Clinical & Translational Research Scholars Program Manager

About this role

The Program Manager provides strategic and operational leadership for a career development program supporting early-career clinical, translational, and health researchers. The position is responsible for the comprehensive management of the program, including strategic planning, recruitment and selection, participant engagement, curriculum and professional development, stakeholder coordination, program evaluation, data management, communications, reporting, and continuous improvement.

The Program Manager currently oversees the iTHRIV Scholars Program, a competitive career development program designed to support the development of early-career researchers and strengthen their capacity to conduct impactful clinical and translational research.

This position serves as a central point of coordination among program leadership, faculty, mentors, institutional leaders, researchers, trainees, and administrative and operational partners. The role requires a combination of strategic program management, project management, instructional design, evaluation, data analysis, communication, and relationship-building skills.

Program Leadership and Administration

Provide strategic and operational leadership for program planning, implementation, management, and continuous improvement. Establish program goals, priorities, policies, workflows, and timelines while coordinating activities and ensuring timely deliverables. Identify challenges and implement solutions to improve program effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability.

Recruitment and Participant Development

Lead recruitment, application review, selection, onboarding, and ongoing participant engagement. Monitor participant progress, provide individualized support, and foster professional growth and collaboration. Design, coordinate, and evaluate evidence-based curricula, workshops, seminars, and professional development activities in collaboration with faculty and subject-matter experts.

Program Evaluation and Data Management

Develop evaluation strategies, metrics, and data collection processes to assess program effectiveness, participant outcomes, and long-term impact. Manage databases, tracking systems, dashboards, and reporting tools; streamline and automate administrative workflows. Analyze program data, communicate findings, and use evaluation results to guide decisions and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

Build and maintain partnerships with faculty, mentors, institutional leaders, researchers, trainees, and administrative teams. Coordinate cross-functional activities, strengthen institutional collaborations, and contribute to strategic initiatives in researcher and workforce development.

Communications and Dissemination

Develop and maintain program websites, digital resources, communications, presentations, reports, and educational materials. Communicate program accomplishments, outcomes, and impact through institutional and professional channels.

Funding, Reporting, and Scholarship

Contribute to grant proposals, funding applications, progress reports, and initiatives supporting program sustainability. Track program accomplishments and deliverables for institutional and sponsor reporting. Collaborate on manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, and other scholarly products.

Minimum Requirements

Bachelor's degree required. Four or more years of progressively responsible experience in program management, project management, or a related field. Demonstrated experience managing complex programs or projects involving multiple stakeholders. Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities, timelines, and deliverables independently. Strong written, verbal, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills. Demonstrated ability to establish effective working relationships with individuals from diverse professional and academic backgrounds. Experience working with data, reporting systems, or program evaluation processes.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree or equivalent advanced training. Experience supporting clinical, translational, biomedical, or health research. Experience managing career development, researcher development, fellowship, training, or academic programs. Knowledge of adult learning theory, instructional design, or professional education. Experience with program evaluation, outcomes assessment, or continuous quality improvement. Experience developing databases, dashboards, automated workflows, or other data-management systems. Experience with grant proposal development, sponsored research, or grant reporting. Experience developing websites, visual communications, data visualizations, or other digital educational resources. Experience facilitating workshops, seminars, or professional development programs. Experience working in an academic medical center, research institution, university, or similarly complex organization.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Program Management: Ability to plan, implement, monitor, and continuously improve complex programs with multiple simultaneous priorities. Strategic Thinking: Ability to connect day-to-day program operations with broader institutional and organizational goals. Project Management: Strong ability to manage timelines, deliverables, dependencies, and stakeholders across multiple projects. Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex information clearly to diverse audiences. Facilitation: Ability to effectively facilitate meetings, workshops, presentations, and professional development activities. Relationship Management: Ability to build productive relationships and collaborate effectively with faculty, researchers, administrators, leaders, and external partners. Evaluation and Data: Ability to collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate program data to support decision-making and demonstrate impact. Instructional Design: Understanding of adult learning principles and the ability to translate learning objectives into effective educational experiences. Problem Solving: Ability to independently identify challenges, develop solutions, and implement process improvements. Organization: Exceptional attention to detail and ability to manage complex information, deadlines, and competing priorities. Adaptability: Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment and adapt programs and processes as institutional priorities and participant needs evolve. Technology: Ability to learn and effectively use data, project management, communication, and other technology platforms to improve program operations.

Scope and Impact

The Program Manager has a significant role in ensuring the effective delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement of a university-based career development program. The position influences program strategy, participant experience, stakeholder engagement, operational efficiency, and the demonstration of program outcomes.

Through coordination of faculty, institutional partners, participants, and administrative teams, the Program Manager helps create an integrated professional development experience for early-career researchers while developing the infrastructure, systems, and partnerships necessary for the program's continued growth and sustainability.

This position will remain open until filled. This is an exempt level, benefited position. The University will perform background checks on all hires (if required) prior to employment. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States. For this role, the University will not sponsor or consider candidates requiring sponsorship for employment visas now or in the future.

Please apply online, and search for R0088890. Complete an application online with the following documents: Resume Cover letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field; multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Internal applicants: Search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website.

For finalists, references will be completed via UVA’s standardized process using SkillSurvey. A total of up to five references will be requested via SkillSurvey for top candidates during the final phase of the interview process. A total of three references is required.

For questions about the application process, please contact Daniel Strong, Senior Recruiter at [email removed].

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Education: Bachelor's degree required. Experience: 4+ years of relevant professional experience required. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. Licensure: Project Management Professional (PMP/PMI) certification preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.