Special Projects Manager, Scientific Operations

American Heart Association•Dallas, TX

5h•Remote

About The Position

The American Heart Association has an excellent opportunity for a Special Projects Manager, Scientific Operations, working with The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)®. This position can be home-based. This is a full-time, benefits-eligible, grant-funded opportunity. Funding will expire one year from start date. Sustainable Food Systems @ Heart is an innovation portfolio of the American Heart Association focused on transforming food systems into measurable drivers of human and planetary health. Within Sustainable Food Systems @ Heart, The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI) ® serves to build the scientific infrastructure, translational tools, and capacity needed to move food to a health solution. Specifically, PTFI is a science-to-action initiative co-managed by the American Heart Association that is offering standardized multi-omics tools, data, and training to characterize food quality of the world’s edible biodiversity. Our global ecosystem is mapping food quality based on diverse components, including macronutrients, micronutrients, and specialized metabolites, as well as their variation across food systems. PTFI’s vision is a world where stakeholders in food, agriculture and health are enabled to lead data-driven solutions that provide healthy food from sustainable food systems. The Association offers many resources to help you maintain work-life harmonization through your changing needs and life situations. To help you be successful, you will have access to Heart U, our award-winning corporate university, as well as additional training and support, locally. #TheAHALife is more than a company culture; it is our way of life. It embodies our commitment to work-life harmonization and is guided by our core values where our employees can thrive both personally and professionally. Discover why you will Be Seen. Be Heard. Be Valued at the American Heart Association by following us on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and at heart.jobs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in food science, nutrition, public health, biological or chemical sciences, agricultural sciences, data science, or related field required.
3+ years of administrative support experience and participation in interdisciplinary and multi-institutional projects.
Strong organizational and written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to translate technical concepts for multiple audiences.
Experience in contracting.
Ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional teams in a global environment.
Strong problem-solving skills
Excellent process management and organizational skills.
Proficiency in computer programs, including Microsoft Office, Google Drive (including Google Docs), database management, and ability to learn new software applications as appropriate.
Ability to be dynamic, detail-oriented, multi-task, and re-prioritize in a fast-paced environment.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a relevant scientific or public health field preferred.
Global experience preferred.
Knowledge of food composition analysis, food systems research, and data science preferred.

Responsibilities

Serves as a core operational role within The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI)®, supporting the coordination and scaling of the PTFI Global Lab Ecosystem.
Working closely with the Senior Program Manager of PTFI’s Global Lab Ecosystem, they will support the growing global network of laboratories contributing to PTFI through engagement, logistics, contracting, and coordinating.
This position requires strong organizational and communication skills as well as scientific fluency and knowledge of interdisciplinary and multi-institutional science programs.
Further, this position calls for the ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear operational processes.
The ideal candidate brings experience in multi-institutional research environments and familiarity with multi-omics, food composition analysis, food systems research, and/or data science.
They are systems-oriented and detail-driven.
The ideal candidate has the ability to support a distributed global network working towards measurable improvements in human and planetary health.
Support Senior Program Manager, Global Lab Ecosystem with contract execution and management as well as other agreements for PTFI with collaborating labs, vendors, and service providers. This includes monitoring approval status, routing for signatures and monitoring timelines.
Maintains excellent time management and communication skills with both internal and external partners to meet project deliverables and deadlines.
Support shipping and logistics of onboarding new PTFI labs including generating shipping labels, coordinating with companies and labs and monitoring progress.
Performs various administrative tasks, including maintaining project documentation.
Support project teams on meetings and logistics such as coordinating virtual and in-person meetings and education, which may include booking of venue, meeting and travel logistics, meal planning, meeting minutes documentation and follow-up.