Project Manager, Research and Data Workflow

Overview

Since our founding in 1924, we've cut cardiovascular disease deaths in half, but there is still so much more to do. To overcome today’s biggest health challenges and accelerate this progress, we need passionate individuals like you. Join our movement, be part of the progress, and help ensure a healthier future for all. You matter, and so does the impact you can make with us.

The American Heart Association has an opportunity for a  Project Manager, Research and Data Workflow,  working with the  Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)® as part of Sustainable Food Systems @ Heart. This position can be home-based.

This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, grant-funded opportunity. This is a one-year position and may be extended pending funding.

Sustainable Food Systems @ Heart is an innovation portfolio of the American Heart Association focused on transforming food systems into measurable drivers of human and planetary health. Within Sustainable Food Systems @ Heart, The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) ® serves to build the scientific infrastructure, translational tools, and capacity needed to move food to a health solution.

Specifically, The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)® is a science-to-action initiative co-managed by the American Heart Association that is offering standardized multi-omics tools, data, and training to characterize food quality of the world’s edible biodiversity. Our global ecosystem is mapping food quality based on diverse components, including macronutrients, micronutrients, and specialized metabolites, as well as their variation across food systems. PTFI’s vision is a world where collaborators in food, agriculture and health are enabled to lead data-driven solutions that provide healthy food from sustainable food systems.

The Association offers many resources to help you maintain work-life harmonization through your changing needs and life situations. To help you be successful, you will have access to Heart U, our award-winning corporate university, as well as additional training and support, locally.

#TheAHALife is more than a company culture; it is our way of life. It embodies our commitment to work-life harmonization and is guided by our core values where our employees can thrive both personally and professionally. Discover why you will Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Valued at the American Heart Association by following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and at heart.jobs.

Responsibilities

The  Project Manager, Research and Data Workflow  serves as a central operational and scientific coordination role within The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI), supporting the full lifecycle of omics-enabled research from study design through data analysis and translation. Working closely with the Senior Program Manager of Research and Translation, this role helps ensure that research projects move efficiently from experimental planning and sample procurement to multi-omics data generation, quality control, analysis, and publication.

The position collaborates with principal investigators, analytical laboratories, data scientists, statisticians, and software teams across the PTFI ecosystem to coordinate research operations, manage complex data workflows, and translate multi-omics datasets into analysis-ready resources and scientific outputs. Acting as connective tissue across research teams and data systems, the role helps design studies, coordinate sample logistics, oversee multi-omics data readiness, and support the development of analytical tools and publications that advance discovery and real-world applications.

• Research Study Coordination Coordinate research studies and deliverables across the PTFI ecosystem, including timelines, milestone tracking, data/metadata handoffs, and reporting.• Facilitate research collaboration across laboratories, researchers, and technical teams to ensure efficient project execution.
• Experimental Design and Sample Logistics Support study design and execution in partnership with PIs and laboratories.• Coordinate procurement, tracking, and chain-of-custody of food samples, biospecimens, and associated metadata to ensure analysis-ready datasets.
• Multi-Omics Data Quality and Readiness
  • Ensure datasets meet defined standards for analysis readiness and cross-omics integration.
  • Coordinate quality control processes across omics platforms (e.g., LC-MS/MS metabolomics, lipidomics, proteomics; ICP-MS ionomics; speciation workflows).
  • Review and track batch effects, drift, missingness, internal standards/QC samples, normalization alignment, outliers, and sample identity.
• Data Workflow, Documentation, and Governance Implement documentation and provenance pipelines including metadata schemas, QC reports, processing logs, dataset versioning, and data dictionaries.• Maintain reproducible workflows that ensure datasets are interpretable, discoverable, and usable across research teams.
• Data Analysis and Publication Support Support PIs and collaborators with data analysis workflows and interpretation.• Contribute to manuscript preparation, figures, and reproducible supplements; serve as a coauthor when appropriate.
• Translation-Facing Data Products Develop or coordinate interactive dashboards and standalone tools (e.g., R/Shiny or comparable frameworks) that translate complex multi-omics outputs into accessible insights for research teams.
• Advanced Analytics and AI Applications Collaborate with data scientists and statisticians to prepare ML-ready datasets and support advanced analytics.• Contribute to development of AI-enabled tools, indices, and scoring systems that translate multi-omics data into actionable measures of food quality and health relevance.
• Continuous Improvement Monitor emerging tools and best practices in data engineering, analytics, and governance.• Identify opportunities to improve data workflows, system reliability, and research data usability.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate brings experience in multi-institutional research environments and familiarity with multi-omics, food composition analysis, food systems research, and/or data science. They are systems-oriented and detail-driven. The ideal candidate has the ability to support a distributed global network working towards measurable improvements in human and planetary health.

