Program/Project Manager, NSF Carolinas Grid Engine

Position Number: 000123

Department: Div of Research (Adm)

Employment Type: Time Limited - Full-time

Months Per Year: 12

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

The Program/Project Manager provides day-to-day project management and operational support for the Carolinas Grid Engine, working directly with the Chief Operating & Ecosystem Development Officer to ensure disciplined execution across a complex, multi-partner federal initiative.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management & Operations

• Develop, maintain, and monitor project plans, schedules, milestones, deliverables, key activities, and responsibilities across Engine workstreams, including research and translation, workforce development, ecosystem development, and cross-sector partnerships.

• Manage Airtable as the Engine’s central project-management and performance-tracking platform, maintaining accurate and timely information on projects, milestones, dependencies, risks, action items, and responsible parties.

• Track progress against annual and multi-year strategic plans and Engine KPIs; identify schedule risks, dependencies, bottlenecks, and performance gaps, and escalate issues to the Chief Operating Officer with recommended solutions.

• Maintain the Engine’s risk register, action-item logs, decision records, dashboards, and reporting views; drive follow-through on commitments made across leadership and partner meetings.

• Coordinate with program leads and partners to collect, validate, and maintain KPI and performance data, ensuring information is complete, consistent, traceable, and aligned with established targets.

• Support preparation of NSF quarterly and annual reports by coordinating reporting calendars, data submissions, milestone updates, KPI results, accomplishments, and other required performance information.

• Establish and maintain project-management standards, templates, workflows, and documentation practices for use across the Engine and its partner organizations.

• Support the implementation and ongoing use of operational systems, including Airtable, pipeline-management tools, CRM platforms, and shared collaboration environments, with an emphasis on reducing duplicate data entry and improving reporting efficiency.

• Coordinate cross-partner implementation activities, ensuring alignment across universities, technical colleges, economic development organizations, utilities, and industry partners.

NSF Reporting & Compliance Support

• Manage the preparation, coordination, and on-time submission of quarterly and annual reports to the National Science Foundation, including collecting inputs from Engine leadership, pillar teams, and partner organizations.

• Maintain reporting calendars and deadline tracking for all NSF and federal reporting obligations; provide advance notice and reminders to contributors and hold contributors accountable to deadlines.

• Collect, organize, and verify performance data, metrics, and supporting documentation required for reporting, evaluation, and impact measurement.

• Coordinate with the Engine’s external measurement and evaluation partner on data collection schedules, reporting inputs, and deliverable timelines.

• Support audit readiness by maintaining organized, accessible, and complete project documentation and records retention consistent with NSF and university requirements.

Budget & Financial Support

• Support the Chief Operating Officer in monitoring the Engine budget, including tracking expenditures, commitments, and burn rate against approved budget categories.

• Prepare budget summaries, variance reports, and financial status updates for leadership review and for inclusion in NSF reporting.

• Assist in the preparation of annual budget development materials and resource allocation planning across Engine workstreams and subawards.

• Monitor subaward and partner spending activity in coordination with the Chief Operating Officer and university financial staff, flagging concerns in a timely manner.

Grants & Contracts Administration Support

• Serve as an operational point of coordination with the university’s Office of Research Administration, grants and contracts staff, and sponsored programs personnel.

• Support the preparation, routing, and tracking of subawards, contracts, memoranda of understanding, and partner agreements through university processes.

• Maintain organized records of executed agreements, scopes of work, deliverable schedules, and partner compliance obligations.

• Assist in gathering documentation and responses needed for sponsor inquiries, prior approval requests, and award modifications.

Meetings, Convenings & Events

• Work with the Marketing and Communications Manager to plan, coordinate, and execute Engine meetings, working groups, partner convenings, site visits, workshops, and public events.

• Manage event logistics including scheduling, venue and vendor coordination, registration, materials preparation, and day-of execution support.

• Coordinate leadership team, governing board, and advisory committee meetings, including scheduling, agenda preparation, materials distribution, minutes, and action item follow-up.

• Support preparation for NSF site visits, sponsor engagements, and external stakeholder visits, including briefing materials and logistics.

General Engine Support

• Support the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer with operational analysis, briefing materials, presentations, and special projects as assigned.

• Serve as a responsive point of contact for Engine partners on operational and administrative questions, routing inquiries appropriately.

• Contribute to onboarding of new staff and partner organizations into Engine processes, systems, and expectations.

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the Engine’s mission and operations.

Minimum Experience / Education:

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, project management, engineering, public administration, communications, or a related field.

Minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects; tracking performance metrics and milestones; and maintaining accurate project documentation and reporting systems.

Preferred Education Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of three years of demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects; tracking performance metrics and milestones; and maintaining accurate project documentation and reporting systems.

• Demonstrated experience coordinating work across multiple organizations, departments, or stakeholder groups.

• Experience preparing reports, tracking deliverables, and managing recurring deadlines with a high degree of accuracy.

• Proficiency with project management software and standard business productivity and collaboration tools.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear, professional materials for executive and external audiences.

• Demonstrated organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fastpaced environment.

• Ability to work onsite at UNC Charlotte Center City and to travel occasionally within the 36-county service region across North and South Carolina.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience supporting federally funded research or programmatic awards, including NSF , DOE , EDA , NIH , or similar sponsors.

• Familiarity with federal grant compliance, reporting requirements, subaward administration, and audit readiness practices.

• Experience working within a higher education research environment, including familiarity with sponsored programs and grants and contracts processes.

• Budget tracking, financial reporting, or grant financial administration experience.

• Experience planning and executing professional meetings, convenings, or large stakeholder events.

• Proven experience with Airtable, with a portfolio showcasing successful database projects. In-depth knowledge of Airtable functionalities, formulas, and integrations.

• Working knowledge of CRM systems, data collection and reporting tools, or evaluation and performance measurement frameworks.

• Familiarity with the energy, electric utility, advanced manufacturing, or technology sectors.

• Experience supporting executive leadership, boards, or advisory committees.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

This position is contingent upon continued funding from the National Science Foundation. The Carolinas Grid Engine is administered through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte; employment terms, benefits, and conditions follow applicable university policies.

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.