Program Launch Manager

Convergent Research

4d•$111,000 - $159,000•Remote

About The Position

Convergent Research is a nonprofit science studio that pioneers Focused Research Organizations (FROs), which are mission-driven, time-bound entities designed to solve scientific and engineering bottlenecks. Convergent provides the operational backbone for these FROs, handling aspects like legal formation, funding, hiring, finance, governance, partnerships, communications, and operational systems. The Program Launch Manager will be central to the FRO lifecycle, helping scientific projects become functioning organizations and running large-scale founder programs. This role requires a blend of project management, operational expertise, and partnership, with the ability to bring structure to evolving systems and unique FROs. The ideal candidate will be comfortable with ambiguity, detail-oriented, people-centered, and a proactive communicator, capable of managing multiple workstreams simultaneously.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in project management, operations, program management, account management, implementation, consulting, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience coordinating complex, cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders.
Experience working directly with founders, executives, clients, partners, or other senior stakeholders.
Strong written, verbal, organizational, and follow-through skills.
Experience building or improving processes, playbooks, templates, or operating systems.
Comfort working independently in a distributed, rapidly changing environment.

Nice To Haves

Based on the U.S. East Coast, or comfortable working East Coast hours and supporting projects in the United Kingdom.
Willingness to travel occasionally to support programs and events.
Experience launching or scaling a startup, nonprofit, research organization, lab, program, or other new initiative.
Experience working across countries, time zones, or international operating environments.
Experience supporting scientific, technical, or mission-driven teams.
Experience managing external vendors, consultants, institutional partners, or funders.
Familiarity with AI-enabled tools for documentation, reporting, workflow automation, or project management.

Responsibilities

Lead FRO launches, coordinating Convergent's legal, finance, people, compliance, procurement, IT, fundraising, communications, and leadership teams.
Build and manage launch plans from proposal approval and funding commitment through entity formation, operational activation, team onboarding, and early FRO execution.
Run launch meetings, track decisions and dependencies, surface risks early, resolve blockers, and coordinate launches across U.S. and international contexts.
Own the operational delivery of FRO Founder Residencies, open calls, Launchpad programs, and other partner-led initiatives.
Coordinate program design, participant experience, and internal operational work for founder programs.
Provide high-touch support to founders and teams participating in programs.
Serve as a consistent and responsive point of contact for founders and FRO leaders during launch and early operations.
Help founders understand Convergent's operating model, systems, decision rights, governance expectations, and available support.
Create structured feedback loops with FRO teams to understand what is working, where friction exists, and what they need from Convergent.
Share insights with internal teams and help turn recurring pain points into improvements.
Track operational readiness, coordinate handoffs, and help teams move toward durable internal ownership.
Maintain and improve Convergent's FRO Launch Playbook, templates, checklists, documentation, and operating rhythms.
Turn lessons from individual launches into repeatable processes, clearer systems, and useful metrics.
Use automation and AI to keep information, documentation, and tracking accurate and up to date.
Pitch in on unusual projects, new partner initiatives, or tasks that haven't been done before.

Benefits

Competitive Salary: The salary range for this role is $111,000 - 159,000
Up to a 6% 401k match
Top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance—majority of options are fully covered for you and your dependents.
Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance, as well as voluntary supplemental insurance options
19 holidays (including a full week off at the end of the year)
3 weeks PTO with tenure increases, with separate allotments for sick and parental leave
Generous fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement
Education and professional development benefits
Wellness allowance for fitness and wellness activities
Quarterly offsite team retreats and additional opportunities to meet your teammates in person