Program Coordinator for Research Support - College of Engineering - Engineering and Public Policy

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here!

Carnegie Mellon University's Critical Technology Initiative (CTI) focuses on advancing research and policy related to key emerging technologies with national and global significance. The initiative is led by Professor Erica Fuchs and includes the National Network for Critical Technology Assessment, a consortium of 13 universities and 22 leading investigators. It aims to bridge the gap between technology innovation and policy by evaluating the development, commercialization, and global manufacturing of critical technologies​.

CTI is seeking a Program Coordinator for Research Support that will support the Director and Executive Director of the Critical Technology Initiative (CTI) with planning and coordination of pre-, during- and post-award activities required for successful acquisition, operations and implementation, and closing out of  CTI research projects.  In executing these functions, the Program Coordinator is responsible for managing the administrative tasks involved in securing research funding, from the initial proposal development stage (pre-award) to the implementation and reporting phase (post-award), ensuring compliance with agency regulations and internal policies throughout the project lifecycle, often working closely with Principal Investigators (PIs) and research teams and bridging their activities and the activities of university operational functions. Examples include tracking proposals and coordination for proposal submission; award execution including identification of staffing needs and ensuring execution of the logistical processes required for hiring approved by the CTI leadership; ensuring execution of award milestones and progress reports; and dissemination of project outputs on website and marketing outlets. The Program Coordinator will perform specialized administrative support work that requires the exercise of independent judgment, synthesizing and summarizing knowledge and research, the application of technical skills, and detailed knowledge of University, College and Department level policies and procedures. This position will support task management functions and establish procedures for attaining specific goals and objectives.

The Program Coordinator will serve at the intersection of multiple functions across CTI in partnership with the College of Engineering, external collaborators and sponsors. The Program Coordinator will support the CTI leadership in staff functions across the enterprise and will interact daily with dynamic faculty and research scientists to plan, execute, and report on the research while integrating with the analysis of financial and budgeting teams and administrative staff.

Core Responsibilities:

Pre-Award Activities:

• Proposal Development: Assist Principal Investigators (PIs), faculty and research staff in crafting compelling proposals, including support in the identification of needed content, supporting documents and collection and assembling of content from multiple research contributors and administrative staff.
• Compliance Review: Ensure proposals adhere to sponsor guidelines regarding budget formatting, page limits, font size, margins, submission deadlines, and checks for accuracy and consistency.
• Budget Creation: Collection of content and coordination between researchers and administrative staff (including sponsored research administrative staff, the business manager, and the event director) to ensure the timely development of detailed project budgets that match initiative requirements and norms to include personnel, equipment, supplies, travel, and indirect costs, and ensuring alignment with funding agency requirements.  Staff member will work with the business administrator to track how the proposed budget fits into the broader set of active and pending awards streams and implications for overall CTI staffing.

Post-Award Activities:

• Award Negotiation: Review terms of awarded grants, including budget adjustments and reporting requirements with the funding agency.
• Contract Oversight: Work with business administrative lead and research team to ensure timely execution of contracts and subcontracts, and compliance with legal and administrative aspects.
• Staffing of award: Work with business administrative lead to maintain a birds eye view of overall projects and staffing, and implications of a new award for staffing requirements. Communicate and coordinate with research staff this information and ensure rapid and timely execution of hiring processes.
• Financial Tracking: Monitor project expenditures against the approved budget, identifying potential issues and coordinating necessary adjustments.
• Progress Reporting: Prepare and submit timely progress reports to the funding agency, including data analysis and project milestones.
• Output Dissemination: Ensuring outputs are tracked as they occur and disseminated to appropriate website and marketing team outlets, through coordination between the researchers and the associated website and media marketing support staff.
• Compliance Oversight: Identify deadlines and support researchers in logistics required to ensure adherence to regulatory requirements related to research conduct, human subjects, and financial reporting throughout the project lifecycle.
• Collaboration: Work closely with PIs, research staff, and administrative teams to identify and address project administrative needs, resolve issues, and facilitate smooth project execution.

Additional Staffing Functions:

• Financial tasks include expense reimbursements; verifying procurement card purchases; initiating purchase order requests, as needed.
• Administrative tasks, as needed, when outside the capacity of other administrative staff; include scheduling project-specific virtual, in-person and hybrid meetings, conferences, and travel arrangements preparing itineraries and meeting agendas, note taking, task tracking, and knowledge management; support for meeting/event execution to include meal and refreshment coordination and facilitation; Onboarding  as the primary point of contact from offer acceptance to full functionality to ensure highly efficient integration of new hires.
• Communications tasks include coordinating for website updates, drafting public releases and coordination with staffs across the university for efficient and effective project support.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• 3-5 years work experience.  Greater experience is a plus. Past experience managing or coordinating projects or key staff functions is a plus
• Research Administration: Strong understanding of functions and expertise across the university needed to execute on proposal submission and execution, as well as sufficient own understanding of grant application and execution processes (research compliance regulations) to work between researchers and relevant staff. Rapid real-time identification of immediate funding agency guidelines.
• Financial Management: Comfortability in linking between researchers and budget needs (to be requested of the business administrator) in specific projects, as well as CTI leadership and business administration in overall projects.
• Excellent Communication: Clear and concise written and verbal communication skills to interact with PIs, funding agencies, and internal stakeholders.
• Organizational Skills: Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, take effective notes, track action items, and meet deadlines.
• Attention to Detail: Meticulous attention to detail to ensure accuracy in proposal submissions, budget calculations, and reporting.
• Oversight and planning: Excellent ability to link the big picture to project details in terms of financial flows and likely staffing needs, and proposal execution.
• A combination of education and relevant experience from which comparable knowledge is demonstrated may be considered.

Requirements:

• Successful background check

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits.

Benefits eligible employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions. Unlock your potential with tuition benefits, take well-deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays, and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance. 

Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access, and much more!

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page.

At Carnegie Mellon, we value the whole package when extending offers of employment. Beyond credentials, we evaluate the role and responsibilities, your valuable work experience, and the knowledge gained through education and training. We appreciate your unique skills and the perspective you bring. Your journey with us is about more than just a job; it’s about finding the perfect fit for your professional growth and personal aspirations.

Are you interested in an exciting opportunity with an exceptional organization?! Apply today!

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