Senior Program Manager

Harvard University • Boston, MA

36d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Biostatistics is a very busy and diverse department focused on research and teaching. Our 70+ faculty are leaders in the development of statistical methods for clinical trials and observational studies, studies on the environment, computational biology, and genomics/genetics. We offer degree programs in biostatistics, computational biology and data science; currently, more than 180 students are enrolled in these programs. Our team invites applications for a Senior Program Manager position in the National Studies on Air Pollution and Health group (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nsaph/). The position will be under the supervision of Principal Research Scientist, Dr. Danielle Braun, in Biostatistics.

The Senior Program Manager is a key administrative and strategic partner to the Principal Investigators in NSAPH focused on environmental and public health applications and state-of-the-art causal inference and data science methodologies.

The Senior Program Manager will oversee day-to-day operations, coordinate complex multi-investigator projects, lead pre- and post-award scientific and administrative activities, and ensure compliance with institutional and federal regulations.

A separate Grants Manager has primary responsibility for financial management; the Senior Program Manager will collaborate closely with the Grants Manager and other central offices to align programmatic, scientific, and administrative needs with financial and compliance requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience is required
• 5+ years of relevant experience is required
• Advanced degree (e.g., MPH, MS in Biostatistics/Epidemiology, MPA, MBA, or related field) is strongly preferred
• 3–5+ years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, program management, or related role in an academic or public health research environment
• Demonstrated experience supporting NIH-funded projects, including familiarity with common mechanisms and electronic systems (e.g., eRA Commons, ASSIST, NIH Other Support)
• Understanding of pre- and post-award processes and requirements (scientific and administrative), with the ability to coordinate effectively with dedicated financial/Grants Management staff
• Experience working with quantitative or data-intensive research (e.g., biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental or population health)
• Familiarity with statistical software environments and workflows (e.g., R, Python, reproducible research tools) sufficient to understand project needs and communicate effectively with technical teams
• Experience in a biostatistics, epidemiology, or public health department, especially with projects involving causal inference, environmental exposures, and health outcomes
• Experience coordinating multi-site grants related to environment and public health
• Experience working closely with Grants Managers or research finance professionals in a large research institution
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple complex projects and deadlines in a fast-paced academic environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to synthesize complex scientific and methodological information for diverse audiences
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and attention to detail, particularly with confidential data and personnel information
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams, exercising sound judgment, initiative, and problem-solving skills
• Strong collaboration skills, especially in building effective working relationships with Grants Managers, departmental staff, and central offices
• Commitment to advancing public health, scientific rigor, and equity, and to fostering an inclusive and collaborative research environment

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (e.g., MPH, MS in Biostatistics/Epidemiology, MPA, MBA, or related field) is strongly preferred
• Experience coordinating multi-site grants related to environment and public health
• Experience working closely with Grants Managers or research finance professionals in a large research institution
• Familiarity with statistical software environments and workflows (e.g., R, Python, reproducible research tools) sufficient to understand project needs and communicate effectively with technical teams
• Experience in a biostatistics, epidemiology, or public health department, especially with projects involving causal inference, environmental exposures, and health outcomes

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage the operational aspects of the lab’s research portfolio, including multiple NIH grants (e.g., R01, R21, U24) and non-NIH grants (NSF, AWS, etc) in biostatistics, data science, and environmental/public health
• Develop and maintain project timelines, milestones, and deliverables for methodological and applied projects; monitor progress and proactively identify risks and mitigation strategies.
• Plan and facilitate regular project, lab, and working-group meetings (e.g., methods development teams, data analysis teams, multi-site collaborations), including agenda setting, documentation, and follow-up.
• Support multi-PI, multi-site collaborations involving epidemiologists, environmental scientists, clinicians, computer scientists, and policy partners, including coordination of subawards, data use agreements, and communication workflows
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for research processes, data management, and internal communication
• Serve as primary liaison between the research group and school/university administrative offices (e.g., research administration, HR, finance, IRB, IT)
• Ensure all research activities comply with federal, state, sponsor, and institutional policies, including human subjects protection, data security, conflict of interest, and responsible conduct of research.
• Oversee preparation, submission, and maintenance of IRB protocols, amendments, continuing reviews, and reportable events
• Develop and deliver training and guidance for investigators and staff on compliance requirements, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) where applicable, and ethical research conduct
• Monitor adherence to data use agreements (DUAs) and other compliance related contracts.
• Conduct periodic internal audits or quality checks to identify and address compliance risks
• Coordinate the scientific and administrative preparation of NIH grant applications and progress reports (RPPRs), working closely with the PIs, co-investigators, departmental pre-award staff, and the Grants Manager
• Coordinate and assemble proposal components (e.g., specific aims, research strategy, statistical analysis plans, data management and sharing plans, letters of support, biosketches, facilities/resources)
• Track deadlines and ensure timely submission of new grants, progress reports, Just-in-Time materials, and renewals. Collaborate with the Grants Manager and Office of Sponsored Programs on:
• Budget development and justification (providing programmatic input and staffing plans)
• Subaward setup and monitoring from a programmatic perspective
• Monitor effort distributions, personnel support, and scope of work for alignment with scientific aims, communicating needed changes to the PIs and Grants Manager
• Coordination with Grants Manager, Departmental, and Central offices by serving as the primary programmatic liaison between:
• the lab and Grants Manager for all financial aspects, budget changes, projections, and sponsor reporting
• the Department Administration and HR for all appointments, reappointments, visa-related coordination
• the Office of Sponsored Programs for all submissions, subcontracts, and compliance
• the various Compliance offices for IRB, data privacy, conflict of interest for research-regulatory needs
• the University Research Computing and Data Sciences for onboarding, offboarding, and communicating policies
• Provides the Grant Manager with timely information on staffing plans, anticipated changes in effort, timeline shifts, and major scope changes so that budgets and financial projections can be updated accordingly
• Participate in regular check-ins with the Grants Manager and relevant administrators to review portfolio status, upcoming deadlines, and operational needs
• Oversee administrative operations of the lab, including onboarding/offboarding
• Ensure compliance with NIH and institutional policies for human subjects, data-use agreements, privacy/confidentiality (including HIPAA where applicable), and data management and sharing
• Maintain organized records of protocols, approvals, data-use and collaboration agreements, training certifications, and conflict-of-interest disclosures
• Assist with preparation for audits, coordinate logistics, briefing materials, and presentations, in collaboration with the Grants Manager where financial information is required
• Support recruitment, hiring, and appointment processing for research staff, data analysts, statisticians, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate trainees, in partnership with HR and departmental administration
• Help define roles, expectations, and workflows for project teams
• Coordinate training in lab procedures, compliance requirements, and administrative processes; support mentoring activities and professional development (seminars, methods workshops, coding collaboratives)
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture that supports diverse trainees and staff in biostatistics and public health
• Serve as a central point of contact between the PIs/lab and institutional offices, collaborators (e.g., schools of public health, environmental health, medicine), community partners, and sponsors for programmatic and scientific matters
• Coordinate dissemination activities, including maintenance of lab and project websites and public-facing summaries of methods and findings
• Support preparation of manuscripts, methods papers, software documentation, and presentations (e.g., reference management, formatting, figures, reproducible reports, and ensuring compliance with public access policies)
• Help organize talks or workshops as needed
• Represent the research group on school or university committees related to research operations, compliance, or strategic initiatives
• Perform other duties as necessary.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: High school or GED