Program Manager Jobs

Are you a strategic thinker skilled at solving complex challenges? Are you a people leader who can mentor others and use communication to empower those around you? Are you a results driver passionate about research and development and delivering value to Veterans Affairs (VA)? If this sounds like you, we've got the perfect job!

We are looking for candidates who like analyzing, thinking through, and solving complex challenges. You will be trusted to share your insights and recommendations with clients to inform their organizational, strategic, and programmatic initiatives. You will be surrounded by a team of other Rock Stars!

Why you should work with us.

First and foremost, we care deeply about every member of our JJR family and as a company, we are inspired by something greater than ourselves. Second you will play a vital role in building lasting partnerships with clients to advance their performance and create high-impact, meaningful value. Finally, culture is kind of our thing; we are committed to the well-being of each employee.

Need proof? It’s in the pudding. Here are what people are saying!

• “I feel JJR does a very good job of hiring people who will work well in the group dynamic - people who share the same work ethic and values, which makes for working together to be much easier and more enjoyable.” – Anonymous employee feedback from internal engagement surveys
• “JJR is one of the best companies I have worked with (for) in the past 20+ years.” – Anonymous employee feedback from internal engagement surveys

We value feedback, but we think you should come see for yourself!

You in? Here are the details.

Title: Program Manager

Location: Washington, DC (Hybrid Work)

Classification: Salary, Exempt

Travel: 10%

Security Requirement: Must provide favorable background check

Position Expectations:

The Program Manager (PM) oversees the diverse contracting and sub-contracting team, which includes Deputy Program Manager, Project Managers, Project Assistants, Certified Meeting Planner, Technical Writer/Editor, Cybersecurity Specialist, and other scientific, technical, and administrative professional staff. The PM serves as strategic advisor to and primary interface with the government client and project leadership/partners, including senior leaders within the Veterans Affairs organization. The PM ensures that the team successfully executes scientific and technical peer review services on research applications received in response to the Office of Research and Development’s (ORD) Merit Review Programs.

• Provide leadership to employees to support optimal performance
• Contribute to the programs and initiatives designed to advance company strategic priorities
• Deliver exceptional service to internal and external clients, partners, teammates
• Actively engage in your role, make informed decisions, be accountable for all outcomes, and be a positive influence for JJR
• Perform all required responsibilities and duties in accordance with JJR’s Handbook and job description

Duties:

Gain expertise of the Merit Review Support Services (MRSS) contract processes, policies, and procedures, including maintenance of web portals, policy updates, central point of contact for program inquiries, and periodic reporting on programs as requested by senior management.

• Act as the primary liaison between the team and the VA Contracting Officer, Contracting Officer Representative, and Program Management staff
• Advise on recommendations reporting using JJR’s Magnify tool, a Human Centered Design process created to deliver process improvements to the client in the areas of people, processes, and technology
• Ensure accuracy of the MRSS Integrated Master Schedule (IMS) and monitor metrics of active projects
• Directly oversee and mentor the Deputy Program Manager
• Ensure the team demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the requirements to conduct peer reviews and produce acceptable deliverables within the required timelines while meeting cost, schedule and performance requirements
• Oversee onboarding of new employees to ensure that all onboarding items and trainings are complete and received, work with VA to complete access requests, and act as final approver in all resourcing assignments across the services
• Manage overall project cost, schedule, and performance in accordance with contract requirements
• Additional duties' as assigned
• Lead quarterly team meetings, working sessions, client meetings, and other key communication activities
• Monitor distribution of post-meeting surveys and review results for effectiveness across services
• Initiate Work Product Reviews for all deliverables and coordinate with Quality Lead to ensure exceptional products are being delivered to the client
• Investigate all errors reported in the VA tracker or against the program and work with the contracting and subcontracting staff to determine the root cause of the error and what possible solutions can be applied
• Oversee scrum methodologies, including JIRA and Confluence for JJR’s software development program, ATLAS, used for logistics tracking of merit review meeting processes
• Support company growth within established markets by identifying opportunities to expand our services and solve new challenges for existing clients
• Ensure compliance with Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) guidelines and collaborate with project managers to align package documentation
• Deliver quality service in alignment with JJR’s ISO certified Quality Management System

Required Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Excellent client-facing consultation skills to include briefing and/or advisement to leadership
• Solid working knowledge of computer software (Microsoft Office business suite, to include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required to prepare reports, briefings, and products; experience with Adobe Professional and with posting and sharing documents in SharePoint
• Minimum of five (5) years of program management and supervisory experience with the federal government, consulting firm, higher education, or similar organization
• A Master’s Degree from an accredited institution
• Knowledge of scientific and technical peer review to best support and advance medical research efforts
• Minimum of two (2) years of experience in scientific review management
• Proficient in managing a large, complex project team (minimum of 10 employees and 2 divisions/branches) and daily operations to include project development, project delivery and oversight of key business enablers on projects to achieve the project objectives and goals
• Must be able to establish and maintain relationships, demonstrate initiative, exude a professional presence, focus on results and demonstrate enthusiasm
• Strong technical writing skills to clearly, logically, and succinctly communicate project-related information to scientists, doctors and other research professionals at the commensurate comprehension and reading level for the audience
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently, and have strong oral and written communication abilities, with strong conceptual and systems-thinking abilities and problem-solving skills
• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)

Preferred Education, Experience, & Skills:

• Prosci Change Management Certification, or similar change management training
• Familiarity with the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Electronic Research Administration (eRA), Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) compliance and reporting requirements, and Human Centered Design (HCD)
• Experience facilitating SBIR assessments, and authoring SBIR reports
• Previous consulting experience to include business development

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE

Salary: In accordance with various state and federal pay transparency regulations, as well as best industry practices, our job descriptions include the salary range we reasonably expect to pay those joining our team, contingent upon little to no training being required. A final salary is subject to a number of factors, including but not limited to the following: years of experience, education, certification(s), training, specialized skills, responsibilities, etc.

The range of pay for this position is $144,760-$172,260.

Core Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Monthly $200 HSA Match, Complimentary $50k Basic Life and AD&D (eligible employees), STD, Complimentary LTD, AFLAC Coverage, etc.

PTO, Flexible Schedule, and Holidays: Employees receive a robust amount of PTO along with flexible/hybrid working schedules and additional support for new parents. JJR also observes a total of 11 paid federal holidays annually, including: New Year's Day, President's Day, 4th of July, Veteran's Day, Christmas, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Columbus Day.

Professional Development + Continued Education Support: We believe employees at all levels benefit from continued growth and learning. As such, JJR is committed to paying the entirety of the cost for job-related certifications and/or training programs as well as contributing towards job-related higher-level education.

EEO Statement

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Disclaimer

This description in no way implies that the duties listed here are the only ones the employee can be required to perform. The employee is expected to perform other tasks as dictated by their supervisor or JJR leadership.