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Program Manager

The Active Societal Participation In Research and Education (ASPIRE) Program invites applications for a Program Coordinator to support and advance engagement in place-based, community-based geoscience research. ASPIRE helps scientists learn to be good partners to communities, especially communities that have had less opportunity to guide, participate in, and benefit from science. For scientists, we offer virtual workshops, hands-on experiences working with host communities, seed funding, and a supportive peer network. We also work with institutional leaders who are transforming their departments to be better community partners.

ASPIRE is led by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) with key collaborators at the University of Washington, Western Washington University, and communities in Alaska, Maryland, Puerto Rico, and Washington. 

 

Position Overview:

The Program Manager will play a key role in knitting ASPIRE programmatic offerings together, supporting community members, and coordinating activities, resources, and communications. The Program Manager will work with a diverse network of external parties. This includes participants in programmatic offerings, host communities, academic institutions, and NGOs, as well as provide support across ASPIRE’s internal leadership team. It is preferred that the Program Manager has experience in both scientific research and community engagement. 

 

The Program Manager will provide administrative and project management leadership for ASPIRE and will report to Dr. Lora Harris at UMCES. 

 

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning & Communication: 

• Project Management:

• Convening Coordination: 

• Administrative Leadership: 

• Other duties as assigned. 

 

Examples of this work include: Coordinate annual reporting and the ASPIRE budget. Support strategic communications and facilitate steering committee and other management meetings. Support ASPIRE team with event planning and execution. Work with internal and external parties to organize travel, accommodations, meals, event space, and reimbursement logistics. Creatively problem solve when challenges arise and ensure clear communication between parties. Manage ASPIRE forms, agreements, and contracts. Support development of applications in Qualtrics. Work with UMCES Business Office and ASPIRE partners to ensure timely stipend and honorarium payment. Manage purchases and expenses across multiple grants.

 

Special Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Prior Experience

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and experience working with both Academic Geoscience and Place-based non-science communities.

• Highly organized; able to create and manage work plans and timelines for complex projects with multiple deadlines and products.  

• Excellent writing and editing skills, especially in plain language summaries of complex work. 

• Quantitative administrative experience, including budgeting and forecasting.

• Experience in organizing  and managing multi-person working meetings and in facilitating and encouraging attendees to complete work effectively without micromanaging them.  

• Strong emotional intelligence including being able to read verbal and non-verbal cues during in-person and online meetings, manage diverse groups to ensure equity and equality of voice/participation.  

• Works creatively and independently as a team member.

• CITI certification in social and behavioral human subject research is a plus.

• Experience managing travel through SAP Concur is preferred. 

 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree Plus 2 years experience.

• Geoscientist background OR experience working to bridge academic-community relations strongly preferred

• Ability and willingness to travel overnight.

• Ability and willingness to work occasional early mornings, nights, and/or weekends associated with ASPIRE programmatic events.

• Working knowledge of basic computer software (e.g. Microsoft Office, Zoom, Qualtrics).

• Abil