Senior Program Manager - Research Strategy

Overview

Under the general direction of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Research and Chief Research Officer (EVCR/CRO), the Senior Program Manager of Research Strategy provides high-level program management, operational, analytical, and communications support to the EVCR/CRO and the Office of UMass Chan Research. The position is responsible for coordinating and advancing initiatives that support the strategic priorities of UMass Chan Research and the broader research enterprise.

Working closely with the EVCR/CRO and Research leadership, the Senior Program Manager translates established priorities into actionable plans, coordinates activities across multiple research and administrative units, monitors progress toward key objectives and facilitates effective communication and follow-through on critical initiatives. The position serves as a key liaison among research leadership, faculty, department administrators, and institutional partners to ensure alignment, coordination, and timely execution of research-related priorities and projects.

The Senior Program Manager also serves as a primary communications and content resource for UMass Chan Research, leading the development, coordination, and maintenance of research-related communications and digital content. In collaboration with institutional partners responsible for communications, web content, and digital platforms, the position helps promote awareness of research initiatives, programs, accomplishments, and priorities across the UMass Chan research enterprise.

The position manages complex, sensitive, and time-sensitive matters requiring sound judgment, discretion, exceptional organizational skills, and the ability to effectively manage multiple priorities in a complex academic environment. The incumbent is expected to operate with considerable independence while ensuring alignment with the direction and priorities established by the EVCR/CRO.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities

• Executive and Organizational Support
  • Serves as a senior operational partner to the EVCR/CRO in organizing, coordinating, and advancing priorities across UMass Chan Research and the broader research enterprise.
  • Translates institutional research priorities and objectives into coordinated initiatives, work plans, timelines, deliverables, and follow-up activities.
  • Coordinates preparation for meetings, leadership discussions, institutional activities, and engagements involving the EVCR/CRO, including agendas, briefing materials, presentations, reports, and talking points.
  • Gathers, analyzes, and synthesizes information from research and administrative units to support planning, decision-making, and issue resolution.
  • Serves as a central point of coordination for issues, requests, and initiatives directed to the EVCR/CRO, ensuring appropriate routing, tracking, and follow-through.
  • Maintains awareness of major research priorities, commitments, and deadlines to support timely execution and completion of key initiatives.
  • Translate complex challenges into clear workstreams, analytical approaches, decision points, and actionable plans.
  • Assemble and coordinate across multiple research and administrative units, finance, legal, clinical, operations, data, and technology functions to advance shared research priorities.
  • Establish project governance, roles, timelines, milestones, and accountability to support successful execution of complex initiatives.
  • Prepare and present executive-level briefings, analyses,
• Program and Portfolio Management
  • Coordinates complex, cross-functional projects and initiatives involving research departments, programs, centers, administrative units, and institutional partners.
  • Develops and maintains project plans, timelines, milestones, action items, status reports, and other project management tools to support successful implementation.
  • Tracks deliverables, dependencies, risks, and outcomes, identifying challenges and recommending solutions to facilitate progress.
  • Leads day-to-day coordination of strategic and operational initiatives involving multiple institutional stakeholders.
  • Oversees special projects and organizational initiatives assigned by the EVCR/CRO.
  • Supports operational improvement efforts through benchmarking, environmental scanning, process evaluation, and implementation of recommended actions.
• Research Leadership and Enterprise Coordination
  • Facilitates communication and collaboration among leaders across the research enterprise, including research administration, grants and contracts, clinical and translational research programs, research infrastructure, computing and informatics and core facilities as well as BRIDGE, and other research innovation functions.
  • Serves as a liaison among the EVCR/CRO, department chairs, program directors, faculty, research administrators, institutional leadership, and external stakeholders.
  • Coordinates leadership meetings, including development of agendas, supporting materials, documentation of decisions, and follow-up on action items and commitments.
  • Promotes alignment and information sharing across research units to support institutional priorities and enterprise-wide initiatives.
  • Utilizes knowledge of research operations and organizational structure to facilitate cross-functional problem solving and issue resolution.
• Analysis and Decision Support
  • Conducts research, analysis, benchmarking, and information-gathering activities to support Research priorities and operational initiatives.
  • Compiles and synthesizes information related to research funding, faculty needs, infrastructure, programs, and organizational performance.
  • Develops executive summaries, reports, presentations, recommendations, and decision-support materials for the EVCR/CRO and research leadership.
  • Identifies trends, risks, opportunities, and emerging issues affecting research operations and institutional priorities.
• Communications, Content Strategy, and Stakeholder Engagement
  • Develops and coordinates communications on behalf of the EVCR/CRO and UMass Chan Research, working with the office of communications for announcements, reports, presentations, newsletters, correspondence, and leadership communications.
  • Serves as the primary content writer and editorial resource for research-related website content and other research communications platforms.
  • Leads the development, maintenance, and continuous improvement of UMass Chan Research web and digital content, ensuring information remains accurate, current, and aligned with institutional priorities.
  • Partners with research leaders and subject matter experts to identify, develop, and communicate research initiatives, accomplishments, programs, and institutional priorities.
  • Collaborates with institutional partners responsible for communications, web content, and digital platforms to support the publication, maintenance, and dissemination of research-related information.
  • Translates complex scientific, administrative, and operational information into clear, audience-appropriate communications for internal and external stakeholders.
• Financial Planning and Resource Management
  • Assists with development and monitoring of UMass Chan Research operating budgets and strategic initiative budgets.
  • Coordinates with research finance, sponsored programs, grant accounting, and institutional finance partners to obtain and analyze financial information.
  • Monitors expenditures, financial commitments, and resource utilization associated with research initiatives and projects.
  • Prepares reports, summaries, and presentations regarding budget performance, resource allocation, and financial trends affecting the research enterprise.
• Committees and Special Projects
  • Provides coordination and administrative support for committees, task forces, advisory groups, working groups, and other initiatives led or sponsored by UMass Chan Research.
  • Coordinates meeting schedules, agendas, materials, minutes, action items, and follow-up activities.
  • Supports preparation of institutional responses to funding opportunities, external requests, emerging research priorities, and other time-sensitive matters.
  • Maintains records of major UMass Chan Research initiatives, decisions, recommendations, and institutional commitments.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Administration, Public Health, Health Care Administration, Communications, English, Journalism, or a related field; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 7+ years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, academic medicine, health care, research, nonprofit, or a similarly complex environment.
• Significant experience managing complex projects, initiatives, or programs involving multiple stakeholders and organizational units.
• Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders and advancing organizational priorities through effective planning, coordination, execution, and follow-through.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including substantial experience developing executive-level reports, presentations, briefing materials, correspondence, and other communications.
• Demonstrated professional writing and editing experience, including the ability to translate complex scientific, technical, administrative, or institutional information into clear, audience-appropriate content.
• Experience developing, maintaining, and managing website or other digital content platforms.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills, with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and complex initiatives simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective working relationships across organizational boundaries, exercise influence without direct authority, and collaborate successfully with diverse stakeholders.
• Sound judgment, diplomacy, discretion, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters while operating independently in a complex environment.

Preferred:

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Public Health, Health Administration, Communications, Journalism, Science, or a related field.
• Knowledge of research administration, sponsored research, grants and contracts, clinical and translational research, research compliance, or other components of a complex research enterprise.
• Experience leading cross-functional institutional initiatives involving organizational improvement, strategic implementation, change management, or enterprise operations.

Additional Information

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