WVU Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research is currently accepting applications for a (Hybrid) Project Coordinator.
About the Opportunity
The Project Coordinator’s primary responsibility is to assist the Director of WISER with the day-to-day development, capture, administration, and management of research projects, including financially large (>$10M) and nationally visible projects. Projects managed and supported by this position are critical to the mission and reputation of WVU, WISER, and the Research Office, and require significant engagement with project partners and maintenance of stakeholder relationships. Projects are frequently complex, with multiple internal and external partners.
Responsibilities are functional in nature, and performed under limited supervision. This position supports the West Virginia University Institute for Sustainability and Energy Research; it is responsible for managing, supporting, and guiding stakeholders and informing management on the performance and progress of ongoing projects. The Project Coordinator is to ensure responsible projects are successfully delivered on time and on budget. The Project Manager is responsible for collaboration with the WISER Director, Staff, and WVU Faculty and Principal Investigators (PIs) on projects for planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of assigned projects according to timelines, budgets, and specifications. Responsible for daily operational oversight of projects, staff management and promoting best practices of projects. Provide mentorship and training to staff and the research community.
This position serves as a resource contact relative to WISER and independently uses professional concepts and techniques, as well as organizational policies to solve a wide range of moderate to complex problems in imaginative and practical ways. Depth skills, knowledge, and interpretive abilities, as well as some creativity, are required to successfully perform duties. Work effort often addresses non-routine matters within established protocol, guidelines, and/or policies. Work effort has significant impact on client services and operations, producing moderate to major organizational, legal and financial results and/or liabilities. Position duties may require oversight of projects or programs, including coordination of work by others providing support of basic objectives.
What you’ll do:
Professional position that supports and manages financially large (>$10M) and nationally visible projects. Some of the projects worked on are shorter term and some are known to last for multiple fiscal years (>3 years). Projects worked on by this position are critical to the mission and reputation of WVU, WISER and the Research Office, and require significant engagement with project partners and maintenance of stakeholder relationships. Projects are frequently complex, with multiple internal and external partners.
Seeks funding for research projects which includes: interacting with potential research partners to develop research partnerships, including the assembling teams of researchers from WVU and other universities, industry, consultants, etc., develops and aligns research concepts, experimental designs, and writing work plans, develops task schedules and budgets, and writes proposals for submission to funding agencies.
Directs the competitive acquisition and simultaneous management of multiple grants, contracts and cooperative agreements.
Manages research projects in compliance with contracts and cooperative agreements/grants which includes: selecting, organizing, and overseeing tasks performed by researchers, consultants, and contractors, accomplishing project objectives on time and within the budget, holding meetings with project personnel and funding agencies, understanding research team members areas of expertise and ensuring their work tasks meet goals and objectives, ensuring project deliverables are prepared and submitted on time, and reporting progress and presenting results to funding agencies, industry and citizens groups.
Negotiates grant/contracts scopes of work, milestones, and deliverables, and changes to those items. Evaluates project cost proposals for internal and external partners to meet program requirements. Participates in review of bids and invoices, contractors’ negotiations, and technical and business discussions with contractors to support project and programmatic goals.
Develops complex, accurate requests for funding and tracks financial obligations and expenses throughout the planning, execution, and close-out of projects, including inputs from project partners and collaborators.
Responsible for overall project management of below prospectus level or equally complex or precedent setting projects. Leads the development of major, politically sensitive, and complex project plans including methodology, resource requirements, timelines, priorities and budget impact.
Directs and performs budget planning. Establishes evaluation criteria and measurements to assess projects. Prepares timelines for project completion, implementing a system for review, control, and reporting on project status.
Manages the project development from initiation to closure with minimal supervision.
Works with project sponsors and stakeholders to create scope, goals, deliverables, budget and schedule.
Leads the analysis to determine client facility needs and identifies key technical and resource personnel to work on various aspects of projects.
Determines project risk and assesses project activities and resources to mitigate risk.
Ensures that projects delivered meet agreed to customer or agency requirements. Manages all aspects of the project’s finances. Independently develops innovative solutions to address unanticipated project complications.
Negotiates and coordinates project plans, budget objectives and schedules with customer agencies to establish and/or manage customer expectations. Informs customer officials of project status and any requirements for additional agency-initiated action.
Creates a detailed Project Management Plan (PMP), with measurable outcomes, including project deliverables and milestones. This also can include the following (when required): Risk Management Plan, Quality Plan, Communication Plan, Health and Safety Plan Change.
Management Plan, Conflict Management Plan, Security Plan, Data Plan, and roles and responsibilities matrix.
Obtains agreement and feedback on PMP from the project team and stakeholders.
Clearly communicates expectations to team members and stakeholders with a kick-off meeting. This meeting should facilitate any legal or contractual requirements are met and that any other documentation is in order.
Acts as a mediator between stakeholders and team members.
Logs and resolves issues, problem solving throughout the project life cycle.
Effectively manages project scope by ensuring any changes to scope are documented and approved and when necessary creates Rough order of Magnitude (ROM) documentation.
Develops tools and best practices for project management execution.
Tracks and reports on project milestones and provides status reports to sponsor with approval of PI copying all pertinent stakeholders.
Continuously monitors any risk to the project and escalates any issue as soon as it is relevant.
Assesses project task and deliverable completion and measures against the agreed upon plan.
Leads, coaches, and motivates project team members on a continual, pro-active basis.
Facilitates technical Lessons Learned and performs project management Lessons learned.
Performs a post-project evaluation against the base line to determine how well results were achieved and in collaboration with the PI, completes the Final Report.
Meets all contractual requirements of the project, including compliance with reporting requirements and production of required deliverables.
Ensures all project documents are safely archived for project close out.
Facilitates Project Close-out meeting and ensures all necessary processes are completed for close out at the University.
Manages WISER Staff as necessary.
Attends conferences, makes presentations,
Promotes activities of WISER and WVU, including performing community outreach as necessary. Activities Include attending conferences, community events, and meetings, making presentations, submitting information for press releases and internet web sites. May also provide technical assistance to federal or state agencies, industry or to campus groups as necessary. May author papers for submission to professional journals and conference proceedings.
Qualifications
Master’s Degree in related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
1-2 years of project management experience
Preferred Qualifications & Credentials
PMI certification or PMP is preferred.
Experience in grant writing and management preferred.
Experience in fossil energy, renewable energy, or sustainability are preferred but not required.
