Senior Program Manager, Scientist

Key Responsibilities

Portfolio & Program Management 

• Lead and coordinate a portfolio of concurrent research programs spanning multiple principal investigators, timelines, and funding mechanisms. 

• Develop, implement, and maintain program management tools including project plans, milestone trackers, risk registers, and dashboards. 

• Facilitate cross-functional team meetings, track action items, and ensure accountability across scientific and administrative stakeholders. 

• Identify and resolve operational bottlenecks and interdependencies that may affect program timelines or scientific deliverables. 

• Support strategic planning efforts, including program prioritization, resource allocation, and go/no-go decision frameworks. 

NIH Grant Administration & Reporting 

• Serve as the program-level point of contact for large NIH grants (e.g., R01, P01, U01, U54, RM1), coordinating all administrative and scientific reporting requirements. 

• Prepare, compile, and submit annual Progress Reports (RPPRs), non-competing renewals, supplements, and other required NIH correspondence. 

• Monitor grant budgets, expenditure timelines, and ensure compliance with NIH terms and conditions in coordination with sponsored research offices. 

• Track deliverables, milestones, and publication requirements across multi-project and multi-site awards. 

• Coordinate with NIH Program Officers and other agency contacts as needed to address administrative or scientific programmatic matters. 

Grant Writing & Scientific Communication 

• Write, edit, and contribute to all sections of grant applications including Specific Aims, Research Strategy, human subjects/vertebrate animal sections, biosketches, and resource/environment pages. 

• Prepare white papers, concept papers, letters of intent, and responses to RFAs/PAs across NIH and other federal or private funding agencies. 

• Draft scientific summaries, program highlights, and lay-language communications for institutional and external audiences. 

• Support manuscript preparation, including literature reviews, methods sections, and figure/table organization for peer-reviewed publications. 

Scientific Contribution – Mouse Genetics & Therapeutic Development 

• Provide scientific input and oversight on programs involving mouse genetics, including transgenic, knock-in, knock-out, and conditional models. 

• Contribute expertise in preclinical therapeutic development pipelines, including target identification, in vivo efficacy studies, and translational modeling. 

• Critically evaluate experimental designs, interpret results, and ensure scientific rigor across program deliverables. 

• Engage with scientific collaborators and external partners (academic, industry, and government) to advance program goals. 

• Stay current with literature and emerging methodologies relevant to mouse genetics, neuroscience, rare disease, or other applicable therapeutic areas. 

Compliance, Regulatory & Operational Oversight 

• Ensure all animal research activities are conducted in compliance with IACUC protocols, institutional policies, and NIH guidelines. 

• Support IRB submissions and renewals where applicable. 

• Coordinate vendor management, subcontract oversight, and data sharing agreements associated with funded programs. 

• Train and mentor junior program staff and research coordinators on project management best practices and grant administration procedures. 

Required Qualifications 

• Master’s Degree required, but strong preference for a Ph.D. in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, or a closely related biomedical science field. 

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a research environment, with at least 2 years in a program management or research administration capacity. 

• Demonstrated expertise in mouse genetics, including design and interpretation of genetic mouse models (transgenic, CRISPR-based, conditional knockouts, etc.). 

• Direct experience with NIH grant mechanisms and administration, including preparation of RPPRs, competitive renewals, and budget management. 

• Proven track record as a scientific writer with experience authoring or co-authoring NIH grant applications and/or peer-reviewed publications. 

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously under competing deadlines. 

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work effectively with diverse teams of scientists, clinicians, and administrators. 

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience in therapeutic development, drug discovery, or translational research programs, particularly in neuroscience or rare/genetic diseases. 

• Familiarity with NIH eRA Commons, Grants.gov, and related submission platforms. 

• Prior experience managing multi-site or consortium grants (e.g., P01, U54, U19). 

• Knowledge of GLP/GCP principles and preclinical regulatory frameworks. 

• Postdoctoral research experience with independent publication record. 

• Experience with project management software (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana, MS Project) and data visualization tools. 

• Established network of collaborators in academic or industry research settings. 

Core Competencies