Senior Program Manager

Company Description

By working at Harvard University, you join a vibrant community that advances Harvard's world-changing mission in meaningful ways, inspires innovation and collaboration, and builds skills and expertise. We are dedicated to creating a diverse and welcoming environment where everyone can thrive.

Why join the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health?

The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a world-renowned institution dedicated to advancing public health through cutting-edge research, education, and global collaboration. Our school is a special place to work because of its vibrant, mission-driven community, interdisciplinary approach, and commitment to addressing some of the most pressing health challenges worldwide. We foster a collaborative and inclusive work environment where innovation, continuous learning, and work-life balance are valued.

Learn more about the School’s mission, objectives, and core values, our Principles of Citizenship, and about the Dean’s AAA vision about our school’s ongoing strategic initiatives.

Job Description

Job Summary:

The Department of Biostatistics is a very busy and diverse department focused on research and teaching. Our 70+ faculty are leaders in the development of statistical methods for clinical trials and observational studies, studies on the environment, computational biology, and genomics/genetics. We offer degree programs in biostatistics, computational biology and data science; currently, more than 180 students are enrolled in these programs. Our team invites applications for a Senior Program Manager position in the National Studies on Air Pollution and Health group (https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nsaph/). The position will be under the supervision of Principal Research Scientist, Dr. Danielle Braun, in Biostatistics.

The Senior Program Manager is a key administrative and strategic partner to the Principal Investigators in NSAPH focused on environmental and public health applications and state-of-the-art causal inference and data science methodologies.

The Senior Program Manager will oversee day-to-day operations, coordinate complex multi-investigator projects, lead pre-and post-award scientific and administrative activities, and ensure compliance with institutional and federal regulations.

A separate Grants Manager has primary responsibility for financial management; the Senior Program Manager will collaborate closely with the Grants Manager and other central offices to align programmatic, scientific, and administrative needs with financial and compliance requirements.

Job-Specific Responsibilities:

Duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Program & Project Management

• Coordinate and manage the operational aspects of the lab’s research portfolio, including multiple NIH grants (e.g., R01, R21, U24) and non-NIH grants (NSF, AWS, etc) in biostatistics, data science, and environmental/public health
• Develop and maintain project timelines, milestones, and deliverables for methodological and applied projects; monitor progress and proactively identify risks and mitigation strategies.
• Plan and facilitate regular project, lab, and working-group meetings (e.g., methods development teams, data analysis
• teams, multi-site collaborations), including agenda setting, documentation, and follow-up.
• Support multi-PI, multi-site collaborations involving epidemiologists, environmental scientists, clinicians, computer scientists, and policy partners, including coordination of subawards, data use agreements, and communication workflows
• Develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOPs) for research processes, data management, and internal communication
• Serve as primary liaison between the research group and school/university administrative offices (e.g., research administration, HR, finance, IRB, IT)

Regulatory Compliance & Research Integrity

• Ensure all research activities comply with federal, state, sponsor, and institutional policies, including human subjects protection, data security, conflict of interest, and responsible conduct of research.
• Oversee preparation, submission, and maintenance of IRB protocols, amendments, continuing reviews, and reportable events
• Develop and deliver training and guidance for investigators and staff on compliance requirements, Good Clinical Practice (GCP) where applicable, and ethical research conduct
• Monitor adherence to data use agreements (DUAs) and other compliance related contracts. 
• Conduct periodic internal audits or quality checks to identify and address compliance risks 

Grants & Contracts Support (Administrative)

• Coordinate the scientific and administrative preparation of NIH grant applications and progress reports (RPPRs), working closely with the PIs, co-investigators, departmental pre-award staff, and the Grants Manager
• Coordinate and assemble proposal components (e.g., specific aims, research strategy, statistical analysis plans, data management and sharing plans, letters of support, biosketches, facilities/resources)
• Track deadlines and ensure timely submission of new grants, progress reports, Just-in-Time materials, and renewals. Collaborate with the Grants Manager and Office of Sponsored Programs on:
  • Budget development and justification (providing programmatic input and staffing plans)
  • Subaward setup and monitoring from a programmatic perspective
  • Monitor effort distributions, personnel support, and scope of work for alignment with scientific aims, communicating needed changes to the PIs and Grants Manager
• Coordination with Grants Manager, Departmental, and Central offices by serving as the primary programmatic liaison between:
  • the lab and Grants Manager for all financial aspects, budget changes, projections, and sponsor reporting
  • the Department Administration and HR for all appointments, reappointments, visa-related coordination
  • the Office of Sponsored Programs for all submissions, subcontracts, and compliance
  • the various Compliance offices for IRB, data privacy, conflict of interest for research-regulatory needs
  • the University Research Computing and Data Sciences for onboarding, offboarding, and communicating policies
• Provides the Grant Manager with timely information on staffing plans, anticipated changes in effort, timeline shifts, and major scope changes so that budgets and financial projections can be updated accordingly 
• Participate in regular check-ins with the Grants Manager and relevant administrators to review portfolio status, upcoming deadlines, and operational needs 

Operations, Data Governance & Compliance

• Oversee administrative operations of the lab, including onboarding/offboarding
• Ensure compliance with NIH and institutional policies for human subjects, data-use agreements, privacy/confidentiality
• (including HIPAA where applicable), and data management and sharing
• Maintain organized records of protocols, approvals, data-use and collaboration agreements, training certifications, and conflict-of-interest disclosures
• Assist with preparation for audits, coordinate logistics, briefing materials, and presentations, in collaboration with the Grants Manager where financial information is required

