University of Minnesota · 2 weeks ago
Research Program Manager for Marine Science and Technology
Duluth, MN
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
8+ years expThe University of Minnesota is seeking a Research Program Manager to lead program development and coordination focused on marine and large-lake systems science and technology. This role involves managing interdisciplinary research initiatives, securing funding, and collaborating with federal and state agencies to advance marine science and technology.
EducationHigher EducationUniversities
Responsibilities
Identify, develop, and pursue funding opportunities from industry and federal agencies such as NOAA, NSF, ONR, DOE, EPA, DoD, DARPA, and DHS, as well as state, tribal, and other private sponsors
Lead the development of competitive proposals, from concept notes and white papers to full submissions, ensuring compliance and timely delivery
Build interdisciplinary teams across the UMN system and external partners (universities, labs, agencies, and industry)
Establish proposal pipelines and success metrics; coordinate with federal relations and communications for sponsor engagement
Strengthen IMaST’s visibility through strategic briefings, proposals, and stakeholder presentations
Serve as PI or co-PI on selected programs involving marine engineering and technology, underwater acoustics, autonomous maritime technologies, or data sciences / machine learning
Define project milestones, deliverables, and budgets; manage execution and reporting to meet sponsor expectations
Mentor students and staff in proposal writing, project management, and interdisciplinary teamwork
Disseminate research outcomes through publications, technical reports, and presentations
Serve as the primary liaison with industry, federal, and state sponsors, including ARO, AFOSR, ONR, DARPA, DoD, DHS, NASA, other federal agencies, as well as regional and private collaborators
Coordinate sponsor meetings, reviews, and technology demonstrations; represent IMaST in national and regional research initiatives
Support sponsor engagement with workforce and education programs to connect research activities with student training opportunities
Translate sponsor feedback into actionable research and program strategies
Manage award and contract administration, including scopes of work, budgets, and modifications
Ensure compliance with University and sponsor regulations (including FAR/DFARS and OTA frameworks)
Maintain integrated project schedules, risk registers, and performance metrics
Prepare and submit sponsor reports (technical, progress, and financial) and oversee subawards and MOUs
Supervise professional and technical staff supporting IMaST programs
Coordinate workforce training and experiential programs aligned with IMaST’s research and education goals
Measure and report program outcomes (training participation, professional placement, diversity metrics)
Ensure adherence to University and federal compliance policies (research ethics, data security, export control, environmental safety)
Contribute to institute-level performance reporting and impact metrics
Participate in continuous improvement of IMaST’s project management practices
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
BA/BS degree in a relevant field (marine science, engineering, acoustics, physics, or limnology) and at least ten years of relevant experience, or preferred Ph. D. degree plus at least eight years of relevant experience
At least six years of progressively responsible research program management experience
Demonstrated success in grant and proposal development with federal, state, or industry sponsors
Experience leading complex, interdisciplinary research or technology programs
Strong understanding of federal research funding mechanisms (e.g., ARO, AFOSR, ONR, DOE, DoD, DARPA, DHS)
Proven ability to manage budgets, contracts, compliance, and post-award reporting
Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
Demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborations across academia, government, and industry
Preferred
Master's or Ph.D. in a relevant scientific, engineering, or management discipline
Record of success in securing external funding as PI, co-PI, or proposal lead
Experience managing federally funded programs involving marine or environmental systems, sensor technologies, or modeling
Familiarity with DoD and DHS research environments, including export control and data protection
Experience supervising and mentoring interdisciplinary professional staff
Knowledge of University of Minnesota administrative systems (EFS, PeopleSoft, SPA)
Strong ability to communicate scientific and technical outcomes to diverse audiences
Company
University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota is an educational institution that offers master's and doctoral degrees in medicine, law, and engineering fields.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
University of Minnesota has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (298)
2024 (240)
2023 (289)
2022 (215)
2021 (201)
2020 (185)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$97.08MKey Investors
American Academy of Orthopaedic SurgeonsNational Science FoundationU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
2023-12-01Grant· $0.03M
2023-05-04Grant· $20M
2023-04-13Grant· $10M
Leadership Team
Shane Stennes
Chief Sustainability Officer
Recent News
2025-12-17
2025-12-10
Company data provided by crunchbase