• MSc or PhD strongly preferred in bioinformatics, computational biology, analytical chemistry, biomedical informatics, horticulture/plant/food sciences, or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience supporting multi-omics or high-dimensional datasets in research, clinical, agricultural, or translational settings, with demonstrated project management ownership.
• Experience collaborating with partners on study design, sample logistics, and publication development (e.g., coauthoring manuscripts, abstracts, or reports).
• Hands-on understanding of omics data QC concepts and assay outputs (e.g., MS-based peak/feature tables, ionomics matrices, speciation workflows), including batch effects, drift, internal standards/QC samples, normalization, missingness, outliers, and sample tracking.
• Experience developing reproducible data analysis workflows in R (e.g., scripts, R Markdown/Quarto) and building or partnering to deliver interactive tools for scientific users (e.g., Shiny apps, dashboards, standalone visualization applications).
• Knowledge of data integrity, security, and compliance expectations for human-subject or sensitive data (e.g., IRB-aligned workflows; HIPAA familiarity where applicable) and best practices for controlled-access data products.
• Strong written and communication skills, including ability to author clear documentation, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides and translate technical concepts for mixed audiences.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, cross-functional environment; comfort coordinating conferences, working groups, and external partner deliverables.
• Ability to travel up to 10% local and overnight stay

Compensation & Benefits

The expected pay range will be $65,000 to $75,000. Pay is commensurate with experience; geographic differentials to the pay range may apply. The American Heart Association reserves the right to pay more or less than the posted range. The American Heart Association invests in its people. Here are the main components of our total rewards package. Visit Rewards & Benefits to see more details.

• Compensation – Our goal is to ensure you have a competitive base salary. That’s why we regularly review the market value of jobs and make adjustments, as needed.
• Performance and Recognition – You are rewarded for achieving success through annual salary planning and incentive programs; eligibility for an incentive program is based on the type of position.
• Benefits – We offer a wide array of benefits including medical, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance, along with a robust retirement program that includes an employer match and automatic contribution. As a mark of our commitment to employee well-being, we also offer an employee assistance program, employee wellness program and telemedicine, and medical consultation.
• Professional Development – You can join one of our many Employee Resource Groups (ERG) or be a mentor/mentee in our professional mentoring program. Heart U is the Association’s national online university, with more than 100,000 resources designed to meet your needs and busy schedule.
• Work-Life Harmonization – The Association offers Paid Time Off (PTO) at a minimum of 16 days per year for new employees. The number of days will increase based on seniority level. You will also have a total of 12 paid holidays off each year, which includes several days off at the end of the year.
• Tuition Assistance - We support the career development of all employees. This program provides financial assistance to employees who wish to further their education and career in relation to their current duties and responsibilities, or for potential future positions in the organization.

The American Heart Association’s 2028 Goal: Building on over 100 years of trusted leadership in cardiovascular and brain health, by 2028 the Association will drive breakthroughs and implement proven solutions in science, policy, and care for healthier people and communities. The greatest discoveries in health must reach everyone where they are.

At American Heart Association | American Stroke Association, our mission is to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, religion, age, language, sexual orientation, national origin and physical or cognitive abilities.This position not a match with your skills? Click here to see other opportunities.

In accordance with local and state laws where applicable, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.

EOE/Protected Veterans/Persons with Disabilities