Program Manager (NIFA ANNH Project Coordinator, 0097781T)

University of Hawaii•Various Locations, HI

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the Principal Investigator (PI), the Program Manager serves as Project Coordinator for the day-to-day administration and implementation of Leeward Community College’s federally funded USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) Alaska Native-Serving and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions Education Competitive Grants Program project. The role coordinates grant goals, objectives, activities, timelines, performance measures, and deliverables, and maintains an operational project plan aligned with the approved NIFA Plan of Work, project objectives, budget, and timeline. The position coordinates project work through the Wahiawa Value-Added Product Development Center (WVAPDC), with emphasis on high pressure processing (HPP), food safety, product development, workforce preparation, and applied learning. It coordinates student internships and field experiences, training and curriculum development, producer-readiness activities, and development of an HPP Validation Library focused on Hawaii food products. Technical validation decisions remain with qualified project personnel and partners. The Program Manager serves as the operational liaison for project partners and coordinates meetings, schedules, documentation, participant activities, and follow-up. The role tracks project participation, outputs, outcomes, performance measures, and expenditures; supports assessment and evaluation; and compiles information for NIFA progress, annual, and final reports and other institutional or grant documentation. In collaboration with the PI and administrative personnel, the position coordinates fiscal and logistical requirements, including contracts, procurement, travel, facilities, equipment access, stipends, and partner-related expenditures, and alerts the PI to delays, variances, compliance concerns, or issues requiring corrective action or sponsor approval. The position is based primarily at WVAPDC. Assignments may involve days, evenings, and weekends and activities on and off campus, including travel to partner and project sites throughout Hawaii. The employee may hire, train, coordinate, and/or supervise temporary personnel, student assistants, interns, or other grant-supported staff as assigned. The position is temporary through September 30, 2027, with possible continuation dependent on satisfactory performance, funding availability, and staffing requirements. The anticipated start is approximately January 2027, pending funding and staffing requirements.

Requirements

Baccalaureate degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Education, Agriculture, Food Science, Natural Sciences, Workforce Development, Social Sciences, or a related field, and three years of progressively responsible professional experience in program implementation, project coordination, grant administration, workforce development, education, or related activities; or an equivalent combination of education and/or professional work experience.
Considerable working knowledge of project planning, implementation, coordination, evaluation, and reporting principles, practices, and techniques.
Considerable working knowledge and understanding of applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations, theories, and systems associated with grant-funded programs and fiscal administration.
Demonstrated ability to resolve complex problems using creative reasoning and logic to determine causes and effective, innovative, and timely solutions.
Demonstrated ability to interpret and present information and ideas clearly and accurately in writing and verbally, and to prepare reports and other materials.
Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external organizations, groups, team leaders, team members, and individuals.
Demonstrated ability to operate a personal computer and use word-processing software and contemporary productivity, data-management, communication, and collaboration applications.
If supervisory work is assigned, demonstrated ability to lead subordinates, manage work priorities and projects, and manage employee relations.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex projects involving multiple internal and external partners, activities, timelines, and deliverables.
Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing and prepare professional reports, correspondence, presentations, and project documentation.
Demonstrated ability to organize multiple projects and priorities, meet deadlines, maintain accurate records, and work independently with a high degree of accountability.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Education, Agriculture, Food Science, Natural Sciences, Workforce Development, Social Sciences, or a related field.
Experience administering or coordinating federally funded grants, particularly USDA, NIFA, or other education, agriculture, workforce, or economic-development programs.
Experience coordinating workforce-development, internship, work-based learning, or career-pathway programs involving students, faculty, employers, and community partners.
Experience working with food science, food safety, food manufacturing, agriculture, value-added product development, high-pressure processing, HACCP, or related industries.
Experience coordinating projects involving agricultural producers, food entrepreneurs, small businesses, or community-based economic-development initiatives.
Knowledge of federal grant reporting, fiscal management, procurement, evaluation, and compliance requirements.
Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining collaborative relationships involving higher education, industry, government, community organizations, and/or agricultural producers.
Demonstrated knowledge of Leeward Community College, WVAPDC, University of Hawaii programs, and Hawaii’s agriculture and food-product innovation ecosystem.
Experience working with diverse populations and communities in Hawaii.
Demonstrated ability to support culturally responsive, place-based educational and workforce-development programs serving Native Hawaiian and other underserved communities.

Responsibilities

Coordinate day-to-day administration and implementation of the federally funded USDA NIFA project, including its goals, objectives, activities, timelines, performance measures, and deliverables.
Develop and maintain an operational project plan aligned with the approved NIFA Plan of Work, project objectives, budget, and timeline; track milestones, deliverables, responsible parties, and performance indicators and update the PI and project leadership.
Coordinate WVAPDC project activities focused on value-added agriculture and food-product education-to-workforce pathways, including HPP, food safety, product development, workforce preparation, and applied learning.
Coordinate student internships, field experiences, applied learning, and workforce-development opportunities; arrange placements, clarify expectations, track participation and completion, and document learning and workforce outcomes.
Coordinate the development, scheduling, implementation, and documentation of HPP, HACCP, food safety, product development, and related workforce education and training activities with faculty, subject-matter experts, and external partners.
Support grant-funded curriculum and educational resource development, including modular HPP instructional materials and producer-readiness resources; facilitate communication among project participants to keep activities within scope and on schedule.
Coordinate development of an HPP Validation Library focused on Hawaii food products; maintain documentation, schedule validation activities, track products and milestones, and facilitate communication among participating entities.
Serve as the primary operational liaison for project partners, coordinating meetings, activities, timelines, required documentation, and follow-up actions.
Coordinate grant activities with agricultural producers and entrepreneurs, including outreach, participant coordination, producer-readiness activities, training participation, and connections to WVAPDC and partner resources.
Develop and maintain systems for tracking participation, activities, outputs, outcomes, and grant performance measures; maintain records for federal reporting, evaluation, fiscal accountability, and audits.
Coordinate assessment and evaluation with the PI, project team, institutional personnel, and independent evaluator; collect and organize qualitative and quantitative data, monitor grant indicators, and assist with evaluation and continuous improvement.
Prepare and compile statistical, narrative, programmatic, and fiscal information for NIFA progress, annual, and final reports, institutional reporting, presentations, and other grant documentation; assist the PI in meeting reporting deadlines.
Monitor grant expenditures and commitments with the PI and fiscal and administrative personnel; coordinate contracts, procurement, travel, scheduling, facilities, equipment access, stipends, participant support, partner expenditures, and other grant-funded logistics in accordance with applicable requirements.
Review implementation and expenditures against the approved scope of work and budget, and alert the PI to delays, variances, compliance concerns, or matters requiring corrective action, budget modification, or sponsor approval.
Organize and facilitate project-team and partner meetings; prepare agendas and materials, document decisions, responsibilities, and action items, and monitor follow-up.
Maintain effective working relationships with College and University personnel, producers, food businesses, community organizations, educational partners, industry representatives, and other stakeholders.
Assist with outreach and dissemination of project activities, accomplishments, educational opportunities, and resources in coordination with College personnel.
As assigned, hire, train, coordinate, and/or supervise temporary personnel, student assistants, interns, or other grant-supported staff; establish work priorities and monitor work and deliverables.
Represent the NIFA project and WVAPDC at appropriate College, University, community, industry, and partner meetings and events.
Perform other duties as assigned.