Program Manager, Climate & Sustainability Engineering
About The Position
The Pratt School of Engineering at Duke University is seeking a highly organized, strategic, and collaborative Program Manager to support a dynamic portfolio of interdisciplinary academic programs and research centers focused on climate, risk, and resilience. In this role, you will work at the intersection of academic program management, research coordination, and external engagement. You’ll partner closely with program directors, faculty, students, and industry stakeholders while serving as a central integrator across multiple programs and centers. You will play a critical role in strengthening connections across programs, improving systems, and enabling long-term growth. Your work will directly contribute to advancing interdisciplinary education and research at Duke while supporting high-impact programming, partnerships, and student success. On a daily basis, you will coordinate across multiple stakeholders, manage program operations, track outcomes and performance metrics, support academic and research initiatives, and drive strategic improvements across workflows and systems.
Requirements
- A bachelor’s degree is generally required.
- Requires 2 years of experience in program management, academic administration, or multi-stakeholder initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities across complex programs or portfolios
- Strong organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work collaboratively across departments, schools, and external partners
- Strong attention to detail and systems-thinking capabilities
- Comfortable operating in a growing and evolving program environment
Nice To Haves
- Ability to translate complex technical or research topics into accessible content
- Experience with stakeholder engagement, industry partnerships, or external collaborations
- Experience with event planning, communications, and program coordination
- Familiarity with climate, risk, resilience, or related technical fields
- Experience working in academic, interdisciplinary, or research-driven environments
- Experience with data systems, CRM platforms, dashboards, or program tracking tools
- Master’s degree preferred
Responsibilities
- Coordinate activities across multiple academic programs and research centers to ensure alignment of goals, timelines, and deliverables while serving as a liaison across departments, schools, and partner institutions
- Support program directors in strategic planning, implementation, and continuous improvement, including identifying inefficiencies and implementing improvements across workflows, communications, and program operations
- Develop, maintain, and manage integrated systems (e.g., CRM tools, program databases, dashboards) to track students, partners, projects, key performance indicators (KPIs), milestones, and outcomes to inform decision-making
- Manage day-to-day academic program operations including student tracking (progress, requirements, graduation readiness), course coordination, scheduling, admissions support, recruitment activities, onboarding, and student engagement initiatives
- Coordinate and execute program events such as orientations, seminars, residencies, graduation activities, workshops, and cross-program convenings
- Oversee program budgets, financial processes, expense reconciliation, and assist with financial planning and forecasting
- Support research center and grant administration activities including coordination of CIRCAD, RESILE, and related initiatives; scheduling leadership meetings and advisory boards; tracking deliverables and reporting requirements; and assisting with proposal development, reporting, and renewal processes
- Coordinate across research teams and partner institutions while supporting subaward processes and sponsor requirements (e.g., NSF IUCRC structures)
- Manage and strengthen industry partnerships and external engagement efforts, including coordinating advisory board meetings, tracking partner interactions, cultivating new partnerships, and facilitating internships, capstone projects, and experiential learning opportunities
- Support governance processes by preparing materials for leadership teams and advisory boards, tracking decisions and action items, and helping advance strategic initiatives across programs
- Develop and manage communications across programs, including newsletters, reports, websites, social media, and stakeholder updates, translating technical research into accessible messaging
- Plan and execute conferences, workshops, short courses, and student engagement programming while supporting new initiatives such as executive education offerings and strategic partnerships
Benefits
- medical and dental care programs
- generous retirement benefits
- a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
