Program Manager

Overview The Talent Acquisition department at Howard University seeks a dynamic Project Manager for the NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M II). The successful candidate will provide operational oversight for the Center and support the Center’s director and deputy director in strategic leadership for large-scale scientific and academic initiatives. Responsibilities include coordinating the Center’s collaborative research (with NOAA and partner institutions), supporting staff, and coordinating meetings, reporting, and communications. Key Responsibilities Operational Execution: Translate senior leadership’s strategic vision into actionable daily workflows, manage center milestones, and track performance indicators. Chain of Command Liaison: Act as the primary conduit between the directorate and administrative teams and serve as the default proxy when senior leadership is unavailable. Cross-Institutional Coordination: Synchronize efforts across partner university campuses, aligning sub-awardee progress with central administration directives. Fiscal Optimization: Drive portfolio-level budgets, propose and review allocations (in consultation with the budget analyst) for final approval by senior leadership. Risk & Performance Management: Identify operational bottlenecks, manage student and researcher tracking systems, and escalate critical grant-compliance issues. Reporting Consolidation: Synthesize raw research, education, and financial data into comprehensive draft reports for senior leadership’s final review and submission to NOAA. Additional Responsibilities: Perform project coordination and analysis for science initiatives and strategic projects across the Center, define project requirements, maintain change management processes, and develop baseline risk assessments with risk mitigation plans. Coordinate project requirements with teams including division/lab staff, external advisory committees, NCAS-M management, and outside vendors; facilitate project meetings with detailed notes, action items, and engagement activities. Support NCAS-M II director and deputy director in making critical project decisions. Qualifications Master’s degree in a related field, plus at least one year of experience managing various project phases, or an equivalent combination of experience and disciplinary expertise. Knowledge of project management principles and experience executing strategic process improvement projects. Ability to establish and facilitate large, multi-stakeholder meetings and provide project status updates. Excellent organizational skills with multiple priorities/projects; proficiency in Microsoft Office to create advanced documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. Experience in processing and presenting project data (financial or schedule-related). Proven ability to respond positively to uncertainty, rapid changes, and ambiguity; skill in directing the work of diverse scientific and administrative personnel; ability to motivate teams; excellent written and oral communication skills; and ability to present technical and sensitive information to internal audiences. Core Competencies Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of materials for senior leaders and varied audiences. Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, linking long-term institutional goals to near-term actions. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust across diverse constituencies including faculty, staff, students, and external partners. Ability to operate effectively in a complex, fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities while maintaining quality and accuracy. Proven capacity to lead through influence, coordinate across diverse stakeholders, and drive initiatives to completion. Additional Information Note: This position description should not be construed as the exclusive standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions and perform related duties as required. The university reserves the right to revise this position description at any time. The position is 100% grant funded. This description is not a contract for employment. Compensation and Benefits Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000. Howard University offers comprehensive health, wellness, work-life balance, and professional development benefits. View benefits information on the Howard University site for details. About Howard University and EEO Howard University is a comprehensive, research-oriented, historically Black private university. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, marital status, religion, disability, or protected veterans status. Veterans and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Inquiries regarding provisions for persons with disabilities or veterans status, Equal Employment Opportunity and Title IX should be directed to the Office of Employee Relations and Equal Employment Opportunity at View phone number on click.appcast.io. This position description should not be construed to imply exclusive standards of the position and the University reserves the right to revise this description at any time. #J-18808-Ljbffr