Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Penn State University is seeking a Project Manager - Sponsored Research to support complex interdisciplinary research initiatives. The role involves full-lifecycle project management including proposal development, financial stewardship, and compliance oversight for sponsored research awards.
Responsibilities
- Manage the full lifecycle of research administration activities, including proposal development, award setup, post-award management, reporting, and closeout
- Coordinate administrative and cross-functional project teams during pre-award activities and lead coordination during post-award execution
- Serve as a primary liaison with Principal Investigators, subrecipients, sponsors, PSU central offices, and departmental staff
- Coordinate and support multidisciplinary working groups and committees
- Attend and lead administrative and technical project meetings
- Track milestones, deliverables, timelines, reporting deadlines, extensions, and prior approval requirements
- Coordinate preparation of sponsor-required financial and administrative reports
- Review sponsor and University policies to ensure compliance and shared understanding across project teams
- Assess project-specific requirements and coordinate with appropriate units to support execution
- Use project management tools to monitor progress, communicate status, and track performance metrics
- Recommend and implement process improvements and develop standard operating procedures to enhance project execution
- Planning and forecasting budgets aligned with project goals and milestones
- Monitoring financial performance and spending trends to ensure appropriate burn rates
- Coordinating budget revisions, supplemental funding requests, and prior approval submissions
- Developing and maintaining financial tracking tools for expenditures, commitments, and projections
- Overseeing financial management of subrecipients, including review of budgets, expenditures, and modifications
- Coordinating complex sponsor financial reporting with research administration and finance offices
- Supporting timely and compliant financial and administrative closeout
- Participating in internal and external audits related to sponsored projects
Skills
- Microsoft Office Suite (advanced proficiency in MS Excel required)
- Experience with collaborative tools such as Airtable, GitHub, Slack, Teams, and Google Drive
- Experience with project management platforms
- Strong organizational, analytical, and time management skills
- Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within cross-functional teams
- Bachelor's Degree
- 1+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted
- Experience in project management of research administration
- Experience overseeing sponsored project budgets and financial monitoring of research awards
- Familiarity with federal sponsor requirements (e.g., NIH, DOD, NSF) and foundation-funded (i.e. Bill and Melinda Gates) projects
- Familiarity with DOD, foundation grant, and training grant management systems is a plus
Benefits
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Robust retirement plans
- Substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time
- Generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children
Company Overview
There’s a reason Penn State consistently ranks among the top one percent of the world’s universities. It was founded in 1855, and is headquartered in University Park, pa, US, with a workforce of 10001+ employees. Its website is http://psu.edu.