Research Project Manager

Digital Promise • Washington, DC

2d • $73,043 - $99,778 • Hybrid

About The Position

Digital Promise’s Learning Sciences Research (LSR) team focuses on the why, what, and how of learning in and out of school. This position will work with teams on several funded initiatives to support education research and development, with particular focus on projects involving artificial intelligence (AI). These include the K-12 AI Infrastructure program, which manages nearly $20 million in grants to improve AI-driven educational tools by developing research-backed AI models tailored to K-12 learning and math instructional materials, the Accelerate, Transform, and Scale (ATS) Hub, an initiative for the U.S. Department of Education to build a community of education innovators using advanced technologies to develop transformative solutions, and the NSF-funded EngageAI Institute, where the focus of Digital Promise’s role is dissemination and scale up of the work of the other four institutions.

Working closely with project leads, the Research Project Manager will coordinate and support project teams at Digital Promise as well as the additional funders, universities, nonprofits, school districts, and scientific advisors we work with on these projects. The Research Project Manager will draw on their experience working on projects in K-12 education and knowledge of the research processes. They will coordinate schedules, agendas, and action items with multiple stakeholders in complex projects, including education agencies, funders, and partner organizations. Strong ability to communicate verbally and in writing (e.g. emails) with a wide range of audiences is important to the role.

Digital Promise serves all students while seeking clear progress for students from populations that have been historically and systematically underserved. Experiences and strengths that align with Digital Promise's Impact Goals are desired.
education outcomes for all learners and mitigate persistent achievement and attainment gaps to national audiences. Strong ability to communicate verbally and in writing (e.g. emails) with a wide range of audiences is important to the role.

This position will be supported by interactions across the 30-person LSR team, including with project managers elsewhere in LSR. The role will be able to work with others in LSR on additional projects or initiatives, as time allows. LSR is a community and this role will be a member of the community; likewise, opportunities for interaction will be available across Digital Promise. LSR provides professional development opportunities for all staff.

This position is a term-limited opportunity until December 31, 2026, with the potential for conversion to a full-time employee or contract employee role upon successful completion of the term.

Requirements

• Minimum of a Bachelor's degree and 3 years of experience in project management in the context of educational or related projects.
• Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment dealing successfully with multiple short- and long-term priorities simultaneously.
• Strong collaborative and problem-solving skills with the ability to address challenges proactively.
• Advanced organizational and time management skills, with impeccable attention to detail and the ability to juggle multiple projects, establish processes, and monitor progress on multiple project strands.
• Demonstrable ability to communicate in written and verbal formats with a variety of roles to facilitate engagement in the research both internal to DP and with partners, participants, and funders.
• Creativity and flexibility, with the ability to adapt to changing project needs and work across different types of efforts such as contract management, communications, and funder relations.
• Working knowledge of learning sciences research processes and strong desire to learn more about complex, multi-institutional research in education.
• Strong proficiency with a variety of technical tools and platforms, including office and cloud software (e.g., Google Docs, Excel, Slack), Salesforce, and Qualtrics.
• Deep commitment to expanding opportunities for all learners
• Interest in redesigning learning systems for greater impact
• Alignment with Digital Promise’s Shared Humanity framework, which emphasizes connection as the driver of change
• Proven experience collaborating across teams to share information, deliver projects on time, and achieve goals

Nice To Haves

• We have a preference for candidates with the ability to work in our Redwood City CA or Washington DC office at least some of the time.
• Experience supporting budget processes and/or documentation preferred

Responsibilities

• Provide project management and logistical support for multiple large-scale research projects and proposal efforts, including maintaining timelines, and coordinating team members and partners.
• Maintain agendas for meetings, take notes, and follow up with others to ensure action items are completed and contributors are prepared for future meetings.
• Support project leads to track and manage progress towards project milestones and deliverables including preparation of required quarterly and annual reports to funders.
• Implement partnership collaboration practices – setting up meetings, shared virtual collaboration spaces and documentation.
• Coordinate, communicate with and build relationships with relevant research partners, including external researchers and participants.
• Build and maintain relationships with external collaborators, funders, and team members across Digital Promise through strategic use of multiple communication channels.
• Support project-related activities, such as communication including emails, social media, and newsletters; co-facilitate sessions with educators.
• Support LSR’s finance manager on process improvement & documentation, project management of finance tasks, completing org-wide requests for information, reviewing budgets/budget justifications for accuracy, and assisting with annual budget development.
• Track payments, contracts, and other paperwork for projects to assure participants and partners are compensated in a timely manner.
• Support the organization and execution of project events including in-person convenings, professional development, technical assistance, and data collection.

Benefits

• Digital Promise offers a competitive total rewards package that includes 85% of health insurance premiums for employees and 75% of health insurance premiums for dependent and family coverage, 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, a 3% 401k employer contribution, a 3% employer 401k match, and a flexible work environment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees