Strategic Project Manager — Grants & Community Impact

Central State University; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Central State University (CSU) in Ohio seeks a Senior Project Manager to provide strategic coordination and operational management for CSU’s multi‑million‑dollar portfolio of research, economic development, and Extension initiatives. This leadership role bridges academic researchers, community stakeholders, corporate partners, and federal funding agencies.

The successful candidate will manage complex project lifecycles, oversee multi‑partner collaboration, track regulatory compliance, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Agricultural Sciences, Environmental Science, or related fields required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of progressive project management experience, preferably in higher education, nonprofit, or government/land‑grant settings.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or equivalent certification is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead project lifecycles from initiation to closeout for CSU’s research, economic development, and Extension initiatives.
• Establish and maintain project plans, KPIs, and milestones.
• Identify operational, logistical, and financial bottlenecks early; design and implement risk‑mitigation strategies.
• Foster synergy between CSU Extension educators, researchers, municipal economic development boards, and local community groups.
• Coordinate with federal grant managers (e.g., USDA - NIFA), state agencies, corporate partners, and collaborating academic institutions.
• Design and lead regular project progress meetings, advisory board assemblies, and program design workshops.
• Assist in reviewing and managing large, complex project budgets and ensure compliance with regulations.
• Compile and draft technical and financial progress reports for external funding bodies and executive leadership.
• Facilitate vendor selection, equipment procurement, and contract execution for research and development projects.
• Devise tracking mechanisms to measure local and regional economic impact of CSU’s initiatives.

Skills

Project management

Grants management

Communication

Database management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration / Public Administration / Agricultural Sciences / Environmental Science or related fields

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Asana

MS Project

Monday.com

ERP systems

Job description

Central State University (CSU) in Ohio seeks a Senior Project Manager to provide strategic coordination and operational management for CSU’s multi‑million‑dollar portfolio of research, economic development, and Extension initiatives. This leadership role bridges academic researchers, community stakeholders, corporate partners, and federal funding agencies.

The successful candidate will manage complex project lifecycles, oversee multi‑partner collaboration, track regulatory compliance, and