Project Manager, Kinder Institute for Urban Research
About The Position
The Kinder Institute for Urban Research seeks a full-time Project Manager to serve as an advisory-capacity operational partner supporting research centers and institutional enablement teams (IETs). The Project Manager helps structure work, coordinate across teams, support compliance and process follow-through, maintain project visibility, and improve execution across KIUR initiatives. This role strengthens research and operational execution through project coordination, meeting and documentation support, timeline and deliverable tracking, workflow maintenance, stakeholder communication, and identification of risks or dependencies. The Project Manager may prepare, coordinate, document, and advise but does not replace leader-level authority, strategic ownership, or formal supervisory responsibility. The Kinder Institute for Urban Research aims to improve lives through data, research, engagement, and action. The institute consists of five research centers focused on critical aspects shaping the social and cultural landscape of the Houston area. The five centers research housing, education, community and public health, economic mobility and inequality, and population dynamics. Each center investigates its particular topic area and works across centers to build interdisciplinary teams specializing in solutions-oriented research. The centers use a research-practice partnership (RPP) model to jointly design, develop, and conduct research that values diversity in expertise and prioritizes the community in identifying and addressing some of the most pressing questions and challenges facing greater Houston. We strive for our research to inform decision-making and bring about systemic change. The ideal candidate will possess a commitment to KIUR's mission and be able to work and communicate effectively with others to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. They must be adaptable to change, possess the ability to prioritize competing deadlines, and have excellent organizational skills.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis
- 1+ years of experience in project management, research administration, operations, compliance support, or a related field
- In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year basis
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of partners
- Working knowledge of project coordination principles, documentation practices, and risk identification
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines
Nice To Haves
- Experience in a university, nonprofit, research, public sector, or mission-driven setting
- Experience using Monday.com, Box, Adobe, Qualtrics, Teams, or similar cloud-based systems
- Experience supporting research compliance, grant coordination, community-engaged work, or cross-functional operational processes
- Demonstrated ability to build collaborative working relationships and adapt within a growing organization
Responsibilities
- Support project lifecycle activities, including kickoff preparation, timeline development, deliverable tracking, status follow-up, and closeout support across assigned research and/or IET areas
- Translate meeting discussions, stakeholder inputs, and workstream updates into actionable tasks, timelines, dependencies, and updates within KIUR’s project management systems
- Coordinate recurring meetings, prepare agendas and supporting materials, document key decisions and action items, and maintain records for relevant stakeholders
- Track project progress and flag emerging risks, dependencies, bottlenecks, or communication gaps to the appropriate leader or supervisor
- Facilitate coordination between supported teams and KIUR internal partners, including research, grants, data, finance, people operations, communications, development, and compliance-related functions, as appropriate
- Support research and operational compliance activities by tracking requirements, maintaining documentation, coordinating routing needs, and helping ensure timely follow-through on approvals and deadlines
- Maintain organized project files, shared records, and archives in approved KIUR systems such as Box and Monday.com
- Prepare project summaries, updates, and reports for supervisors and supported teams
- Participate in process improvement efforts by identifying workflow challenges, documenting suggested changes, and supporting the adoption of updated tools or processes
- Performs all other duties as assigned
- Assist with meeting and project reporting for leadership-facing updates
- Support documentation and tracking related to MOUs, data-sharing agreements, IRB workflows, or other compliance-related processes under established direction
- Assist with onboarding team members to PM tools, templates, and tracking expectations in collaboration with senior PM staff and/or the RISS role
Benefits
- benefits-eligible position
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
