Senior Program Manager, Scientist

JAX; Bar Harbor (ME); On-site; USD 106,000 - 154,000; Full time

Job summary

JAX in Bar Harbor, Maine, seeks a Senior Program Manager, Scientist to lead a portfolio of interdisciplinary research programs spanning multiple PIs, timelines, and funding mechanisms. You will develop and maintain program management tools, dashboards, and risk registers to keep projects on track.

You will manage NIH grants (R01, P01, U01, U54, RM1), coordinate RPPRs and renewals, monitor budgets, and ensure NIH compliance.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree and domain knowledge in genetics and neuroscience.
• Minimum 5 years in a research environment with program management.
• Proven NIH grant experience including RPPRs and budget tracking.
• Strong scientific writing for grant applications and publications.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of concurrent research programs across multiple PIs and timelines.
• Develop PM tools: project plans, milestone trackers, risk registers, dashboards.
• Coordinate NIH grants administration and reporting, RPPRs and renewals.
• Support grant writing and scientific communication for proposals and publications.
• Ensure compliance with IACUC, IRB, and regulatory requirements.

Skills

Mouse genetics

Grant administration

Scientific writing

Cross-functional leadership

Budget & compliance

Education

Master’s or PhD in genetics/biology/neuroscience

Tools

Smartsheet

Asana

MS Project

Data visualization tools

Job description

## Senior Program Manager, ScientistApply: Bar Harbor, Maine: Posted 30+ Days Ago: JR005893# Key Responsibilities**Portfolio & Program Management*** Lead and coordinate a portfolio of concurrent research programs spanning multiple principal investigators, timelines, and funding mechanisms.* Develop, implement, and maintain program management tools including project plans, milestone trackers, risk registers, and dashboards.* Facilitate cross-functional team meetings, track action items, and ensure accountability across scientific and administrative stakeholders.* Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks and interdependencies that may affect program timelines or scientific deliverables.* Support strategic planning efforts, including program prioritization, resource allocation, and go/no-go decision frameworks.**NIH Grant Administration & Reporting*** Serve as the program-level point of contact for large NIH grants (e.g., R01, P01, U01, U54, RM1), coordinating all administrative and scientific reporting requirements.* Prepare, compile, and submit annual Progress Reports (RPPRs), non-competing renewals, supplements, and other required NIH correspondence.* Monitor grant budgets, expenditure timelines, and ensure compliance with NIH terms and conditions in coordination with sponsored research offices.* Track deliverables, milestones, and publication requirements across multi-project and multi-site awards.* Coordinate with NIH Program Officers and other agency contacts as needed to address administrative or scientific programmatic matters.**Grant Writing & Scientific Communication*** Write, edit, and contribute to all sections of grant applications including Specific Aims, Research Strategy, human subjects/vertebrate animal sections, biosketches, and resource/environment pages.* Prepare white papers, concept papers, letters of intent, and responses to RFAs/PAs across NIH and other federal or private funding agencies.* Draft scientific summaries, program highlights, and lay-language communications for institutional and external audiences.* Support manuscript preparation, including literature reviews, methods sections, and figure/table organization for peer-reviewed publications.**Scientific Contribution – Mouse Genetics & Therapeutic Development*** Provide scientific input and oversight on programs involving mouse genetics, including transgenic, knock-in, knock-out, and conditional models.* Contribute expertise in preclinical therapeutic development pipelines, including target identification, in vivo efficacy studies, and translational modeling.* Critically evaluate experimental designs, interpret results, and ensure scientific rigor across program deliverables.* Engage with scientific collaborators and external partners (academic, industry, and government) to advance program goals.* Stay current with literature and emerging methodologies relevant to mouse genetics, neuroscience, rare disease, or other applicable therapeutic areas.**Compliance, Regulatory & Operational Oversight*** Ensure all animal research activities are conducted in compliance with IACUC protocols, institutional policies, and NIH guidelines.* Support IRB submissions and renewals where applicable.* Coordinate vendor management, subcontract oversight, and data sharing agreements associated with funded programs.* Train and mentor junior program staff and research coordinators on project management best practices and grant administration procedures.**Required Qualifications*** Master’s Degree required, but strong preference for a Ph.D. in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, or a closely related biomedical science field.* Minimum of 5 years of experience in a research environment, with at least 2 years in a program management or research administration capacity.* Demonstrated expertise in mouse genetics, including design and interpretation of genetic mouse models (transgenic, CRISPR-based, conditional knockouts, etc.).* Direct experience with NIH grant mechanisms and administration, including preparation of RPPRs, competitive renewals, and budget management.* Proven track record as a scientific writer with experience authoring or co-authoring NIH grant applications and/or peer-reviewed publications.* Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously under competing deadlines.* Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work effectively with diverse teams of scientists, clinicians, and administrators.**Preferred Qualifications*** Experience in therapeutic development, drug discovery, or translational research programs, particularly in neuroscience or rare/genetic diseases.* Familiarity with NIH eRA Commons, Grants.gov, and related submission platforms.* Prior experience managing multi-site or consortium grants (e.g., P01, U54, U19).* Knowledge of GLP/GCP principles and preclinical regulatory frameworks.* Postdoctoral research experience with independent publication record.* Experience with project management software (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana, MS Project) and data visualization tools.* Established network of collaborators in academic or industry research settings.**Core Competencies****•**Scientific Rigor & Critical Thinking**•**Strategic Program Planning**•**NIH Grant Expertise**•**Stakeholder Communication**•**Mouse Genetics & In Vivo Modeling**•**Cross-functional Leadership**•**Scientific & Technical Writing**•**Budget & Resource Management**•**Translational Research Acumen**•**Compliance & Regulatory Knowledge**Work Environment & Physical Requirements**This position is primarily office/laboratory-based, with regular interaction in vivarium and wet lab settings as required by program needs. The role may require occasional travel for scientific conferences, site visits, and stakeholder meetings. The incumbent must be able to work with or in proximity to laboratory animals (mice) and must comply with all institutional occupational health requirements.*This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the work performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. The organization reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as needed.*Preferred Experience: 6 yearsPay Range: $106,000 - $153,729, salary is determined by experience