CINA Project Manager

Department: Multidisciplinary Research

Classification: Gen Admin Supv 1/Coord 1

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Center’s primary objective is to serve as an academic hub for thought leadership and for the emergence of novel solutions to support the Homeland Security Enterprise in its efforts to effectively predict, detect, identify, monitor, track, disrupt, thwart, and ultimately dismantle Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and other illicit actors. The Center is part of the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact and is funded in part by a DHS multi-year, multi-fund grant.

About the Position:

The CINA Project Manager is responsible for supporting the CINA Deputy/Operations/Managing Director in managing progress for projects in the CINA research portfolio. The Project Manager directly engages with project teams to monitor project lifecycle, requirements, expenditures, and milestones; summarizes progress in periodic reports for center leadership and the funding agency; supports coordination efforts among research teams and stakeholders, and provides broad coordination support across other Center operations that relate to research. This position is essential in maintaining daily and long-range program success.

Responsibilities:

Project Management

• Oversees project life cycles from start to finish;
• Coordinates and attends regular status meetings with project teams;
• Tracks, assesses, and communicates project progress, risks, and expectations (including timelines, milestones, budgets, and other key project metrics);
• Coordinates and maintains up-to-date materials for each project, to include workplans, budgets, start-up and closeout materials, research compliance documents (IRB and federal compliance), and project artifacts and deliverables;
• Proactively assesses and resolves issues to ensure that project, Center, and sponsor objectives are effectively met;
• Works with CINA Transition and Impact Manager to identify and support potential transition and dissemination paths for project outcomes (trainings, knowledge products, or tools/technology/software products) and coordinates with Center leadership and other relevant groups (university tech transfer, federal stakeholders, industry partners) to support transition of CINA research to operational use; 
• Provides regular reporting to Center leadership on project status;
• Capably manages a number of projects in CINA’s portfolio;
• Capably works with various constituents to facilitate project identification, scoping, launch, execution, and transition/commercialization;
• Maintains well-organized archive of project documents in a central repository;
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge on projects; and
• Ensures compliance with University, OSP, and sponsor policies and procedures.

Reporting and Stakeholder Communication

• Establishes and maintains a well-communicated online reporting portal showing status for each project;
• Prepares regular written reports for Center leadership, sponsors, and stakeholders as requested;
• Includes sponsors and stakeholders in project status meetings when appropriate;
• Works with appropriate individuals to ensure that any changes or adjustments to projects are understood and approved properly; and
• Prepares and provides project updates that are appropriate for public-facing materials (website, newsletter, one-pagers, annual reports) to Center communications staff.

Support Center Outreach Activities

• Supports and assists with Center events as needed;
• Supports and attends Center outreach activities such as information sessions, workshops, meetings, and briefings with potential sponsors and stakeholders; and
• Assists in the development of RFIs and corresponding events for the update of the Center’s research portfolio through the introduction of new research projects. 

Other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated successful experience in project management (typically 2 or more years);
• Ability to be well-organized, prioritize and manage multiple projects and tasks in a diverse and collaborative environment;
• Demonstrated skill in effective communication;
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills with the ability to make real-time decisions;
• Ability to collaborate and build rapport with individuals and stakeholders at all levels of the organization;
• Ability to manage multi-disciplinary, federally funded projects; identify, track, and mitigate risks; and report to sponsors;
• Ability to work with project budgets and other project-related financial materials;
• Ability to interpret and apply federal, state, Mason, and sponsor rules and regulations to sponsored projects; 
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Products, online project management tools, and collaborative workspaces such as Smartsheet, MS Teams, Dropbox, and Google Drive; and
• Must be a U.S. Citizen.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Project Management Professional (PMP) Certification, or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) preferred;
• Master’s degree in related field;
• Experience in a field related to CINA’s Countering Transnational Organized Crime mission; and
• Experience in a higher education, government, or other research-oriented setting preferred.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for CINA Project Manager at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: August 28, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  September 23, 2024

Open Until Filled:  Yes