Senior Project Manager, Finance & Operations

The Fund for Science and Technology is a new private foundation that is part of the Paul G. Allen philanthropic ecosystem.

Founded in 2022 and launched in 2025, we enable accelerated discovery and catalyze progress for people and the planet through transformational science and technology. The foundation works to advance bioscience, accelerate solutions for the environment, and leverage the power of AI for the benefit of Earth and humanity, supporting work in the lab and across the ecosystem of scientific research, collaboration, and innovation.

Together, we strive to advance the frontiers of science and maximize the benefits it offers the world.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Project Manager (Sr. PM) reports to the Chief Financial and Operations Officer (CFOO) and is an individual contributor who owns a cross-functional portfolio of finance and operations initiatives. The Sr. PM will stand up portfolio/project governance frameworks, support the selection process and implementations of enterprise systems (including Grants Management Systems, CRM, and core operations platforms), drive facilities projects, and coordinates international expansion. This role provides administrative support for the process without serving as its lead. The position acts as a liaison, translating information and requirements between implementation leaders and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and clarity. The Sr. PM leads through influence across Finance, IT, Legal, Facilities and People Ops; and prepares clear, Board/Committee-ready reporting on a quarterly cadence.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Portfolio & Governance

• Establish a methodology and governance structure for Project Intake & Prioritization; define scoring, sequencing, and decision rights.
• Build and maintain a project/initiative portfolio roadmap and dashboards (capacity, spend, risk heatmap, milestone health).
• Set stage-gate standards (charter → plan → build → launch → benefits), change control, and issue escalation.

Enterprise Systems & Data

• Support projects as a project coordinator in selection and project build out of a Grants Management System and finance/ERP, plus adjacent ops platforms (e.g., HRIS basics, CRM).
• Orchestrate solution assessment, requirements buildout, stakeholder alignment, integrations, data migration, and go-live readiness.
• Coordinate with Finance/Legal on contract negotiations and agreements.
• Define OKRs and benefits realization; stand up foundational data/impact metrics for operations.

Facilities & International Expansion

• Manage and coordinate site planning and office build-out projects in partnership with operations leaders and technical teams (IT/AV/security); ensure scalability and resiliency.
• Coordinate international expansion workstreams (entity setup with counsel, payroll/benefits vendors, procurement processes, cross-border IT rollouts, and data residency considerations).

Change Management & Adoption

• Build lightweight adoption programs (stakeholder mapping, comms, training, champions) suited to a high-change, start-up culture.
• Establish 30/60/90-day post-launch usage and satisfaction targets and report on progress.
• Stakeholders, Board & Culture
• Coordinate with the CFOO to prepare quarterly Board and committee update.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge, Experience, Skill, and/or Ability Required

• End-to-end experience managing at least one enterprise system rollout (CRM, GMS, ERP/P2P, or HRIS) and one facility/office build-out or move, preferably internationally.
• Demonstrated ability to build governance structures (intake, prioritization, stage gates, change control).
• Executive-level communication, including Board-ready written materials and dashboards.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting with stakeholders, including internal teams and external partners.
• High bias to action, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to lead through influence.
• Leads cross-functional project teams; no direct reports initially, with mentorship of PM/coordinator talent expected.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.

Required Computer Skills

• Experience with leading Grants Management Software platforms.

Education/Experience/Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from accredited institution and 10 plus years of progressive project/program leadership in operations/IT, ideally in a high-growth or start-up environment OR equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred

• Certifications: PgMP/MSP, PMP, Prosci, ITIL, Lean Six Sigma (GB/BB).
• Tool fluency: Smartsheet/Jira/Asana; Power BI/Tableau; Miro/FigJam
• Experience working with/for a Foundation and/or tax-exempt organization(s)

Special remarks regarding the work environment

• FFST as an organization is Monday – Thursday in the office, and Friday are remote days each week. The hybrid work environment is an organizational decision that benefits employees, may differ from job to job, and is subject to change as needed.