Technical Project Manager

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Technical Project Manager

Job Profile Title

Information Technology Project Leader

Job Description Summary

The Technical Project Manager leads the planning, coordination, and execution of software and research-informatics projects within the lab. Working closely with the Principal Investigator, software developers, and research staff, this position owns the team's Agile process end to end—managing the backlog, running sprint ceremonies, and translating research and technical requirements into well-scoped implementation tickets. The role also serves as the primary point of contact for external collaborators and partner institutions on NIH-funded projects, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and reporting obligations are met on schedule.

The ideal candidate is a technically fluent project manager and an excellent communicator who can move comfortably between deeply technical discussions with engineers and high-level coordination with external stakeholders and program officers. This is a senior staff position that operates with significant independence and judgment.

This position is contingent upon continued funding.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Agile process ownership: facilitate sprint planning, daily stand-ups, backlog grooming, reviews, and retrospectives; maintain velocity, burndown, and other delivery metrics to keep the team on track.
• Ticket and backlog management: translate research goals and technical requirements into clear, well-scoped, and prioritized implementation tickets; maintain the project board and ensure acceptance criteria are defined and met.
• External project & NIH coordination: serve as primary liaison to partner institutions and multi-site collaborators; track grant milestones and deliverables, coordinate cross-team dependencies, and support progress reporting to NIH program officers.
• Communication & stakeholder management: produce status updates, project plans, and timelines; run cross-functional meetings; and keep the PI, team, and external partners aligned on scope, risks, and priorities.
• Process improvement & documentation: refine team workflows and tooling, maintain project documentation and standards, and onboard new contributors to the team's processes.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree and 2 to 3 years of experience (e.g., computer science, engineering, informatics, life sciences, or a related field). Master's degree is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of 5 years of relevant project management experience in a software development, research computing, or technical environment, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• PMP certification is a plus
• Demonstrated experience running Agi