Program Manager, Development & Innovation

American University•Washington, DC

9h•$75,000 - $80,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Manager for Development and Innovation supports American University's research enterprise through funding opportunity identification, faculty engagement, and innovation support for the Office of Research and Sponsored Awards (ORSA). Under the VPRI’s direction, the role scans federal and state agencies, foundations, and philanthropic organizations for emerging opportunities aligned with university research priorities; monitors sponsor trends; curates opportunities for faculty and research units; maintains tracking systems; and coordinates limited-submission announcements. Working with center directors, department leadership, pre-award offices, and other campus entities, the Program Manager aligns research and program interests with suitable funding. The position conducts intake consultations, matches opportunities, and improves communication to support preparedness and proposal competitiveness. The role also supports innovation and technology transfer by partnering with technology transfer teams to identify industry collaboration and commercialization opportunities, assist with workshops and pitch sessions, and develop partnerships. It supports the evaluation of invention disclosures, emerging technologies, and social innovation, and contributes to intellectual property, data infrastructure, and research security activities. The Program Manager identifies and engages relevant campus parties across these areas and other VPRI initiatives. This is a full-time, regular, exempt position with a hybrid work modality requiring on-campus work two days per week. The position is part of a collective bargaining unit represented by SEIU Local 500 – Provost & Enrollment Division. The expected schedule is 35 hours per week. Salary range is $75,000–$80,000 annually. Hiring offers are contingent on successful completion of a background check. Staff must deliver services from the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or work on-site at the university.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
2–4 years of relevant experience.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or equivalent.
3–5 years of experience in a related field.

Responsibilities

Scan federal agencies, foundations, and philanthropic organizations for emerging funding opportunities aligned with university research priorities.
Monitor sponsor priorities, funding trends, and policy changes to inform strategic planning.
Curate and distribute targeted funding opportunities to centers, departments, and faculty.
Maintain and update internal tracking tools and databases, including monitoring deadlines, eligibility, and submission workflows.
Work with center directors, department leadership, pre-award offices, and other assigned entities to align research and program interests with suitable funding opportunities.
Conduct intake discussions with current and prospective principal investigators to understand research needs and identify competitive funding pathways.
Assist in assessing new technologies, invention disclosures, and potential commercialization strategies.
Manage intellectual property protection, including patents and trademarks, initial filings, and maintenance.
Ensure compliance with the Bayh-Dole Act and engage campus resources for intellectual property protection.
Work with the Director of Research Compliance and Integrity and the Office of General Counsel on intellectual property matters.
Educate principal investigators and units about intellectual property opportunities.
Collaborate with technology transfer teams to identify industry partnership, commercialization, and innovation-programming opportunities.
Support innovation initiatives, including workshops, pitch sessions, and partnership development activities.
Engage campus resources for entrepreneurship and technology transfer.
Serve as the ORSA liaison to TRAC and participate in regular TRAC meetings.
Work with the assessment team to develop an AU capacity plan for technology transfer, intellectual property, and research translation support.
Produce regular reports and updates for TRAC and ORSA, and identify collaboration opportunities among TRAC, ORSA, and other campus entities.
Coordinate development of a campus-wide data security and infrastructure plan; identify relevant personnel and efforts and manage external partners in plan development and implementation.
Produce and maintain a data infrastructure and security enhancement report for the VPRI.