Senior Research Operations Manager, Construction Industry Institute

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 64,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin, located at Pickle Research Campus, seeks a Senior Research Operations Manager for the Construction Industry Institute. This role anchors research programs, coordinating interfaces, processes, data, and communications across projects, teams, and leadership, with ownership of contracting and payments.

You will organize information, manage calendars, dashboards, and governance processes, and engage with industry volunteers and academic partners at events each

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, communications, or a related field.
• Five years in management, project/program coordination, research administration, or program support.
• Proficiency in Excel/spreadsheet tools for data organization and tracking.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate across a portfolio of concurrent research projects, including RFQ processes, kickoffs, progress updates, and closeouts.
• Maintain a master calendar coordinating all projects, committee meetings, and milestones.
• Track project status, timelines, and dependencies; flag risks or conflicts as they arise.
• Maintain program-level data repositories and ensure accuracy, accessibility, and timeliness.
• Develop dashboards and reports on program status, engagement, and performance metrics.
• Design workflows and role/responsibility frameworks (e.g., RACI) for accountability.
• Assist in budgeting across the program and monitor expenditures.
• Support contract management with external partners and internal offices.
• Organize meetings and prep agendas; serve as liaison between academic partners and industry stakeholders.
• Prepare status reports for leadership and oversight bodies.

Skills

Strong organizational skills

Data-driven mindset

Excellent written and verbal comms

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration, communications, or a related field

Tools

Excel

Job description

Job Posting Title:Senior Research Operations Manager, Construction Industry Institute-Hiring Department:Construction Industry Institute-Position Open To:All Applicants-Weekly Scheduled Hours:40-FLSA Status:Exempt from FLSA-Earliest Start Date:Immediately-Position Duration:Expected to Continue-Location:PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS-Job Details:General NotesAs a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.The Construction Industry Institute (CII) is a leading research unit at the University of Texas at Austin. For over 40 years, CII has brought together academics and industry volunteers from its 100+ member organizations to improve the management of capital projects through applied research that drives innovation and excellence in the construction industry.PurposeJoin CII as the Senior Research Operations Manager and serve as the organizational backbone of our research program. Working closely with the Director of Research, you'll help coordinate the interfaces, processes, data, and communications that connect individual projects, research teams, and CII leadership — with strong independent ownership of contracting and payment processes.This role is ideal for someone energized by working with people who are passionate about advancing the construction industry — regularly interfacing with industry volunteers, member representatives, and contracted academics researchers, and engaging in person at a handful of CII events each year. Just as important is an ability to organize information and reliably follow through on established processes.ResponsibilitiesPortfolio & Program CoordinationCoordinate across a portfolio of concurrent research projects executed by dedicated research teams, including team formation, Requests for Qualifications (RFQ) processes, kickoffs, progress updates, closeout, and event presentations, without directly managing the technical research work itselfMaintain a master calendar/schedule that coordinates all projects, committee meetings, and milestone events across the portfolioTrack individual project status, timelines, and dependencies; flag and escalate risks or resource conflicts as they ariseHelp ensure each project follows the appropriate structure, scope, and process as it moves through the project lifecycleProgram Data & Systems ManagementMaintain program-level data repositories (e.g., attendance, budgets, team rosters, participation records, and historical project data), ensuring accuracy, accessibility, and timeliness of informationBuild and maintain reports and dashboards on program status, engagement, and performance metricsDesign and maintain workflows and role/responsibility frameworks (e.g., RACI-style matrices) to help ensure clarity and accountability across the programBudget & Financial ManagementSupport the development of budgets across the programMonitor expenditure and manage reconciliations, flagging financial issues as they ariseMaintain historical cost data and support accurate forecastingPrepare budget reports for leadership and coordinate with financial services staff to ensure timely, accurate reportingContract ManagementManage the initiation and completion of agreements with external partners/contractorsCoordinate with relevant internal UT offices to ensure contracts are executed in compliance with institutional requirementsIdentify and propose process improvements to streamline contracting and payment workflowsStakeholder & Team CoordinationSupport collaboration among sponsored research teams, member volunteers, and governance/oversight groupsOrganize and support meetings and committee activities, including preparing agendas, materials, and follow-up documentationServe as a point of contact between academic partners, industry stakeholders, and program leadershipReporting & CommunicationsPrepare status reports and materials for leadership and oversight bodies to support decision-makingCoordinate communications to the broader stakeholder community, including updates, announcements, and public-facing contentHelp establish and maintain a consistent cadence and process for program communicationsCoordinate the review and publication of program deliverables and contentPerforms other related duties as assigned. Required QualificationsBachelor's degree required in business administration, communications, or a related fieldFive (5) years in management, project/program coordination, research administration, or program supportStrong organizational skills with the ability to track multiple concurrent tasks and deadlines reliablyData-oriented mindset with attention to detail and follow-throughExcellent written and verbal communication skills for coordinating with various stakeholdersService-oriented mindsetProficiency in Excel/spreadsheet tools for data organization and trackingRelevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.Salary$71,004 + depending on qualificationsWorking ConditionsWork is performed in a standard office environment.Repetitive use of keyboard at workstation.Work ShiftStandard business hours are Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.Work outside of normal business hours may be required on an occasional basis during peak timesRequired MaterialsResume/CV3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisorLetter of interestImportant for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.-Employment Eligibility:Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.-Retirement Plan Eligibility:The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.-Background Checks:A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.-Equal Opportunity Employer:The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.-Pay Transparency:The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.-Employment Eligibility Verification:If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.-E-Verify:The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]-Compliance:Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.