Project Director, School of Nursing

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Project Director, School of Nursing

Job Profile Title

Manager Research Project C

Job Description Summary

Responsible for both strategic planning and day to day management of complex and broad range of projects conducted with collaborators both internal and external to the University. Takes leadership role in collaborating with principal investigators to develop fundable ideas and create budgets, write, review, and upload grant proposals. Responsible for post-award management of research grants. Ensures compliance with sponsor, University, school and IRB policies.

Job Description

The Project Director is responsible for the day -to -day operational management of the ADRD Public Health Adoption Accelerator, a five -year CDC cooperative agreement. Reporting directly to PI Hodgson, the Project Director coordinates activities across four sub-awardee institutions (Emory, University of Minnesota, and Brown), manages work plan tracking and partner communications, leads Annual Performance Report preparation, and serves as a primary logistics contact for the HBI Collaborative. The Project Director ensures cross -institutional deliverables are met on schedule and that CDC compliance requirements are fulfilled throughout the project period.

Job Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day cross-institutional project management across Penn, Drexel, Emory, University of Minnesota, and Brown sub-award teams; maintain work plan, milestone tracker, and deliverable calendar; facilitate biweekly all-team calls; ensure CDC reporting deadlines are met.
• Lead preparation and submission of Annual Performance Reports (APRs) to CDC via Grant Solutions; coordinate with Project Data Coordinator, PI, and sub-awardees to compile quantitative performance measures, narrative summaries, and budget reconciliations in CDC-required format.
• Serve as primary logistics contact for the HBI Collaborative beginning Month 1; coordinate Penn team attendance at all HBI Collaborative convenings; track agenda items and follow-up actions requiring Penn response.
• Manage partner communications with ASTHO, NACCHO, DFA, USAging, LiveWell, EPN, and BOLD Launchpad sites; track letter of support renewals, consulting agreement milestones, and stakeholder engagement commitments; coordinate logistics for annual Expert Advisory Panel convening and Evidence Academy.
• Support grant compliance functions including sub-award monitoring per 2 CFR 200.332, IRB protocol tracking, federal salary cap verification, and Penn OSR reporting requirements; coordinate with Penn OSR on budget amendments and sub-award transitions (e.g., Epstein-Lubow consulting to sub-award transition).
• Contribute to preparation of future grant applications, progress reports, manuscripts, and conference presentations as directed by PI Hodgson; assist with dissemination of Accelerator findings through ASTHO/NACCHO channels.
• Supervise and coordinate work of Penn Research Assistants (RA1 and RA2) in collaboration with Dr. Hirschman and the Project Data Coordinator; provide onboarding support for all TBH Penn staff positions.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

• Master of Science and 5 to 7 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. M.S. or M.P.H. and 7 to 10 years of experience preferred. Bachelor's degree with 7+ years of relevant experience will be considered.
• Experience: 5–7 years of research project management experience, preferably in federally funded public health, implementation science, or aging research programs. Experience with CDC cooperative agreement requirements, Grant Solutions reporting, and 2 CFR 200 compliance preferred. Multi-site project coordination experience required.
• Required Skills: Data management; grant proposals and reporting; work management; stakeholder coordination; REDCap or equivalent data systems; Microsoft Office suite; strong written and oral communication. Experience with ADRD, aging services, or public health programs preferred.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Nursing

Pay Range

$80,891.00 - $100,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay