Remote Director, Institute-Wide Project Development

The University of Massachusetts Amherst; Hadley, Northern (MA, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (UMDI) Centralized Project Development (CPD) Director provides institute-wide leadership of mission-aligned initiatives in partnership with the UMDI Executive Team.

The CPD Director leads and oversees the systems, processes, and coordination required to move opportunities from concept to successful launch – supporting both the growth of existing business units and the development of emerging or institute-level initiatives.

Qualifications

• Master's degree required.
• 10+ years of grant writing and/or grants management experience.
• 10+ years of sponsored project experience in government, non-profit, or academic settings.
• 10+ years of project management experience, including planning, development, evaluation, and reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with diverse individuals across roles.

Responsibilities

• Leads institute-wide opportunity assessment and readiness processes with Go/No-Go frameworks.
• Synthesizes CPD insights to inform leadership decision-making and strategic planning.
• Identifies funding opportunities and coordinates with foundations and external partners.
• Supervises a team handling pre-proposal and submission processes, including timelines and workplans.
• Leads proposal development to strengthen quality and competitiveness of submissions.
• Coordinates post-submission and post-award activities, including reviews and improvements.
• Oversees cross-functional coordination for new initiatives and project launches.
• Develops CPD tools, dashboards, and sponsor development tracking.

Skills

Grant writing

Grants management

Project management

Education

Master's degree

Job description

The University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute (UMDI) Centralized Project Development (CPD) Director provides institute-wide leadership of mission-aligned initiatives in partnership with the UMDI Executive Team.

The CPD Director leads and oversees the systems, processes, and coordination required to move opportunities from concept to successful launch – supporting both the growth of existing business units and the development of emerging or institute-level initiatives.