Project Operations Manager II, Cancer Genomics Research (CGR) Laboratory

About the Role

The Cancer Genomics Research Laboratory (CGR) investigates the contribution of germline and somatic genetic variation to cancer susceptibility and outcomes in support of the NCI’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics (DCEG). Working in concert with epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and basic research scientists, CGR provides genome-wide discovery studies and targeted regional approaches to identify heritable determinants of cancer. The laboratory offers end-to-end research support, including study design, biospecimen processing, laboratory assay development, and bioinformatics for data analysis.

We are seeking a Project Operations Manager II to oversee and coordinate all project work conducted at CGR in support of the NCI Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics. This role involves leading a team responsible for managing complex, high-throughput genomics, biospecimen, and laboratory research projects. The incumbent will serve as a key liaison between CGR operational teams, scientific staff, laboratory leadership, and DCEG principal investigators.

Responsibilities

• Lead, administer, maintain, and continuously improve project operations across CGR in support of DCEG research priorities.
• Provide direct supervision, mentorship, workload oversight, and performance management for a team of approximately five project management professionals.
• Oversee the CGR project portfolio, including project intake, planning, prioritization, tracking, execution, reporting, and closeout activities.
• Serve as a central point of coordination between CGR leadership, laboratory managers, scientific staff, project managers, operational teams, and DCEG principal investigators.
• Interact regularly with principal investigators and study teams to understand project goals, timelines, deliverables, requirements, priorities, and risks.
• Ensure project managers effectively support studies involving biospecimen processing, sample tracking, molecular laboratory workflows, genomic assays, sequencing, data generation, and related operations.
• Establish, monitor, and communicate project status, milestones, risks, resource needs, deliverables, and timelines across the organization.
• Develop and deliver reports on global project activities, team workload, portfolio status, operational metrics, and project performance for CGR leadership and stakeholders.
• Facilitate cross-functional project meetings, prepare agendas and minutes, track action items, and ensure follow-up on commitments and deliverables.
• Identify project risks, bottlenecks, competing priorities, and operational challenges; escalate issues appropriately and support timely resolution.
• Partner with laboratory operations, quality assurance, bioinformatics, informatics, specimen processing, sequencing, genotyping, and other functional groups to support coordinated execution of project work.
• Promote consistency and standardization in project management practices, documentation, tracking tools, communication approaches, and reporting formats.
• Support development and maintenance of project plans, timelines, dashboards, status reports, trackers, templates, and other project management tools.
• Ensure accurate and timely documentation of project requirements, status updates, decisions, risks, changes, and deliverables.
• Prioritize and manage multiple concurrent activities in a fast-paced, high-volume research environment.
• Apply strong attention to detail to ensure project records, reports, communications, and deliverables are accurate, complete, and current.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives to increase efficiency, transparency, accountability, and communication across CGR project operations.
• Support alignment of project activities with applicable laboratory procedures, institutional expectations, quality systems, safety requirements, and operational best practices.
• Use Microsoft Office applications and other electronic systems for tracking, reporting, communication, document preparation, records management, and presentation of project data.

Requirements

• Possession of a Master’s degree from an accredited college/university in a science, business, project management, healthcare administration, public health, or related field, or six (6) years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree. Foreign degrees must be evaluated for U.S. equivalency.
• A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience, including at least four (4) years managing high-throughput genomics, biospecimen laboratory research projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing complex projects, project portfolios, or operational activities involving multiple stakeholders, timelines, deliverables, and competing priorities.
• Demonstrated experience interacting with scientific stakeholders, principal investigators, study teams, laboratory managers, or research leadership.
• Ability to lead project activities across multiple functional groups performing diverse scientific, laboratory, operational, or administrative work.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear project updates, meeting summaries, reports, presentations, and executive-level summaries.
• Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple activities in a fast-paced environment with competing deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with scientific, operational, technical, administrative, and management teams.
• Computer literacy and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), including skills in tracking, reporting, data organization, and document management.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance/Public Trust clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Project management experience in genomics, molecular biology, epidemiology, biorepository, biospecimen processing, sequencing, genotyping, clinical research, or another high-throughput scientific or laboratory environment.
• Experience overseeing project management activities for a large laboratory, research organization, or multi-team scientific operation.
• Experience managing a team of project managers or project coordinators supporting multiple concurrent scientific or operational projects.
• Experience working directly with principal investigators, research scientists, epidemiologists, laboratory leadership, or scientific collaborators.
• Familiarity with the NCI Biological Specimen Inventory (BSI) database.
• Experience with laboratory information management systems (LIMS), sample tracking systems, electronic laboratory notebooks (ELNs), project management software, or other electronic systems used to support laboratory or research operations.
• Familiarity with biospecimen lifecycle management, including sample receipt, inventory, aliquoting, processing, tracking, shipment, and disposition.
• Experience developing dashboards, reports, project trackers, operational metrics, or portfolio summaries using Excel, Tableau, Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Experience training, coaching, or guiding project managers, project coordinators, laboratory staff, or operational teams on project management expectations, communication practices, documentation standards, and reporting requirements.

Pay

The posted pay range for this job is $140,400.00 - $206,510.00 USD. This range is a general guideline and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave, and Retirement.