Senior Transportation Research Program Lead

National Academies; Pasadena (TX); Hybrid; USD 127,000 - 198,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine seeks a Senior Team Leader to guide a team of professionals delivering a broad transportation research portfolio. You will oversee projects, ensure rigorous standards, and engage sponsors, volunteers, and leadership in strategic decision-making.

You will report to the Division Director, supervise 5–6 senior staff, and contribute to program planning, governance, and cross-unit collaboration in a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in a discipline relevant to transportation, public policy, research management, or a closely related field, or a master’s/bachelor’s with significant professional experience.
• Ten years of related professional experience, five of which were in a supervisory capacity.
• Significant experience managing applied research projects or programs.
• Demonstrated experience supervising and developing professional staff in a complex organization.

Responsibilities

• Provide senior-level leadership and management for a team of professional staff.
• Oversee a diverse portfolio of applied transportation research projects.
• Ensure research quality, rigor, relevance, objectivity, and usefulness.
• Advise the Deputy Director on portfolio performance and resource needs.
• Coordinate with volunteer committees and sponsors; facilitate discussions.
• Prepare executive-ready briefs and decision memos.

Skills

Leadership

Project management

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Strategic thinking

Mentoring & coaching

Budgeting & resource planning

Problem-solving

Education

Ph.D. in relevant field

Master's or Bachelor's with significant experience

Tools

Microsoft Teams

Asana

Job description

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine seeks a Senior Team Leader to guide a team of professionals delivering a broad transportation research portfolio. You will oversee projects, ensure rigorous standards, and engage sponsors, volunteers, and leadership in strategic decision-making.

You will report to the Division Director, supervise 5–6 senior staff, and contribute to program planning, governance, and cross-unit collaboration in a hybrid work environment.