Project Manager III

University of Maryland; United States; On-site; USD 141,000 - 169,000; Full time

Job summary

The Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence & Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland seeks a senior program manager to oversee federally funded research portfolios and complex sponsored projects. You will provide strategic guidance to investigators, coordinate across departments, ensure regulatory compliance, and manage risk while aligning with national security priorities.

Ideal candidates hold a master’s or doctoral degree and seven+ years of experience in research administration,

Qualifications

• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in research administration or sponsored-project management.
• Experience managing complex sponsored project portfolios across multiple departments.
• Experience providing strategic guidance to investigators and organizational leadership.
• Experience coordinating activities across multiple administrative and operational functions.
• Experience with resource planning, forecasting, and analysis across multiple funding sources.
• Experience leading teams and mentoring staff.
• Active U.S. Government security clearance.

Skills

Portfolio management

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder communication

Team leadership

Security clearance

Financial analysis

Risk management

Education

Master's or Doctoral degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Project Management, Finance, Accounting, or related field

Job description

Job Description Summary

Organization's Summary Statement: The Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence & Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland is a University-Affiliated Research Center (UARC) dedicated to advancing research, innovation, and technology transition to improve decision making for U.S. national security.

ARLIS combines deep scientific expertise with operational insight to address challenges in intelligence analysis, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence / machine learning, quantum science, and human-machine teaming.

Researchers, scientists, engineers, and analysts at ARLIS collaborate with government agencies, industry partners, and academic institutions to deliver actionable insights and transformative solutions through research and development.

Employees at ARLIS work on projects of critical importance, contribute directly to the nation’s security, and are supported by a culture that values integrity, collaboration, and professional growth.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Master or Doctoral Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Project Management, Finance, Accounting, or a related field.

Experience:

• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, sponsored project administration, project management, research operations, or a related field.


• Experience managing complex sponsored project portfolios, including multi-year, multi-departmental, classified, and/or sponsor-sensitive research programs.


• Experience providing strategic guidance and operational support to investigators, administrators, and organizational leadership.


• Experience coordinating activities across multiple administrative and operational functions.


• Experience with resource planning, forecasting, and analysis across multiple funding sources.


• Demonstrated experience leading teams, mentoring staff, or supervising professional personnel.


• Experience supporting classified research programs and coordinating associated operational, compliance, personnel security, facility security, and research administration activities.


• Active U.S. Government security clearance

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of sponsored project administration, post-award management practices, and applicable sponsor, contractual, and university regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), and Department of Defense research contracting requirements.


• Knowledge of research administration operations and the interdependencies among financial, administrative, operational, compliance, and security functions.


• Skill in analyzing and interpreting complex financial, operational, and administrative information and developing actionable recommendations.


• Skill in building collaborative relationships and effectively communicating with diverse stakeholders.


• Ability to manage multiple complex projects and priorities simultaneously while maintaining compliance and operational effectiveness.


• Ability to integrate financial, operational, administrative, and compliance considerations when evaluating issues and supporting organizational decision‑making.


• Ability to supervise, coach, and develop staff and contribute to operational improvement initiatives

Physical Demands:

• Sedentary work performed in an office environment.


• Exerts up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body.


• Ability to attend meetings and events both on and off campus.


• Spending long hours in front of a computer screen.

Licenses/ Certifications: N/A

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Seven (7) years of experience managing federally funded sponsored research projects or research administration.

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.

Other: Must be able to obtain a U.S. security clearance. If selected, you must meet the requirements for access to classified information and will be subject to a government security clearance investigation that includes criminal and credit history checks, as well as verification of U.S. citizenship, birth, education, employment, and military history.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES

• Knowledge of advanced project and portfolio management principles and governance frameworks.


• Knowledge of federal regulations applicable to sponsored research, including OMB Uniform Guidance and FAR.


• Skill in leading complex project portfolios, risk mitigation strategies, and compliance oversight.


• Skill in developing executive‑level reports, dashboards, and performance metrics using Excel and data visualization tools.


• Ability to analyze and interpret complex financial, contractual, and regulatory information to support decision‑making.


• Ability to coach and mentor project management professionals and influence adoption of best practices.


• Ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership, sponsors, and external stakeholders in high‑impact settings.


• Ability to manage high volumes of complex, time‑sensitive work while maintaining accuracy, compliance, and strategic focus.

Additional Job Details

Required Application Materials: Resume, Cover Letter, List of References

Best Consideration Date: 12/4/26

Posting Close Date: N/A

Open Until Filled: Yes

Job Risks Not Applicable to This Position

Financial Disclosure Required No

For more information on Financial Disclosure, please visit Maryland's State Ethics Commission website.

Department VPR-Applied Research Lab for Intelligence & Security Worker Sub-Type Staff Regular Salary Range $141,160 - $169,392

Benefits Summary For more information on Regular Exempt benefits, select this link.

Background Checks Offers of employment are contingent on completion of a background check. Information reported by the background check will not automatically disqualify anyone from employment. Before any adverse decision, the finalist will have an opportunity to provide information to the University regarding disclosable background check information. The University reserves the right to rescind the offer of employment or otherwise decline or terminate employment if the information reported by the background check is deemed incompatible with the position, regardless of when the background check is completed.

Employment Eligibility The successful candidate must complete employment eligibility verification (on Form I-9) by presenting documents that establish identity and work authorization within the timeframe required by federal immigration law, and where applicable, to demonstrate renewed employment authorization. Failure to complete employment eligibility verification or reverification within the timeframe set forth by law may result in suspension or termination of employment.

EEO Statement

The University of Maryland, College Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. Please read the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Policy.

Title IX Non-Discrimination Notice Resources Learn how military skills translate to civilian opportunities with O*Net Online

Search Firm Managed Recruitment

There are some positions that are not advertised on this career site as the search is being managed by a Search Firm. Please visit the link below to see these available opportunities: Search Firm Managed Vacancies Workday will move its services from a private cloud environment to commercial cloud hosting effective Sunday, December 13. With this, the external career site url is changing. The current "wd1" is being replaced by "wd115" in the root URL for the external career sites. New UMCP Career Site URL This change is only an update to the career site URL. In-progress and successfully completed job applications will not be impacted.

University Information

The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,700 students, 14,000 faculty and staff, and 388,000 alumni all dedicated to the pursuit of Fearless Ideas. Located just outside Washington, D.C., we discover and share new knowledge every day through our renowned research enterprise and programs in academics, the arts and athletics. And we are committed to social entrepreneurship as the nation’s first "Do Good" campus.

EEO Statement The University of Maryland, College Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. Please read the University’s Equal Employment Opportunity Statement of Policy.

Title IX Non-Discrimination Notice Resources Learn how military skills translate to civilian opportunities with O*Net Online

Contact Information

Email: [e-mail] Phone: [phone] Maryland Relay: Dial 711