RESEARCH PROJECT MANAGER
University of Pennsylvania

Duties: The Research Project Manager supports the research and administrative activities of the Distributed and Collaborative Intelligent Systems and Technology (DCIST) Collaborative Research Alliance. This position will act as the central point of contact for the consortium and serve as a resource for the interpretation of and adherence to DCIST guidelines, policies and procedures. Responsible for the complex preparation of all DCIST technical reports including maintaining a calendar of deadlines and working with high level project personnel at Penn and several partner institutions to assemble, interpret and present the complex data and information required to complete all project reports, quarterly summaries, and annual reports prior to the deadline. The Research Project Manager will interface with the business office to support account maintenance, reconciliation, and financial reporting for the DCIST project. , Plan and execute regular remote and in-person meetings, workshops, conferences and sponsored visits related to the DCIST Collaborative Research Alliance. Some events will require evening/early morning & weekend hours. Responsible for maintaining the DCIST website and content and collect news and accomplishments for distribution to online and print media outlets. Additionally, serve as the lead for Kumar Robotics Lab in the assembly and submission of grant proposals and technical grant reports. This position reports to the PI of the Kumar Robotics Lab with a dotted reporting line to a PI of the DCIST grant.

Position is contingent upon continued grant funding.

Qualifications: A Bachelor's Degree and 3 years to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. Requires a high level of initiative, independent judgment and organizational savvy with the capacity to handle sensitive and confidential information with tact and diplomacy, prioritize conflicting needs and make reasonable decisions in the absence of direction.

Skills essential for success in this role include: a strong customer service orientation, a commitment to continuous improvement and excellence, demonstrated ability to simultaneously work under pressure, prioritize assignments, manage multiple tasks and proactively anticipate emerging issues and offer solutions. Prior experience coordinating complex special events and working with senior level leadership and faculty is preferred. Flexibility and comfort with working in a large open office and lab space.

Strong attention to detail, demonstrated proactive approaches to problem-solving with strong decision-making capabilities, outstanding oral and written communication skills with the ability to compose and edit a variety of correspondence and proven competence creating and editing PowerPoint presentations, including the generation of charts and graphs using data sets required.

Must be proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel. Previous experience with Penn financial processes and procedures is highly desired.

Reference Number: 13-30870

Salary Grade: 027

Employment Type: Exempt

Org: Penn Engineering Research and Collaboration Hub

Special Requirements: Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

Job Family: I-Technical/Professional Research