STEM WD Education Project Manager

ORAU; Oak Ridge (TN); On-site; USD 73,000 - 102,000; Full time

Job summary

ORAU in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, seeks a results-oriented program manager to lead research participation programs for students and faculty. You will oversee planning, budgeting, and coordination with sponsors to deliver high-impact opportunities.

Responsibilities include developing outreach, managing recruitments, monitoring funds, and implementing AI-enabled processes to improve efficiency. Strong communication and MS Office skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field and 4-6 years of related experience; PhD preferred.
• Experience working with university faculty, students, and researchers.
• Knowledge of AI technologies and applying them to programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide project management for ongoing programs to ensure timely, quality outcomes.
• Plan and manage applicant recruiting approaches for programs.
• Monitor funding documents and costs to meet contracts and policy requirements.
• Maintain databases to track funding approvals and availabilities.
• Prepare budgets and monitor targets.

Skills

Project management

Communication skills

MS Office proficiency

AI technologies understanding

Data management tools

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent in engineering, business, science

PhD in STEM field preferred

Tools

MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

SharePoint

Database applications

Job description

Overview

Appointment Type: Full-Time Regular (FTR)

Location: Oak Ridge, TN

• Salary Range: $73,195 – $101,821

Overview

Appointment Type: Full-Time Regular (FTR)

Location: Oak Ridge, TN

• Salary Range: $73,195 – $101,821

PURPOSE

Provides the project management, planning, budgetary and technical oversight, and coordination necessary to operate research participation programs for postdoctoral, postgraduate, graduate, undergraduate, and precollege students and for university faculty. Such programs include research participation appointments, fellowships, and internships.

• This involves working with multiple sponsors (typically 5 to 50+ contacts for funding), and 200 to 700 participants and scientists/mentors annually.
• Works with sponsors, Associate Manager, Senior Manager, and/or other managers in planning, developing, implementing, managing and growing new programs/activities.
• Responsible for oversight and management of applicant recruiting activities for various Federal Agencies with special emphasis on targeted recruitment strategies to increase participation levels in underserved populations.

Responsibilities

• Provides project management for ongoing programs to ensure that all activities are conducted in a timely manner and meet quality expectations. This includes interacting with applicants and participants, mentors, laboratory administrators, and program sponsors in response to questions and providing programmatic and other requested information.
• Plans and manages applicant recruiting approaches for assigned programs. This involves developing outreach/promotional strategies, preparing program announcements/flyers, and participating in professional meetings, conferences, campus fairs, etc. for recruiting purposes.
• Monitors program funding documents and costs to ensure that expenditures meet the specifications of the funding document and program statement of work and meets the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) and federal policies and procedures.
• Maintains databases to monitor funding approvals and availabilities to match participant appointment obligations.
• Prepares, develops, and monitors program budgets and meets budget targets.
• Assists the Associate Manager, other Project Managers, and other ORISE management staff in program development activities and implements and manages new programs.
• Prepares proposals for new programs. This includes identifying and qualifying new areas for program initiatives and positions ORISE STEM Workforce Development - Research Participation Programs (ORISE-WD-RPP) as the organization most likely to win targeted new business.
• Actively contributes to the Artificial Intelligence (AI) modernization initiatives of the directorate by supporting the integration and implementation of AI tools and technologies into workflows and other operational processes. This includes identifying opportunities where AI can enhance efficiency, accuracy, and decision-making, foster a culture of innovation and adaptability, and collaborating with stakeholders to ensure seamless adoption.
• Works with the Associate Manager and other Project Managers to establish standards of performance and implement quality control measures.
• Formulates, prepares, and delivers reports, briefs, evaluations, and other materials.
• Provides suggestions to the program specialists to determine daily priorities.
• Serves as the back-up to the Associate Manager and other Project Managers during absences from the workplace.
• Represents the group, STEM-WD (Workforce Development), and ORISE on various committees and professional societies, and at national meetings and public forums.
• Actively participates by leading a specific activity or event for one or more internal ORISE teams/committees, especially those promoting participant engagement and support of STEM-WD mission and operations and the Annual Lab Plan.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in engineering, business, scientific, technical, education or related field and 4-6 years of job-related experience. An equivalent combination of education and experience performing duties as described may be substituted for the minimum requirements. A PhD in a STEM-field is preferred.

• Experience working with the university community of faculty, students, and postgraduates including academic research activities and student research training needs to effectively design, implement, and operate programs that match these needs.
• Experience working with federal agencies, laboratories, and organizations involved in education and academic research to understand the issues and trends in academic studies and research.
• Knowledge of research training and experience needs of students, postgraduates, postdoctoral fellows, and university/college faculty and how laboratories may provide research training/experience opportunities for university (including non-R1 institutions) faculty, students, postgraduates, and postdoctoral fellows.
• Familiarity with the various tasks in science education/research experience participant programs.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with a wide array of participant types, mentors, sponsors, federal agencies, and professional organizations.
• Knowledge of policies, requirements, and procedures involved in the recruiting, application processing, and selection of applicants as well as the administrative tasks related to providing payments to or for, and support to, participants.
• Ability to understand, develop, and implement Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to solve complex problems, optimize processes, and enhance decision-making. This includes understanding AI concepts, ethical considerations, and the ability to interpret and apply to real-world challenges.
• Knowledge of effective, cost-efficient methods including web and social media tools to recruit large numbers of highly qualified, diverse applicants.
• In-depth knowledge of technology tools for data management, modeling, forecasting, and reporting purposes is desired.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, customer relations/customer service skills, and advanced computer skills (proficient in the use of MS Office Applications including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint; and knowledge of Web publishing, SharePoint, and database applications).
• The candidate’s starting salary will be determined upon hire and ORAU will use salary survey data, internal comparators, and the candidate’s qualifications to determine salary.

TOTAL REWARDS

ORAU has a strategic approach to providing total rewards to employees through a fair, equitable, and competitive total compensation package. The goal of our total rewards system is to integrate compensation, benefits, work-life balance, performance, recognition, development, and career opportunities to attract, engage, and retain the talent required to achieve ORAU’s business objectives. The benefit component of our total rewards program supports business goals by offering the following benefits based on employee eligibility:

• Legally required benefits
• Group Health insurance including: Medical, Prescription, Dental, and Vision
• Retirement plan contribution matching
• Disability insurance
• Group life insurance
• Travel Accident Insurance
• Section 125 reimbursement accounts
• Other voluntary employee paid benefit and insurance offerings

The ORAU total reward package also promotes work-life balance. Mindful of the need for employees to care for themselves and their families, ORAU offers the following additional work-life benefits based on employee eligibility:

• Telework
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid Holidays
• Flexible work schedules or compressed work weeks
• Occupational Health and Wellness Programs
• Employee Assistance Program