Temp Research Project Manager

About The Job

About the Job:

IonE seeks a full-time, 1-year temporary Research Project Manager, Level 2 to support a diverse portfolio of interdisciplinary research initiatives. This is a one-year position supported through external funding, with the potential for continuation beyond the initial appointment period based on performance, funding availability, and organizational needs. Anticipated start date is September 8, 2026.

The Research Project Manager, Level 2 develops work plans, manages timelines and reporting processes, coordinates project teams, and supports proposal development and project execution across the full research lifecycle. Working in close collaboration with PIs, researchers, and external partners, this role helps advance projects toward shared goals while navigating the operational, administrative, and relational complexities inherent in collaborative research. The individual in this role serves as the primary project manager for an assigned portfolio of research projects and leads project management for proposal development and submission activities.

The ideal candidate is a highly organized and resourceful project manager who enjoys supporting interdisciplinary teams and helping them achieve meaningful sustainability and environmental impact goals. They are comfortable coordinating distributed teams, navigating complex and sometimes sensitive stakeholder relationships, and translating sponsor requirements into practical project management processes. They are proactive in identifying needs, resourceful in solving problems, and eager to continuously expand their knowledge of research administration, grant management, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Competitive candidates will typically bring experience spanning research, project management, research administration, and/or higher education environments. They will have demonstrated success supporting the full lifecycle of research projects, including proposal development, project implementation, reporting, and closeout, and will be capable of independently developing and managing project workflows following initial onboarding and training.

This position will focus on a suite of projects including:

• environmental decision support science projects focused on moving the needle to more usable Federal data products that improve lives and livelihoods;
• stakeholder-engaged sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) research focused on evaluating policy and market pathways for SAF expansion while minimizing unintended impacts to biodiversity, water quality, and land use - providing actionable information to state leaders; and
• local and regional food systems assessment focused on identifying key drivers of greenhouse gas emissions and prioritizing strategies that reduce emissions, strengthen food economies, advance food sovereignty, and improve community food security. This position works closely with PIs and research teams and involves regular engagement with project sponsors, collaborators, and University partners. The position reports to Kelly Abraham, Senior Research Project Manager, and works closely with Dr. Melissa Kenney, Director of Research & Knowledge Initiatives, as well as other faculty investigators and research staff across the Institute on the Environment. The successful candidate will join a collaborative team that includes other research project managers and professionals with diverse expertise and backgrounds.

The individual in this role may mentor student employees supporting research projects, collaborate with project management team peers, and provide guidance to researchers and postdoctoral fellows in the application of project management practices, departmental systems, and operational processes that enable teams to work effectively and collaboratively.

An informational webinar is scheduled for July 15, 12:30-1:15pm CT. Register to join at https://umn.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FIGc2zE-S1ubx3ugOh6UpA; we encourage you to submit your questions during registration to help us answer as many questions as possible. A recording of the webinar will be available at the IonE employment page the day after the webinar.

Location and Work environment:

The position is located at IonE on the St. Paul, MN campus, and the person will be expected to fully participate in IonE, including attending IonE events and developing working relationships with other IonE staff and external partners. This position is structured to be primarily in-person, but could be set up to allow for a day or two of teleworking per week. There is no moving allowance provided for employees who will be permanently or temporarily moving to the Twin Cities metro region for this position. The position may involve some infrequent travel for workshops, conferences, and meetings as dictated by individual projects. We encourage applications from individuals who belong to groups that have been historically underrepresented in environmental work and in academia, incl…