Technical Project Manager

Cornell University; Town of Ithaca, Northern (NY, KY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work schedule

Cornell benefits

Job summary

Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York seeks a creative Technical Project Manager to lead Merlin, eBird and Macaulay Library data products. You will drive agile software projects, coordinate engineers, scientists, and partners, and translate ideas into customer-facing features that support conservation efforts.

The role emphasizes collaboration across a multidisciplinary team, strong PM skills, and commitment to biodiversity data-driven outcomes in a hybrid work setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in software development management, biology, information sciences or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of project management coordinating software engineering teams.
• Experience watching birds and/or bird conservation projects.
• Strong project management to coordinate multiple groups toward a public launch.
• Experience managing complex technical projects across teams and cross-functional groups.
• Deep knowledge of modern web app development, APIs and web services.
• Experience with Jira and GitHub as PM tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication.

Responsibilities

• Oversee complex software projects from start to finish for Merlin, eBird and Macaulay Library services.
• Coordinate deliveries, scope, and timelines across engineering teams and stakeholders.
• Advise senior staff on budgets and financial management for projects.
• Communicate project scope and responsibilities to team members and manage stakeholder expectations.

Skills

Project management

Agile/Scrum

Jira

GitHub

API & Web services

Frontend development knowledge

Communication skills

Cross-functional leadership

Budget & financial mgmt

Diversity & inclusion

Education

Bachelor’s degree in software development management or related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Jira

GitHub

Google Analytics

Firebase

AWS

Azure

Python

Java

Spring

Nuxt

Vue

JavaScript

Job description

**Technical Project Manager** [Hybrid]**No Visa Sponsorship is available for this position.****The work location is Ithaca, New York with the possibility of a hybrid work schedule that would be determined by the supervisor.****About the Cornell Lab of Ornithology**The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is a global leader at the intersection of technology and conservation. We steward over a petabyte of biodiversity data, including more than two billion bird observations and 100 million wildlife media assets, transforming it into tools that put conservation science in the hands of the public through machine learning and a global community of birders. Our platforms — eBird and Merlin Bird ID — connect millions of people to birds every day, in nearly every country on Earth. In peak months, Merlin identifies a bird more than 130 times a second. Since Sound ID launched in 2021, the barrier between curious and capable has all but disappeared: point your phone at a singing bird, and Merlin names it in real time. Through partnerships with hundreds of organizations worldwide, our technology turns everyday curiosity into real-world conservation outcomes at a global scale. We're now building the next chapter — evolving Merlin from a single app into a full ecosystem of products and experiences that bridges the digital and in-person worlds. It's a rare moment to join a team pushing the boundaries of conservation technology, at the exact point where that work is about to scale dramatically.**What will you do**The Cornell Lab of Ornithology is seeking a creative, mission-driven **Technical Project Manager** to focus on Merlin, eBird and services supporting the Macaulay Library media archive and delivering data products to conservation practitioners. This role will join a team that shares the mission of connecting people to nature and conservation through birds. As part of a team of software engineers, content creators, machine learning researchers, and conservation scientists this role will be the lynchpin in translating new ideas for how to serve a global community in participating in watching birds into features and data products for conservation practitioners. The data collected through eBird and associated apps is directly tied to data products used in conservation decision-making and positive environmental outcomes. Join us to shape the next generation of tools and data resources for the birding and conservation community. The Technical Project Manager is responsible for overseeing complex software projects from start to finish, providing direction, guidance, and motivation to Agile/Scrum teams of software engineers and project staff, managing deliverables, and ensuring successful delivery of new software to the community. This role includes: 1) project planning, resource allocation, implementation, communication, coordination, tracking, and reporting; 2) working with engineers and project leadership to define scope and coordinate activities between technical teams and other collaborators; 3) advising and assisting senior staff and/or other clients with the formulation of project budgets, and with project financial management; 4) communicating project scope, goals and responsibilities to the project team; establishing and maintaining clear stakeholder expectations and managing these expectations as projects evolve.While position responsibilities vary, every member of our community is expected to foster a culture of belonging and a psychologically healthy work environment by communicating across differences; being cooperative, collaborative, open, and welcoming; showing respect, compassion, and empathy; engaging and supporting others regardless of background or perspective; speaking up when others are being excluded or treated inappropriately; and supporting work/life integration of oneself and others.The work location is Ithaca, New York with the possibility of a hybrid work schedule that would be determined by the supervisor. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time.**What We Need*** A **resume** is required for further consideration for this position. A **cover letter** outlining your interest and how your experience and goals align with the potential for mutual success in the role are strongly encouraged for consideration. When applying through our system, please remember to attach your application materials (Cover Letter and Resume) in PDF format.**Required Qualifications:*** Bachelor’s degree in software development management, biological sciences, information sciences or other relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience.* **Three (3)+ years** of relevant work experience in project management and coordinating software engineering teams.* Experience watching birds and/or working on projects to advance bird conservation.* Exceptional **project management** skills to coordinate multiple groups working towards the same deliverable and timeline for public launch.* Experience managing **complex technical projects** across multiple teams and cross-functional groups.* In depth technical knowledge of **software development and modern web application development** techniques, including experience with **frontend user interfaces** and with integrating these into complex enterprise systems involving **APIs and web services**.* Experience using software development project management tools (e.g. **Jira, GitHub**).* Strong communication skills (written and oral) to clearly articulate vision and plans, and provide instruction effectively to all levels of management, staff, new partners, funding agencies, project participants, and visitors.* Strong interpersonal skills to develop trust with external collaborators and encourage participation in projects.* Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of management and staff internally and externally.* Ability to value teamwork and be able to stimulate cooperation between all employees and partners.* Provide high level of initiative to anticipate needs of the project and fulfill project objectives with general guidance.* Ability to prioritize activities and exercise sound judgement in discussions with external collaborators.* Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and wellbeing.* Must have a demonstrated ability for working collaboratively and inclusively in a diverse, dynamic, creative, and multi-disciplinary environment.**Preferred Qualifications:*** Advanced degree preferred.* Deep understanding of the birding community and/or conservation practitioner community.* Experience using analytics tools (such as **Google Analytics and Firebase**).* Software engineering skills and working knowledge of **programming web-based applications** using technologies such as **Python, Java, Spring, Nuxt, Vue, and JavaScript**.* Technical experience with major cloud providers such as **AWS or Azure**.**Application Information:*** **No Visa Sponsorship** of any kind is available for this position.* **No Relocation assistance** will be provided for this position**.****Rewards and Benefits*** The work location is Ithaca, New York with the possibility of a hybrid work schedule that would be determined by the supervisor. The university reserves the right to modify, suspend, revoke or terminate the hybrid work arrangement at any time.* Cornell receives national recognition as an award-winning workplace for our health, wellbeing, and sustainability. Our benefits programs include comprehensive health care options, generous retirement contributions, access to wellness programs, and employee discounts with local and national retail brands. We invite you to follow this link to get more information about our benefits: Understand Your Benefits | Working at Cornell.* Our leave provisions include health and personal leave, three weeks of vacation and 13 holidays: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the day after, and an end of the year winter break from December 25-January 1. To offer greater flexibility for observing faiths and traditions we also offer two additional floating holidays. Learn more about our generous leave provisions: Holiday and Accrued Time Off | Working at Cornell* Cornell's impressive educational benefits include tuition-free Extramural Study and Employee Degree Program, tuition aid for external education, and Cornell Children's Tuition Assistance Program. Learn more about our extensive educational benefits: Education Benefits | Working at Cornell* Follow this link to learn more about the Total Rewards of Working at Cornell: Total Rewards | Working at Cornell.