Research Program Manager

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

This department includes the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory at UNC-Chapel Hill. The Collaboratory disseminates the policy and research expertise of the University for practical use by state and local government. A collaboratory is a center without walls in which researchers can perform their research without regard to physical location, interacting with colleagues, accessing instrumentation, sharing data and computational resources and accessing information in digital libraries in a collaborative manner.

This position supports the NC Collaboratory's multidisciplinary research-practice partnership programs by monitoring and coordinating project activities within a defined scope, budget, schedule, and deliverables. The Research Program Manager will develop plans, manage communication while serving as the primary point of contact for administrators, contractors, stakeholders, and external audiences.

The Research Program Manager will support programs by working with project teams to establish milestones, manage project scopes, and track performance to ensure milestones are met and documented. Responsibilities include assisting with scope and budget adjustments, mediating partner challenges, and handling complex administrative tasks like negotiating data sharing agreements. Aid in developing publicly available datasets and communication materials, organize meetings to share insights and address issues, implement best practices for research-practice partnerships, and help secure external funding for long-term collaborations among researchers, governments, and community organizations.

In collaboration with the Collaboratory Research Director and leadership teams from partner entities, the Research Program Manager will develop funding increment plans and review proposals for new partnership-based programs. Additionally, the manager will work with the Research Director to develop program management plans, support strategic decision-making, and oversee communication among program members.

The NC Collaboratory develops yearly research initiatives that target a pressing policy issue or problem of practice faced by policymakers and practitioners at the State and local level in North Carolina, and awards funding to support mutually beneficial partnerships between academic research teams and partners in local governments, community organizations and State agencies. Two recent examples of these programs include an opioid remediation research program and a foster care research program, which aim to generate practical research findings that could help advance policy and practice related to these issues.
In addition to these programs, the Research Program Manager will support other Collaboratory-funded research programs in multiple locations across the state.

Other duties include managing the daily operations of these programs by scheduling and leading meetings, tracking activities and progress, identifying and troubleshooting problems, overseeing budgets, expenditures, timelines and deliverables. The Research Program Manager identifies and obtains resources such as meeting venues and supplies, developing reports, presentations and other communication materials to share progress and achievements to stakeholders.

Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor's degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.

Project or program management experience within a public institution or community organization. Proven ability to support research-practice partnerships and navigate complex issues, including negotiating data sharing agreements.

Superior oral and written communication skills.

Experience with translating academic research findings into concise, accessible public communication, such as policy briefs.

Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, problem-solving, leadership, and a commitment to diversity, inclusivity, and collegiality.

Ability to think strategically and make independent and proactive decisions.

Ability to manage large networks of individual project teams.

Preference given to applicants who have previously supported networks of research-practice partnerships.

The ideal candidate is enthusiastic, conscientious, a responsible steward of taxpayer-funded dollars, eager to work with multiple cross-sector teams, and has experience with navigating challenging conversations and mediating conflict between team members and partners from different sectors.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.