Project Manager, Federal Programs

George Mason University; Fairfax (VA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

George Mason University is seeking a Project Manager for Federal Programs in Fairfax, VA. The role leads federal contract–funded programs, ensuring regulatory compliance, effective execution, and alignment with Mason's mission for national security education.

It requires managing schedules, deliverables, and stakeholder communications across GMU units, government sponsors, and partners. The role supports staffing and coordination with subcontractors and internal compliance teams, with a strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a related field.
• 5+ years of project management experience, including federal/defense programs.
• Knowledge of FAR/DFARS and federal procurement regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of federal/defense programs within Mason Defense and CPE.
• Develop and track project schedules, milestones, and deliverables; coordinate with stakeholders and subcontractors.
• Ensure regulatory compliance, contracting deliverables, reporting, audits, and documentation.
• Provide executive updates and status reports to GMU leadership and sponsors.
• Coordinate staffing, onboarding, and resource allocation for program personnel.

Skills

Strong organizational & communication

Documentation

US citizenship required

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business/PM/PA/Engineering/IT

Tools

MS Project

SharePoint

Smartsheet

Jira

Job description

Project Manager, Federal Programs

Job ID: 10003949

Department: Academic Affairs

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Security Clearance Check: Yes

About the Department:

Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) at George Mason University serves as the university's central hub for workforce development, executive education, and applied professional learning. CPE partners with federal agencies, industry, and academic units across Mason to design and deliver highimpact training programs that strengthen the region's talent pipeline.

CPE supports strategic university initiatives by offering flexible, missionaligned programs-including short courses, certificate programs, customized federal training, and largescale workforce skilling efforts-that advance organizational performance and address emerging national security, defense, and technology needs. As part of GMU's research and innovation ecosystem, CPE collaborates closely with Mason Defense, academic colleges, and research centers to ensure programs are responsive, experiential, and aligned with federal workforce priorities.

CPE also supports George Mason University's efforts to expand and deliver impactful defense and national security programs through applied research, federal partnerships, workforce development, and strategic initiatives. The department collaborates closely with academic units, research centers, and federal agencies to advance mission-critical national security objectives.

About the Position:

The Project Manager (Federal Contracts) supports federal, defense, and nationalsecurityaligned programs within George Mason University's Mason Defense initiative within CPE.

This role oversees the planning, coordination, and delivery of federal contract-funded programs, ensuring regulatory compliance, highquality program execution, and alignment with Mason's mission to advance workforce readiness and national security education.

Project Leadership and Execution

• Leads endtoend delivery of federal and defensealigned programs operated through Mason Defense and CPE;
• Develops, manages, and tracks program schedules, milestones, and deliverables; and
• Coordinates with internal GMU units, faculty, partner organizations, government stakeholders, and subcontractors.

Contract and Compliance Management

• Ensures adherence to FAR, DFARS, and agencyspecific federal acquisition regulations;
• Manages contract deliverables, reporting, documentation, audits, and compliance protocols; and
• Partners with GMU's Office of Sponsored Programs and other internal compliance teams as needed.

Financial and Budget Oversight

• Tracks budgets, expenditures, invoices, and financial forecasts for defensefunded programs; and
• Supports cost proposals, budget modifications, and pricing for new or expanding contract efforts.

Stakeholder Communication

• Serves as a primary liaison between government sponsors, GMU leadership, and program teams;
• Provides executivelevel updates, briefings, and performance summaries; and
• Communicates program status across Mason Defense, CPE, and university partners.

Team and Vendor Coordination

• Supports staffing, onboarding, and resource allocation for program personnel;
• Oversees subcontractor work to ensure quality and compliance; and
• Facilitates coordination with faculty, instructional designers, and subjectmatter experts for trainingbased programs.

Other duties as assigned from time to time

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Project Management, Public Administration, Engineering, IT, or related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Generally, 5+ years of project management experience, including typically 3+ years supporting federal or defense government programs;
• Experience delivering programs under FFP, T&M, or CostPlus contracts;
• Strong knowledge of FAR/DFARS and federal procurement regulations;
• Excellent organizational, communication, and documentation capabilities;
• Proficiency in tools such as MS Project, SharePoint, Smartsheet, or Jira;
• U.S. citizenship required; and
• Active [Clearance Level] or the ability to maintain a US security clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in related field;
• PMP, CAPM, Agile/Scrum, or DoD program management certification;
• Experience supporting defensefocused entities (DoD, DHS, IC, DoN, Army, Air Force);
• Experience with federal workforce development, training programs, or universitybased contract management; and
• Familiarity with Earned Value Management (EVM).

Posting Open Date: April 8, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: May 15, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes