Project Manager - Research Project Manager - Policy Think Tank

If you are interested in making a difference in the lives of people with low incomes, being part of a diverse and multidisciplinary staff, and having hands-on involvement in building better programs, then consider an opportunity with our client to be on the cutting edge of social research methodology.

A social policy research organization that works to find solutions to some of the most difficult problems facing the nation — from reducing poverty and bolstering economic self-sufficiency to improving public education and college graduation rates. They design promising new interventions, evaluate existing programs using the highest research standards, and provide technical assistance to build better programs and deliver effective interventions at scale.

As a project manager, you will have the opportunity to work as part of multidisciplinary teams in a dynamic and challenging environment. We are ideally looking for a candidate with some experience or exposure or knowledge of criminal justice (preferred but not required).

Responsibilities:

Project managers focus on management and organizational tasks related to specific projects in support of the organization’s substantive research and evaluation work, PM's coordinate project activities and provide logistical, operational, and strategic management support to our research project teams. Also conduct business analyses and identify and design project and process improvements. Report directly to the policy area manager and project directors and will have a range of responsibilities, including:

Project Management

• Work with project directors and task leads to develop new project work plans, staffing levels of effort, and modification budgets.
• Monitor and/or update project work plans (project timeline), staffing levels of effort, budgets, and expenditures across several projects.
• Identify project risks and elevate issue resolution to leadership as needed.
• Collaborate with staff from various departments including fiscal and legal.

Policy Area Management

• Coordinate or contribute to project and policy area status reports for senior leadership.
• Support day-to-day management of the policy area and projects, including supporting efforts to monitor and coordinate policy area staffing needs and deployment strategies.
• Collaborate with staff from various departments, including development and strategy.
• Participate in the development, testing, and implementation of project management tools and
• Standards.
• Participate in strategic and management planning meetings and reviews.

Proposal Development

• Work with proposal team leads to develop proposal budgets, including developing detailed work
• Supervise, coordinate, and assist with development of proposals for new projects and funding.
• Plans and budget assumptions.

Qualifications:

• Experience with Microsoft Office (especially Excel).
• Demonstrated experience in project management, budgeting and project work plan development (project timeline and resource planning) are a MUST.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.
• Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, public administration, public policy, social science, or a related field. Master’s degree in public policy or nonprofit management or similar field preferred.
• 3 to 8 years of project leadership, strong budgeting, proposal input and experience in working in grant funded environments is required.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to multitask.
• Comfortable working both independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.

Our client’s dedication to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion exceed compliance requirements. They believe that recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce of all backgrounds and perspectives improves the quality and relevance of their work, as well as the daily experiences of their staff. By fostering an equitable culture of inclusivity and belonging, they seek an environment in which staff feel welcomed, valued, and engaged in their work. Diversity candidates are highly encouraged to apply!