Program Manager, Term Position

Title: Program Manager, Term Position 

Home Department: Biomedical Research Education and Training (BRET) Office; Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Basic Sciences 

Position Summary: 

This grant-funded Program Manager position will support the Advancing Research Careers UE5 at Vanderbilt University (V-ARC).  The Program Manager will develop resources and manage initiatives that support the professional growth and career development of biomedical PhD students and postdoctoral fellows (collectively, trainees) at Vanderbilt University and regional institutions as they transition to biomedical research and related careers in academia, industry, and government. This non-renewable term-limited position is anticipated to end on December 31, 2026. Reporting directly to a V-ARC leader, the Program Manager will collaborate to create career and professional development resources for biomedical trainees and to interface with regional institutions served by V-ARC. This person will assist V-ARC program leaders in supporting biomedical graduate students in successfully transitioning to postdoctoral fellowships, providing postdoctoral trainees with professional development training to progress them into their career of choice, assisting trainees in building a robust network of career mentors, and providing day-to-day management of programs for and communications with trainees, faculty and external stakeholders involved with the program. This includes managing the logistics of virtual workshops and seminars and assisting V-ARC co-leaders with logistics in organizing and executing in-person professional development. Other responsibilities include assisting program evaluators and helping the V-ARC team to disseminate programming and projects completed as part of the grant goals.  

Key Functions and Expected Performance 

• Assist with implementing V-ARC goals. 

• Collaborate with program leaders to create program curricula and resources for PhD graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, to include an online course to support grant writing and developing content and slide sets. 

• In consultation with V-ARC leaders, offer opportunities for research mentors at regional institutions to develop mentoring skills and access mentoring resources.  

• Assist with identifying VU PhD and postdoctoral alumni who can serve as mentors for trainees and as speakers/panelists in career and professional development programming.  

• Develop project plans to execute V-ARC educational programs, outlining timelines and requirements. 

• Provide comprehensive administrative support to ensure the smooth functioning of V-ARC activities, including preparation and revision of educational materials/resources in addition to logistics coordination.  

• Serve as the point of contact for partner regional institutions to disseminate information regarding upcoming professional development opportunities for biomedical PhD students and postdoctoral fellows. 

• Work with the V-ARC team to disseminate educational resources, programming, and projects completed as a part of the grant. 

• Work with Evaluator to develop and deploy survey instruments as needed.  

• Communicate regularly with the V-ARC leadership and assist as needed. 

• Coordinate travel arrangements for participating trainees, faculty, and V-ARC leaders as needed, including for V-ARC career development events at Vanderbilt and site visits to industry or government partners. 

• Utilize REDCap, Box, MS Office, Zoom, Slack, and other platforms as appropriate for job function. 

Supervisory Relationships: This position does not have supervisory responsibility. 

Education and Certifications: Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years of professional experience in program and project management. Some experience with developing educational content related to science and building/managing partnerships is also required. 

Experience and Necessary Skills: 

• Ability to make sound administrative/procedural decisions using a high level of discernment.  

• Must be able to work independently and as part of a team.  

• Strong organizational skills to manage multiple tasks. 

• Effective oral and written communication. 

• Experience working in a higher education setting is preferred. 

Key Characteristics of a Successful Team Member: 

The successful candidate should be extremely organized, efficient, detail oriented, a team player, and a self-starter who can manage multiple concurrent projects. Additionally, the candidate should possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills, be able to think and function independently, and be able to multi-task while remaining on schedule. Excellent time management and planning skills are essential. The ideal candidate will understand the structure of universities and graduate programs and the career progression of PhD scientists.  

Required Soft Skills: 

•Communication Skills - Excellent written and verbal communication skills for engaging diverse stakeholders; comfortable interacting with graduate students, scientific professionals, faculty, and academic leadership from a variety of backgrounds 

• Adaptability - Ability to read cues and adapt accordingly. Ability to adjust style and approach to accommodate the styles and needs of others. Can anticipate and effectively de-escalate potential conflicts. 

•Responds Promptly - Responds to emails and phone messages in a timely manner, even if just to acknowledge receipt and provide a time frame by which the requester can expect a full response. 

•Reliable - Does what they say they will do when they say they will do it. Shows up for work when expected. Doesn't push the burden of work volume or deadlines to others.