Senior Program Manager, Scientist

Portfolio & Program Management

• Lead and coordinate a portfolio of concurrent research programs spanning multiple principal investigators, timelines, and funding mechanisms.

• Develop, implement, andmaintainprogram management tools including project plans, milestone trackers, risk registers, and dashboards.

• Facilitate cross-functional team meetings, track action items, and ensure accountability across scientific and administrative stakeholders.

• Identifyand resolve operational bottlenecks and interdependencies that may affect program timelines or scientific deliverables.

• Support strategic planning efforts, including program prioritization, resource allocation, and go/no-go decision frameworks.

NIH Grant Administration & Reporting 

• Serve as the program-level point of contact for large NIH grants (e.g., R01, P01, U01, U54, RM1), coordinating all administrative and scientific reporting requirements. 

• Prepare, compile, and submit annual Progress Reports (RPPRs), non-competing renewals, supplements, and other required NIH correspondence. 

• Monitor grant budgets, expenditure timelines, and ensure compliance with NIH terms and conditions in coordination with sponsored research offices. 

• Track deliverables, milestones, and publication requirements across multi-project and multi-site awards. 

• Coordinate with NIH Program Officers and other agency contacts as needed to address administrative or scientific programmatic matters. 

Grant Writing & Scientific Communication 

• Write, edit, and contribute to all sections of grant applications including Specific Aims, Research Strategy, human subjects/vertebrate animal sections,biosketches, and resource/environment pages.

• Prepare white papers, concept papers, letters of intent, and responses to RFAs/PAs across NIH and other federal or private funding agencies.

• Draft scientific summaries, program highlights, and lay-language communications for institutional and external audiences.

• Support manuscript preparation, including literature reviews,methodssections, and figure/table organization for peer-reviewed publications.

Scientific Contribution – Mouse Genetics & Therapeutic Development 

• Provide scientific input and oversight on programs involving mouse genetics, including transgenic, knock-in, knock-out, and conditional models. 

• Contribute expertise in preclinical therapeutic development pipelines, including target identification, in vivo efficacy studies, and translational modeling. 

• Critically evaluate experimental designs, interpret results, and ensure scientific rigor across program deliverables. 

• Engage with scientific collaborators and external partners (academic, industry, and government) to advance program goals. 

• Stay current with literature and emerging methodologies relevant to mouse genetics, neuroscience, rare disease, or other applicable therapeutic areas. 

Compliance, Regulatory & Operational Oversight 

• Ensure all animal research activities are conducted in compliance with IACUC protocols, institutional policies, and NIH guidelines. 

• Support IRB submissions and renewals where applicable. 

• Coordinate vendor management, subcontract oversight, and data sharing agreements associated with funded programs. 

• Train and mentor junior program staff and research coordinators on project management best practices and grant administration procedures. 

Required Qualifications 

• Master’s Degree required, but strong preference for a Ph.D. in Genetics, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology, or a closely related biomedical science field. 

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in a research environment, with at least 2 years in a program management or research administration capacity.

• Demonstratedexpertisein mouse genetics, including design and interpretation of genetic mouse models (transgenic, CRISPR-based, conditional knockouts, etc.).

• Direct experience with NIH grant mechanisms and administration, including preparation of RPPRs, competitive renewals, and budget management.

• Proventrack recordas a scientific writer with experience authoring or co-authoring NIH grant applications and/or peer-reviewed publications.

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple programs simultaneously under competing deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; ability to work effectively with diverse teams of scientists, clinicians, and administrators.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience in therapeutic development, drug discovery, or translational research programs, particularly in neuroscience or rare/genetic diseases. 

Work Environment & Physical Requirements 

This position is primarily office/laboratory-based, with regular interaction in vivarium and wet lab settings as required by program needs. The role may require occasional travel for scientific conferences, site visits, and stakeholder meetings. The incumbent must be able to work with or in proximity to laboratory animals (mice) and must comply with all institutional occupational health requirements. 

This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the work performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and skills required. The organization reserves the right to modify, add, or remove duties and to assign other duties as needed.