Personnel & Training Support

• Support recruitment, hiring, and appointment processing for research staff, data analysts, statisticians, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and undergraduate trainees, in partnership with HR and departmental administration
• Help define roles, expectations, and workflows for project teams
• Coordinate training in lab procedures, compliance requirements, and administrative processes; support mentoring activities and professional development (seminars, methods workshops, coding collaboratives)
• Contribute to a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performance culture that supports diverse trainees and staff in biostatistics and public health

Communication, Dissemination & Outreach

• Serve as a central point of contact between the PIs/lab and institutional offices, collaborators (e.g., schools of public health, environmental health, medicine), community partners, and sponsors for programmatic and scientific matters
• Coordinate dissemination activities, including maintenance of lab and project websites and public-facing summaries of methods and findings
• Support preparation of manuscripts, methods papers, software documentation, and presentations (e.g., reference management, formatting, figures, reproducible reports, and ensuring compliance with public access policies)
• Help organize talks or workshops as needed
• Represent the research group on school or university committees related to research operations, compliance, or strategic initiatives

The Senior Program Manager will also perform other duties as necessary.

PLEASE NOTE: This position has a term appointment of one year from date of hire with the possibility of extension. It also requires occasional early morning or evening meetings to accommodate collaborators in different time zones or sponsor deadlines.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience is required
• 5+ years of relevant experience is required 

Additional Qualifications and Skills:

• Advanced degree (e.g., MPH, MS in Biostatistics/Epidemiology, MPA, MBA, or related field) is strongly preferred
• 3–5+ years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, program management, or related role in an academic or public health research environment
• Demonstrated experience supporting NIH-funded projects, including familiarity with common mechanisms and electronic systems (e.g., eRA Commons, ASSIST, NIH Other Support)
• Understanding of pre- and post-award processes and requirements (scientific and administrative), with the ability to coordinate effectively with dedicated financial/Grants Management staff
• Experience working with quantitative or data-intensive research (e.g., biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental or population health)
• Demonstrated experience supporting NIH-funded projects, including familiarity with common mechanisms and electronic systems (e.g., eRA Commons, ASSIST, NIH Other Support)
• Strong understanding of pre- and post-award processes and requirements (scientific and administrative), with the ability to coordinate effectively with dedicated financial/Grants Management staff
• Experience working with quantitative or data-intensive research (e.g., biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental or population health)
• Familiarity with statistical software environments and workflows (e.g., R, Python, reproducible research tools) sufficient to understand project needs and communicate effectively with technical teams
• Experience in a biostatistics, epidemiology, or public health department, especially with projects involving causal inference, environmental exposures, and health outcomes
• Experience coordinating multi-site grants related to environment and public health
• Experience working closely with Grants Managers or research finance professionals in a large research institution
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills; ability to manage multiple complex projects and deadlines in a fast-paced academic environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to synthesize complex scientific and methodological information for diverse audiences
• High level of professionalism, discretion, and attention to detail, particularly with confidential data and personnel information
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of multidisciplinary teams, exercising sound judgment, initiative, and problem-solving skills
• Strong collaboration skills, especially in building effective working relationships with Grants Managers, departmental staff, and central offices
• Commitment to advancing public health, scientific rigor, and equity, and to fostering an inclusive and collaborative research environment

Additional Information

• Appointment End Date: One year from the date of hire 
• Standard Hours/Schedule: 35 hours per week
• Visa Sponsorship Information: Harvard University is unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position
• Pre-Employment Screening: Identity, Education

Join the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health to support our mission of health research and education, and to be a part of the oldest institution of higher learning in the country!

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• The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health does not provide visa sponsorship, now or in the future, for staff positions.
• Harvard University requires pre-employment reference checks and background screenings.
• This position has a 90 day orientation and review period. 

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The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up to date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

Work Format Details

This position has been determined by school or unit leaders that some of the duties and responsibilities can be effectively performed at a non-Harvard location. The work schedule and location will be set by the department at its discretion and based upon operational needs. When not working at a Harvard or Harvard-designated location, employees in hybrid positions must work in a Harvard registered state in compliance with the University’s Policy on Employment Outside of Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Salary Grade and Ranges

This position is salary grade level 057. Please visit  Harvard's Salary Ranges  to view the corresponding salary range and related information. 

Benefits

Harvard offers a comprehensive benefits package that is designed to support a healthy work-life balance and your physical, mental and financial wellbeing. Because here, you are what matters. Our benefits include, but are not limited to: 

• Generous paid time off including parental leave 
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one 
• Retirement plans with university contributions 
• Wellbeing and mental health resources 
• Support for families and caregivers 
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement 
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks 

Learn more about these and additional benefits on our Benefits & Wellbeing Page. 

EEO/Non-Discrimination Commitment Statement

Harvard University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We seek talent from all parts of society and the world, and we strive to ensure everyone at Harvard thrives. Our differences help our community advance Harvard's academic purposes.

Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy. Harvard's equal employment opportunity policy and non-discrimination policy help all community members participate fully in work and campus life free from harassment and discrimination.