Program Manager, JCATI

University of Washington•Seattle, WA

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The Boeing Department of Aeronautics & Astronautics in the College of Engineering has an outstanding opportunity for an experienced Program Operations Specialist to manage the Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI). JCATI was created in 2012 by the State of Washington and is administered out of the William E. Boeing Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. JCATI's mission is to support Washington State’s aerospace community by bringing together members of the University of Washington, Washington State University, and the other public 4-year universities and colleges with private industry to develop new aerospace technologies in Washington. This position will support the Program Director and provide procedural and operational support for the Center. The JCATI program operations specialist will manage the day-to-day operations of the center. The person will Issue requests for proposals and handle submissions and reviews, maintain and update the Center's website, manage annual research symposium, manage all budget and post-award fiscal activities, and establish systems and gather data for mandated reports. The person will also perform complex technical fiscal analyses and financial reporting, contribute to strategic planning, interpret enabling legislation and make recommendations for meeting its goals. The person will engage in communications with members of industry and elected officials and will handle sensitive and confidential information. The person in this position will coordinate meetings and communications across organization cultural and procedure lines among investigators, staff, and administration of the state's six 4-year universities and colleges, numerous industry partners, and the Board of Directors. Activities and achievements of the center will be of great interest to legislators, state government administration, and leadership of the universities, as well as the participants. It will be important that the person hired has a full understanding of university operational organization, pre- and post-award grant management, and the ability to communicate clearly, accurately, and gracefully under pressure.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance or related field
Four years experience managing a large interdisciplinary project or center plus experience in pre- and post-award grant administration; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated ability handling a high volume of diverse tasks, under deadlines, with consistent accuracy and attention to detail
Demonstrated experience in working on diverse groups and teams; respects, values, and contributes to A&A’s commitment to justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Demonstrated ability to maintain harmonious working relationships and effectively address complex and sensitive administrative issues
Demonstrated ability to identify, interpret, and follow policies and procedures (institutional, academic, federal, state, and other)
Ability to successfully organize, plan, and execute small and large-scale projects
Ability to exercise independent judgment, manage competing priorities, and properly allocate resources to ensure project completion
Ability to manage records and perform basic data management tasks; experience maintaining and managing data in MS Excel
Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills

Nice To Haves

Familiarity or background in technical or scientific fields
Successful history of managing collaborative working relationships with faculty, staff, and academic leaders as well as community groups
Experience managing a network of collaborative partners

Responsibilities

Manage annual research symposium: choose site, negotiate contract, arrange catering, other supporting services, participant travel and reimbursements
Prepare post-symposium reports/publications.
Coordinate and oversee all special events and regular JCATI programming
Oversee all internal and external communications including the website, reporting or other materials. This includes reports to the State of Washington legislature, Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee, other Washington aerospace industry organizations and other stakeholders
Work with the legislation, the Board of Directors, and Program Director, to establish performance objectives and tools to assess progress toward them.
Manage data gathering and record keeping systems to assure that program reporting requirements are met. (JLARC)
Provide metrics and other information to UW Finance, Planning, and Budgeting for planning purposes
Oversee all internal operations including financial, communications, student affairs, and outreach.
Organize and facilitate quarterly JCATI Board of Directors meetings.
Work with WA Office of Boards & Commissions to manage and fill board positions.
Represent JCATI and manage relationships in state and local groups and initiatives including but not limited to Aerospace Futures Alliance (AFA), Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance (PNAA), Northwest I-90 Manufacturing Alliance (NIMA), and other WA aerospace industry groups. City of Kent Economic & Community Development Office, PNW Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). WA State Academy of Sciences, King County Initiative: Air and Space 2030: Investing in the evolution of King County’s Aerospace Cluster, Sustainable Aerospace Technologies & Energies Cluster,
Manage relationships with the Washington State Aerospace community to ensure multiple stakeholders are engaged to provide feedback so that JCATI stays effective in its charge.
Expand and maintain relationships among university faculty, and local, national and international aerospace/tech companies to foster research partnerships.
Represent the State of Washington at local, national, and international aerospace events and conferences
Participate in strategic planning, execution of strategic steps and goals, assessment of progress on or toward goals.
Oversee and maintain comprehensive fiscal and administrative policies and procedures
Manage records according to state and university records retention requirements.
Ensure all fiscal tasks are completed in compliance with UW, State, federal, and sponsor requirements, in partnership with the A&A fiscal team.
Compose and publish requests for proposals (RFPs).
Manage and update proposal review process with attention to confidentiality policies and transparency when business needs require.
Oversee the proposal acceptance and review process including conducting the first review for completeness, accuracy of budgeting, finding reviewers, etc.
Organize and facilitate proposal review committee meetings.
Assist Board with ranking/review process.
Notify applicants of funding decisions.
Transfer funds to funded institutions/investigators.
Work directly with faculty/principal investigators, discuss budgetary issues, including allowability, allocability, and reasonable expenditures.
Advise in cases in which budget balances are in question, providing options and alternatives in cases in which transfers are required.
Provide management and operational support on general functions associated with Center operations such as payroll, purchasing, reimbursement, reconciliation and fiscal planning.
May have signature approval authority for certain budget transactions.
Ensure compliance with University policies and procedures and conduct fiscal matters according to generally accepted accounting standards.
Develop and administer operational controls and procedures as needed; disseminate to funded investigators and their support teams.
Maintain and report on operating budget to program director and other constituents as needed
Manage purchasing, travel and any other financial transactions needed to support general operations
Collaborate with the A&A departmental fiscal team to ensure operations are aligned with general departmental processes and updated as needed to address any compliance or business need changes.
Participate and lead as appropriate special projects and initiatives
Serve on committees and working groups both internal to the department, within the larger college and campus community as well as regional and national groups as needed.
Other duties as assigned