URCC Managing Director (Program Management Specialist)

Indiana University; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Health Savings Account

Tuition subsidy

Paid parental leave

Generous paid holidays

Job summary

Indiana University’s Office of Research Development seeks a seasoned program administrator to lead a multi-million-dollar grant across 30 months, manage budgets, deliverables, and milestone tracking. You will coordinate eight partner organizations, convene meetings, and ensure compliance with sponsor requirements.

You will supervise staff, prepare quarterly sponsor reports, and maintain match documentation across in-kind and cash contributions while guiding program strategy and risk management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Master's degree preferred in public administration, arts administration, nonprofit management, higher education administration, or related field.
• 5 years of experience in related field.
• Experience managing multi-year, multi-partner grant awards.
• Experience coordinating capital projects or construction.
• Experience supervising professional staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day administration of a multi-million-dollar grant across a 30-month project period, maintaining budget-to-actual performance and milestone completion.
• Act as program ambassador and primary point of contact for 8 partner organizations; convene and facilitate recurring partner meetings.
• Manage the reimbursement cycle: collect and verify documentation, confirm allowability, prepare requests, track disbursements.
• Build and maintain match documentation for in-kind and cash contributions across partners.
• Perform sub-recipient monitoring and coordinate capital build-out and procurement across sites.
• Supervise staff and provide direction to project personnel; prepare quarterly reports for the governing board.

Skills

Written and verbal communication

Time management

Professionalism

Attention to detail

Initiative

Influence

Reimbursement experience

Sub-award monitoring

IU systems experience

Flexibility

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Job description

Department RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT (UA-RSDE-IUBLA)

Department Information The Office of Research Development (ORD) supports Indiana University's (IU) research enterprise through grant development, strategic funding initiatives, and administration of major sponsored projects. ORD is administering the Uplands Regional Creative Economy Commons (URCC), a READI 2.0 Arts and Culture Initiative award funded through the Indiana Economic Development Corporation with support from Lilly Endowment Inc. The Commons connects 3 sites along Bloomington's B-Line Trail with a regional digital platform, building creative workforce, production, and programming infrastructure across the 11-county Indiana Uplands region in partnership with 8 regional organizations.

Job Summary

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Serves as day-to-day administrative lead for a multi-million-dollar grant across a 30-month project period, maintaining the master record of budget-to-actual performance, deliverable status, and milestone completion.
• Acts as program ambassador and primary point of contact for 8 partner organizations spanning higher education, nonprofit arts, municipal government, and private sector; convenes and facilitates the recurring partner meeting series, tracking decisions and action items to completion.
• Manages the reimbursement cycle required by the award: collects and verifies partner expense documentation, confirms cost allowability, prepares reimbursement requests to the sponsor, and tracks receipt and distribution of funds.
• Builds and maintains the match documentation system covering in‑kind and cash match commitments across all partners, including asset inventories, staff time valuations, capital investment records, and volunteer hour logs.
• Performs sub-recipient monitoring on partner agreements, verifying deliverable completion against agreement terms and documenting monitoring activity.
• Coordinates capital build-out and equipment procurement across 3 project sites, tracking contractor schedules, permitting status, and draw schedules; works with IU Purchasing on competitive procurement and IU Risk Management on insurance and liability review.
• Supervises the Regional Coordinator, including work planning, priority setting, performance evaluation, and professional development; provides functional direction to project staff employed by partner organizations.
• Prepares quarterly reports for the project's governing board and partner meetings, and all required sponsor reporting to the funding agency.
• Maintains evaluation data collection required by the award, including participant county‑of‑origin tracking, business formation tracking, and retention data.
• Monitors Programs Involving Children (PIC) compliance for project programming serving minors.
• Reports weekly to the Principal Investigator on progress, risks, and matters requiring escalation.
• Provides operational leadership for complex programs, resolving ambiguous situations and making decisions that may extend beyond the immediate area of specialization.
• Constructs and administers program budgets, approves spending, analyzes projected spending, and prepares reports for senior management and funding sources.
• Serves as liaison to program participants, collaborators in other units, community partners, vendors, and the public; approves purchase requests and arranges program activities.
• Recruits, trains, directs, schedules, and evaluates staff, students, and volunteers; mentors and provides guidance to junior‑level peers.
• Develops and recommends policies and procedures governing program operations, ensuring compliance with institutional and sponsor requirements.
• Establishes program priorities and work plans with minimal oversight; drives multiple concurrent projects to completion.

General Responsibilities

• Leads the development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of institutional programs that advance organizational capabilities, strategic priorities, and university objectives.
• Provides strategic and operational leadership for complex program functions; establishes priorities, develops implementation approaches, and ensures alignment with organizational goals and evolving needs.
• Exercises advanced professional judgment in interpreting requirements, resolving complex and ambiguous issues, and determining appropriate actions that affect program effectiveness and organizational outcomes.
• Develops and recommends program frameworks, policies, practices, and operating models that support consistent delivery, sustainable outcomes, and long‑term program success.
• Evaluates program performance through analysis of data, trends, organizational needs, and stakeholder feedback; identifies risks and opportunities and implements improvements that strengthen program impact.
• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships across departments, functional areas, and leadership groups to advance program objectives, align priorities, and facilitate successful implementation of program initiatives.
• Serves as a subject‑matter expert and trusted advisor on program‑related matters; provides consultation, guidance, and recommendations to leaders, stakeholders, and colleagues.
• Leads complex program initiatives and cross‑functional efforts that support achievement of institutional priorities; monitors progress, addresses barriers, and drives successful outcomes.

Qualifications

Education

• Required – Bachelor's degree.
• Preferred – Master's degree in public administration, arts administration, nonprofit management, higher education administration, or related field.

Work Experience

• Required – 5 years in related field.
• Preferred – 7 years in higher education administration, nonprofit management, project management, or a similar role.
• Experience managing multi‑year, multi‑partner grant awards.
• Experience coordinating capital projects or construction.
• Experience supervising professional staff.

Licenses and Certifications

• Preferred – Possesses a valid driver's license and ability to be insured by Indiana University upon date of hire.

Skills

• Required – Proficient written and verbal communication skills.
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure.
• Possesses a high degree of initiative.
• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents.
• Preferred – Experience with reimbursement‑based grant programs and expense documentation.
• Experience with sub‑award or sub‑recipient monitoring.
• Prior Indiana University systems experience.
• Working Conditions / Demands: This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Working Conditions / Demands

The role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Additional Information

This is a limited term position, currently funded through 12/31/2028. Continuation is contingent on available funding. As such, discontinuation of this position will not be subject to the Reduction in Force (RIF) policy.

Work Location

• Bloomington, Indiana
• Indianapolis, Indiana

Benefits Overview

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long‑term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU‑sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Equal Employment Opportunity

Equal Employment Opportunity Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non‑Discrimination here which includes contact information.

Campus Safety and Security

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online. You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at [e-mail] or by visiting IUPD.