Networking and Partnership Manager

Bennington College•Bennington, VT

3d•$55,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Bennington College seeks a Networking and Partnership Manager to administer the Vermont PFAS Environmental Research Network (PERN) project, funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). As the College serves as the project’s lead coordinating institution, the Manager leads communication, outreach, and engagement initiatives and helps establish a durable statewide research network across Vermont’s academic, governmental, and community sectors. The role collaborates with campus faculty and staff and cultivates partnerships with researchers, community members, public agencies, and other stakeholders addressing PFAS contamination. Success requires fostering trust, engaging varied constituencies, and nurturing collaborations across institutional and community settings. The position reports to the Director of Institutional and Academic Grants. It is primarily on-site, with hybrid work considered at the manager’s discretion. The position is supported by grant funding anticipated to conclude on June 30, 2030; continuation or renewal is contingent on the NSF/PFAS grant. The annual salary starts at $55,000. All offers are contingent on successful completion and acceptable results of a background check. Bennington College is a small residential liberal arts college in southern Vermont, founded in 1932 and distinguished by its progressive approach to higher education. Its campus spans approximately 370 acres at the foot of the Green Mountains. The College emphasizes equity, diversity, and inclusivity and expects employees to respect and respond to the varied backgrounds and identities represented in its community.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Public Policy, Communications, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
At least three years of experience managing multi-institutional programs.
Proven track record of developing and maintaining partnerships across diverse groups, including faculty, state agency officials, and community activists.
Experience managing complex, multi-institutional outreach activities.
Strong organizational, time-management, strategic communication, event-planning, and stakeholder-management skills.
Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
Strong project-coordination and problem-solving skills.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and customer-service skills.
Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and professionalism, and ability to handle confidential information appropriately.
Ability to foster inclusive collaborations across diverse institutional types and non-academic sectors.
Successful completion of a background check with acceptable results is required for employment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience managing programs funded by federal agencies such as the NSF, EPA, or NIH.
Knowledge of PFAS contamination.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain cross-sector collaborations among academic institutions, government entities, and community stakeholders across Vermont.
Facilitate structured engagement and alignment with other active NSF EPSCoR projects in Vermont, specifically the E-CORE (VT-STRIVE) team, and the Vermont Technology Council.
Develop and execute project-wide communication, public outreach, and scientific dissemination strategies to increase the project’s local, regional, national, and global visibility.
Coordinate outreach programs supporting multi-level STEM workforce development and inclusive engagement practices across partner organizations.
Assist PERN co-PIs with organizing and implementing a summer Environmental Field Course for the PERN network.
Manage day-to-day project administrative operations.
Organize logistics for strategic-planning meetings and annual PERN network meetings.
Coordinate continuous improvement cycles and organize workshops and science symposia.
Work with the Project Evaluator, PERN Co-PIs, and Advisory Board to collect metrics, support annual reporting, and track milestones.
Feed data into the EPSCoR Data Outcomes Collection System (EDOCS).
Help maintain and curate content for the PERN Project Website.