Project Manager for the Center of Environmental Health and Susceptibility

UNC-Chapel Hill•Chapel Hill, NC

About The Position

The Center for Environmental Health and Susceptibility (CEHS) is a collaborative center at UNC-Chapel Hill housed within the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences through a five-year, $7.7 million P30 center grant, CEHS advances translational environmental health sciences research serving North Carolina and the nation. Its work brings together researchers, physicians, public health professionals, educators, and community partners to address environmental cancer, cardiopulmonary health, and healthy development and aging. Through its Facility Cores, Career Development Program, and Community Outreach and Engagement Core, the Center works to translate interdisciplinary research into improvements in public health. The Project Manager provides project management, operational leadership, and administrative oversight for CEHS. Reporting directly to the Research Program Director, this person is a key member of the Administrative Core and coordinates Center-wide activities supporting research, pilot projects, training, community engagement, and strategic priorities. The role manages the Center’s sponsored research activities, including pre-award and post-award administration, compliance monitoring, budget oversight, progress reporting, and sponsor communications. The Project Manager administers the Pilot Project Program, coordinating solicitation development, application review, award administration, project monitoring, and outcome assessment. The position also facilitates interdisciplinary collaborations and connects investigators with Center resources, core facilities, and funding opportunities. Additional responsibilities include tracking and reporting Center metrics and accomplishments, and supporting annual and progress reports, advisory committee materials, site visits, and Center renewal applications. The role collaborates with Center leadership, faculty investigators, trainees, university partners, external collaborators, community organizations, and NIEHS program officers to support program implementation, growth, and sustainability.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience managing complex projects, programs, centers, or research initiatives in an academic, public health, healthcare, nonprofit, government, or scientific environment.
Experience developing and monitoring work plans, timelines, deliverables, performance measures, and operational processes.
Ability to independently plan, organize, prioritize, and coordinate multiple concurrent projects, activities, and deadlines with accuracy and attention to detail.
Experience coordinating activities across faculty, staff, trainees, institutional partners, community organizations, and external collaborators.
Experience supporting sponsored research activities, such as proposal development, project implementation, regulatory compliance, reporting, budget monitoring, or research administration.
Ability to collect, analyze, track, and report programmatic data and performance metrics for decision-making, strategic planning, and program evaluation.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of reports, presentations, meeting materials, and professional correspondence for varied audiences.
Experience facilitating meetings, managing committees or working groups, coordinating events, and ensuring follow-through on action items.
Strong interpersonal, collaboration, and relationship-building skills for effective work across multidisciplinary teams and with internal and external stakeholders.
Problem-solving, critical-thinking, and organizational skills, with sound judgment and ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.
Experience developing, implementing, and improving operational procedures, administrative processes, or programmatic workflows.
Demonstrated leadership experience, including coordinating, mentoring, supervising, or providing work direction to staff, students, trainees, or project teams.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and experience using project management, data management, or reporting tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting a multidisciplinary research center, institute, training program, or other complex academic research enterprise.
Experience working with federally funded research programs, including NIH grants, center grants, or training grants.
Knowledge of environmental health, public health, biomedical research, or community-engaged research.
Experience with project management, strategic planning, program evaluation, or research development activities.
Experience coordinating scientific meetings, workshops, advisory committees, or stakeholder engagement activities.
Experience developing reports, presentations, communications materials, or research impact metrics.
Experience supervising, mentoring, or leading administrative, research, or project staff.
Familiarity with university research administration, financial management, and compliance systems.
Certification or formal training in project management, research administration, or a related field.

Responsibilities

Provide project management, operational leadership, and administrative oversight for the Center.
Coordinate Center-wide activities supporting research, pilot projects, training programs, community engagement initiatives, and strategic priorities.
Manage sponsored research activities, including pre-award and post-award administration, compliance monitoring, budget oversight, progress reporting, and sponsor communications.
Administer the Pilot Project Program, including solicitation development, application review coordination, award administration, project monitoring, and outcome assessment.
Facilitate interdisciplinary research collaborations and connect investigators with Center resources, core facilities, and funding opportunities.
Collect, analyze, track, and report Center metrics, accomplishments, publications, grants, trainee outcomes, and community engagement activities.
Support preparation of annual reports, progress reports, advisory committee materials, site visits, and Center renewal applications.
Work with Center leadership, faculty investigators, trainees, university partners, external collaborators, community organizations, and NIEHS program officers.
Develop, monitor, and improve work plans, timelines, deliverables, performance measures, operational processes, procedures, and workflows.
Facilitate meetings, coordinate committees and working groups, organize events, and ensure follow-through on projects and action items.
Coordinate, mentor, supervise, or provide work direction to staff, students, trainees, or project teams.