Temp Research Project Manager

About the Job

The Research Project Manager, Level 2 develops work plans, manages timelines and reporting processes, coordinates project teams, and supports proposal development and project execution across the full research lifecycle. This is a one-year position supported through external funding, with the potential for continuation beyond the initial appointment period based on performance, funding availability, and organizational needs. Anticipated start date is September 8, 2026.

Primary Responsibilities

• Project Management and Technical Support for Research Projects - 60%

• Development of interdisciplinary research project workflows and timelines given proposal priorities and milestones; provide weekly project priorities with team member assignments
• Manage the planning, logistics, and facilitation of project meetings, conference calls, committee meetings and stakeholder meetings or workshops (in-person, hybrid, and virtual) to promote internal team communication and external collaboration with other impact-oriented stakeholders
• Project support such as helping to organize metadata files, providing survey or interview implementation and administration, or Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation
• Serve as a primary contact for day-to-day project management, responding to inquiries from and proactively communicating with project researchers and external collaborators
• Provide project management support to signature cohort-based research experiences, such as the IonE Postdoctoral Fellowship and research experiences for undergraduates, including support during the application and selection process, informal professional development onboarding to research projects and project management processes within our department
• Keep project records organized and up-to-date, given existing team standards or by developing updated or new standards. Maintain and follow the required change control plans when changes must be implemented on externally funded projects
• Other research support, as needed

• Manage the reporting and fiscal activities of the research projects - 20%

• Collect data, maintain databases given best practices, and compile required grant reports on activities and outcomes
• Career development onboarding to research projects and project management processes within our department
• Support relationships with contractors and external vendors, including setting up contracts, tracking deliverables, and submitting invoices

• Pre-award proposal development support - 10%

• Development of proposal workflows and timelines given proposal priorities and milestones; provide regular proposal updates and priorities with team member assignments, including clear delegation among the team to meet deliverables on time
• Lead the coordination and agenda setting for proposal team meetings and follow-up with notes and action items
• Using RFP requirements, create shared files and customized grant documents given templates that include basic entry of standard information
• Career development onboarding to research projects and project management processes within our department
• Coordinate the collection or customization of required RFP documentation (e.g., biosketch, letters of support) in the required format needed for proposal submission
• Support proposal development including references, formatting, editing, and consistency checks
• Identify and contribute to process improvements in support of proposal and research project management by identifying more efficient systems, processes, or templates
• Other proposal support, as needed

• Other - 10%

• Participate in and contribute to IonE-wide activities (e.g., Annual Meeting, all-staff meetings, retreats, and cross-team initiatives)
• Support emerging organizational priorities and initiatives as needed
• Contribute to cross-cutting KI or IonE strategic initiatives
• Develop or grow your understanding of the intersection of DEIJ principles and how it intersects with your current work and future professional goals
• Identify and contribute to process improvement initiatives and knowledge sharing across the project management team and IonE
• Follow project management trends and develop your skills, and bring your insights and ideas back to your team, work, and career development goals
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and high-functioning team environment
• Engage in institutional practices aligned with UMN and IonE values
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• B.A./B.S. degree, plus 2 years of relevant experience; or combination of related education and experience equal to 6 years
• Demonstrated project management and coordination experience supporting complex projects or initiatives involving multiple stakeholders, competing priorities, and evolving timelines
• Experience developing and maintaining pre-award and post-award research administration processes, including project workflows, timelines, documentation, tracking systems, meeting coordination, and operational procedures that support successful project execution
• Demonstrated ability to monitor project progress, identify risks, barriers, or dependencies, and implement solutions or appropriately escalate issues using professional judgment and established practices
• Demonstrated experience interpreting and applying sponsor and University requirements related to interdisciplinary research administration, grants management, or project compliance
• Demonstrated experience managing pre-award proposal development and submission processes, including developing proposal timelines, coordinating multidisciplinary proposal teams, preparing and reviewing proposal budgets