Research Project Manager Seed Health

Penn State University•University Park, IL

4d•$56,200 - $89,600•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology is seeking a Research Project Manager to coordinate a USDA SCRI CAP grant representing 10 academic institutions and an 18-member Industry Advisory Panel. This Research Project Manager serves as the project manager for a new multi-million, multi-institutional grant, coordinating and integrating all aspects of the award across 10 universities and interfacing with external collaborators to facilitate large-scale, multi-site research. This position oversees planning, execution, and administration of complex research projects, including study design, data management and analysis, compliance, timelines, and budget management, while serving as the primary point of contact for faculty leadership, sponsors, and institutional partners. The candidate will provide scientific leadership by directly guiding research in the development and testing of infested seed and in the design, execution, and evaluation of experiments assessing bacterial strain fitness across diverse hosts and environmental conditions, advancing novel, scalable practices for seedborne pathogen management. The position coordinates all projects within the Bull lab and holds fiscal and budgetary responsibility for overseeing the appropriate allocation and charging of undergraduate support, equipment, and materials to ensure successful completion of the laboratory’s seven funded research projects.

Requirements

Exemplary organizational, interpersonal, communication, and writing skills.
Meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to manage multiple tasks efficiently and accurately.
Ability to work independently as well as be part of the team.
Master's Degree and 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted.
Bachelor's Degree and no prior relevant work experience required; previous relevant work experience accepted in lieu of education.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Nice To Haves

Experience in phytobacteriology, specifically inoculation plants with bacterial plant pathogens.
Experience with plant disease rating systems.
Experience with bacterial identification.
Skill with statistical analysis of data.
Skill with plant husbandry.
Experience managing grant teams.
Experience writing grant reports.

Responsibilities

Coordinate a USDA SCRI CAP grant representing 10 academic institutions and an 18-member Industry Advisory Panel.
Serve as the project manager for a new multi-million, multi-institutional grant.
Coordinate and integrate all aspects of the award across 10 universities.
Interface with external collaborators to facilitate large-scale, multi-site research.
Oversee planning, execution, and administration of complex research projects, including study design, data management and analysis, compliance, timelines, and budget management.
Serve as the primary point of contact for faculty leadership, sponsors, and institutional partners.
Provide scientific leadership by directly guiding research in the development and testing of infested seed.
Guide research in the design, execution, and evaluation of experiments assessing bacterial strain fitness across diverse hosts and environmental conditions.
Advance novel, scalable practices for seedborne pathogen management.
Coordinate all projects within the Bull lab.
Hold fiscal and budgetary responsibility for overseeing the appropriate allocation and charging of undergraduate support, equipment, and materials to ensure successful completion of the laboratory’s seven funded research projects.