PROGRAM OPERATIONS SPECIALIST (0.5 FTE)

Lensa; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading university in Seattle seeks a Part-time Program Operations Specialist for the Office of Research Central. This role is crucial for ensuring operational excellence in compliance with federal and university policies. Ideal candidates will have exemplary organizational skills, experience in program operations, and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels. Benefits include professional growth opportunities and a dynamic work environment.

Qualifications

• Minimum 4 years of experience, or equivalent education/experience.
• Impeccable organizational and time management skills.
• Proven track record of exceptional judgement.

Responsibilities

• Manage ongoing annual reviews of UW Centers and shared resources.
• Serve as a coordinator for collaboration with external partners.
• Facilitate and manage complex scheduling needs for senior leaders.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Analytical skills

Judgement

Confidentiality

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Communications, Informatics, Social Sciences, Technology or other research-related field

Tools

Excel

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

3 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants

Lensa is the leading career site for job seekers at every stage of their career. Our client, University of Washington, is seeking professionals in Seattle, WA. Apply via Lensa today!

Req #: 246177

Department: OFFICE OF RESEARCH CENTRAL

Appointing Department Web Address: https://www.washington.edu/research/

Posting Date: 05/22/2025

Closing Info: Open Until Filled

Salary: 50% of $5,810 - $8,714 per month

Shift: First Shift

Notes: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here. (https://hr.uw.edu/benefits/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2018/02/benefits-professional-staff-librarians-academic-contract-covered-exempt-20250130-a11y.pdf)

As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Office of Research Central has an outstanding opportunity for a Program Operations Specialist (0.5 FTE) to join their team.

This part-time position (50% FTE) ensures the success of Office of Research Central (ORC) programs through comprehensive operational excellence.

This part-time position (50% FTE) requires exemplary professional skills, including superb organization of priorities, accurate and clear communication, and timely, reliable execution of programmatic deliverables that support the obligations and responsibilities necessary for the Office of Research Central (ORC) to ensure operational excellence and maintain compliance with federal, state and UW policies. To be successful, this position requires regular exercise of professional-level strategic thinking, analytical and decision-making ability, sound judgement, and knowledge of departmental, University, and federal legislation as it pertains to policies affecting research. This also includes management of issues, risks, and project change requests to ensure successful and on-time project delivery for Office of Research process improvement initiatives.

The role requires a high degree of initiative, independent judgement, confidentiality, discretion, and diplomacy in daily interactions with peers, staff, senior leaders, and faculty at the UW and their external collaborators. To do this effectively, the individual must 1) understand the goals and interests, and anticipate the needs of, program leaders in the Office of Research Central; 2) establish and maintain confidentiality, trust, and transparency with program and administrative leaders; 3) maintain constant and efficient communication, work to remain two-steps ahead, with a clear and detailed understanding of all priorities, projects, and initiatives; and 4) exercise a systems-focused, streamlining-centric, flexible and creative approach to problems and constraints.

This part-time position (50% FTE) involves complex support for mission-critical research enterprise programs under the Office of Research Central, which include Animal Welfare, Communications, Compliance, Export Controls, Finance & Shared Environment, Learning, Operations, Research Misconduct, Research Security, and Strategic Initiatives.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Administrative Operations Support 75%

• Manage ongoing and annual reviews of UW Centers, Institutes, and Shared Facilities/Resources submitted by UW researchers and their teams. Maintain the web content for these campus resources.
• Serve as the coordinator for the UW’s collaboration with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratories (PNNL). Facilitate agreements that establish and renew affiliate dual appointments between UW units and PNNL.
• Coordinate internal legal reviews and timely execution of Research Affiliation Agreements and Office of Research Cyberinfrastructure MOUs.
• Coordinate Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee (ESCRO) communication and logistics between research teams, Committee Chair, Committee members, and Oversight Offices to facilitate research proposal and renewal reviews.
• Facilitate on-time content submission from Office of Research units, compile submitted content, and deliver the Improving Service to Advance Research (iSTAR) to the Vice Provost for Research on a quarterly basis.
• Thoroughly assess and respond appropriately within no more than 1 business day to all incoming messages to the [e-mail] inbox.
• Other related duties as assigned.Executive Support 10%
• Manage complex and issue-sensitive scheduling needs for the Senior Associate Vice Provost for Research Integrity & Compliance and the Chief Administrative Officer. Make independent decisions to reschedule, postpone, or relocate meetings.
• Provide back-up coverage for the Executive Assistant to the Vice Provost for Research.
• Support the preparation of and attend to day-of onsite logistics for ORC-hosted events. Set up, onsite coordination, and tear down on the day of the event may require start and end times outside of normal work schedule.Other Projects 15%
• In response to business needs and/or opportunities to gain efficiencies for ORC programs, support process mapping, risk assessment, resource analysis, service level requirements, and technical solution recommendations to enable timely completion of deliverables for ORC programs.
• Utilize effective standard project management organizational strategies and tools to ensure on-scope, on-time implementation of systems improvement projects or other new ORC initiatives. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Communications, Informatics, Social Sciences, Technology or other research-related field.
• 4 years of experience. Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• Demonstrated competence in independently assessing problems, decisively identifying and applying necessary resources, and integrating them to quickly move deliverables forward.
• Impeccable organizational, prioritization, and time management skills.
• Proven track record of exceptional judgement and dependability.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including demonstrated competence in preparation of formal (written reports) and informal (email) correspondence.
• Proven ability to gather, analyze, and synthesize information then translate into reports, metrics, and data visualizations. This requires expertise with data analysis and visualization tools, including Excel, Power BI, and Tableau.
• Experience successfully applying the methods and systems of continuous quality improvement, including Toyota Lean Management and/or Lean Six Sigma.
• Experience successfully navigating communication of sensitive information with a high level of tact, discretion, and diplomacy.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain harmonious working relationships at all levels while effectively addressing complex and sensitive issues. DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Experience with program operations support in an executive office at the University of Washington.
• Lean Six Sigma black belt.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Advanced degree in Library Science or Informatics. CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
• This position is onsite at UW Seattle Campus.
• The Office of Research Central hosts onsite events, for which in-person attendance is mandatory.
• Your 20 hours per week may be scheduled between 9 am-4 pm, (PST) weekdays. Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.
  
  

University of Washington is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Part-time

Job function

• Job function

  Other

• Industries

  IT Services and IT Consulting

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