Senior Program Manager

Position Function:

Lead the operational launch and early-stage business development of MSU’s new MERIT Center—transforming the unit from a start-up program into a revenue-generating hub for applied energy research, policy innovation and workforce solutions—and provide 0.75 FTE program-management support to the MCIRI water-energy resilience portfolio. The Senior Project Manager will build external partnerships, capture sponsored-project and fee-for-service opportunities, and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams across campus to deliver on MERIT and MCIRI milestones, budgets and impact goals.

Salary Grade:  17

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges.  For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Identify, pursue, and secure new funding streams (federal, state, industry contracts, philanthropy) that align with MERIT’s policy, seed and innovation funding, and Smart-Building pilot thrusts.
2. Negotiate MOUs/CRADAs and service agreements that generate fee-for-service or licensing income for MERIT.
3. Serve as Program Manager on the MCIRI initiative; oversee the $2M two-year work plan (dashboard development, mini-grants, symposium) and ensure scope, schedule, budget, and reporting compliance.
4. Coordinate cross-college faculty, post-docs, GIS analysts, and extension specialists delivering education, modeling, and grant support to municipal partners.
5. Cultivate strategic relationships with DOE, MDA-ENRD, DOD, utilities, local governments, and industry associations to expand MERIT’s and MCIRI’s statewide footprint.
6. Represent MSU’s energy portfolio at conferences, CEO Energy Summits, and legislative briefings, as available.
7. Stand up MERIT’s physical and virtual operations (facilities fit-out, IT systems, finance workflows, KPI dashboards).
8. Develop and track annual budgets; track expenditures and sub-awards in line with SEP-BIL and MCIRI conditions.
9. Lead development of press releases, success stories, policy briefs, and social media content in coordination with University Relations.
10. Produce quarterly and annual performance reports for sponsors and MSU leadership, highlighting ROI, jobs created, and community benefits.
11. May supervise project coordinators, graduate assistants, and student interns supporting MERIT/MCIRI deliverables.
12. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s in engineering, business, public policy or related field.
• Experience: 6 years directly related to the job duties and responsibilities specified

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Advanced project-management (PMP or similar) and budget-oversight skills.
• Business-development acumen; ability to craft winning proposals and close deals.
• Strong interpersonal and coalition-building capabilities across academia, government and industry.
• Excellent written/oral communication; proficiency with MS Office, project-tracking and CRM tools.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• Requires periodic travel
• Frequent externally imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one's control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work without certainty beyond a few days; meeting deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to the position; involves conflict-resolution or similar interactions involving emotional issues or stress regularly.
• Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, and handling objects with hands.
• May require lifting of objects less than 50 lbs.

Instructions for Applying:

Link to apply:  http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/

Submit online at MSU Jobs with:
1. Cover Letter describing relevant business development successes and center-launch/support experience.
2. Résumé/CV.
3. Contact info for three professional references

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: