, improve program systems, and determine when matters require escalation to the director.

Preferred Qualifications

We welcome candidates with a range of professional backgrounds. Competitive candidates may demonstrate experience in one or more of the following areas; no candidate is expected to have experience in all of them.

• Experience administering grant-funded programs, including coordinating reporting requirements and contributions from multiple stakeholders.
• Experience administering fellowships, internships, application and selection processes, or other deadline-driven programs.
• Experience collecting, analyzing and presenting information used to evaluate program outcomes, organizational reach or public impact.
• Experience administering purchasing, contracts, travel or reimbursement processes within a university or another complex organization.
• Experience working in a university-based center, grant-funded r