Project Manager- Teacher Retention Student Engagement Study

The Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Virginia seeks applicants for a full-time Project Manager to join Project ENGAGE. The Project Manager will assist the Principal Investigator in managing the day-to-day operations of this multi-site project. The manager will coordinate all project communications, schedule meetings, plan agendas, and record meeting minutes. They will manage the study timelines using technology to ensure project deliverables are met on time. They will coordinate recruitment efforts, support data collection, and support program implementation and fidelity monitoring. Experience in education is not required.

Project ENGAGE is a US Department of Education, Education Innovation Research (EIR) funded Mid-Phase project that aims to implement, replicate, and take to scale the Cultivating Awareness and Resilience in Education (CARE) professional learning (PL) program, a mindfulness-based emotion skills psychoeducational program for teachers shown to significantly improve student motivation, engagement, and reading competence (Brown et al., 2023), and to promote teacher well-being and supportive teacher-student interactions (Jennings et al., 2017; 2019). ​The project has three primary goals: Goal 1: Implement CARE PL program in 66 elementary schools located in Virginia and Kentucky. Goal 2: Achieve high-fidelity of implementation of CARE resulting in improved student motivation, engagement, and achievement. Goal 3: Build capacity of the district leaders to sustain the work following the grant period.​  

Role and responsibilities include:

• Manage the day-to-day operations of a large and expanding project

• Collaborate with project leadership to track and ensure that Project ENGAGE implementation objectives and deliverables are successfully met

• Directly manage timelines, assignments, and tasks and identify, address, and implement systemic inefficiencies in processes and systems

• Act as a flexible resource to support other project staff and teams during project phases that require extra support

• Organize, facilitate, and track outcomes and decisions from meetings

• Coordinate recruitment efforts and tracks attendance at outreach events

• Coordinate the planning and writing of reports and performance updates for funders and other stakeholders

• Communicate effectively with project faculty, staff, and external partners (American Institutes for Research, CREATE for Education, participating school divisions) in written and spoken forms

• Maintain project website and communications via UVA and social media

• Support, supervise, and manage project research assistants as needed

• Develop systems and processes necessary for the recruitment, tracking, planning, and execution of projects, including purchasing and arranging travel for PI and other staff.

• Attend client meetings for ongoing and prospective projects. Arrange, manage, and maintain relevant relationships.

• Analyze short-term and long-term resource needs and adjust staffing and resources appropriately.

• Ensure completion of deliverables and adherence to timelines, track milestones and timelines across projects, and institute necessary work flow, personnel, and financial resource allocations.

• Analyze and resolve issues that have the potential to jeopardize performance.

• Responsible for financial performance of projects. Analyze financial and operational reports.

• Proactively identify changes in work scope and ensure appropriate planning measures are taken with internal and external clients to reassess, renegotiate, and amend scope of work responsibilities, proposals, contracts, and budgets.

In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

Minimum Requirements
Education: Bachelor's degree
Experience: At least four years of experience. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
Licensure: Project Management Institute (PMI) certification is typically possessed.

Preferred Qualifications

A strong preference will be given to candidates that have extensive experience in the following:

• 3+ years of relevant experience (e.g., school-based education research)

• Managing the day-to-day operations of a large research team or coordinating a project with a high level of autonomy

• Creating, monitoring, and utilizing project management software or tools (Trello, Smartsheet, Basecamp, Asana, Teamwork, etc.)

• Experience with Customer Relationship Management software, Microsoft Bookings, Qualtrics or other advanced survey tools, or similar project management tools

• Reporting to stakeholders, including budgets and deliverables

• Leading teams or individuals in project management or specialist roles

• Fluent in Microsoft Office tools (Teams, OneDrive, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Excel)

• Facilitating the registration and use of videoconference or webinar tools (e.g., Teams, Zoom, Canvas, Catalog)

• Project management training (relevant degree, training program, or certificate, such as the Project Management Professional (PMP) certification)

• Experience in education or human services

• Experience maintaining a website and research project marketing

• Experience recruiting and consenting educators as research participants

Physical Demands
This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Salary range:

Anticipated salary range is $82,000 - $93,000 with UVA benefits , commensurate with education and experience.

Application Instructions: Apply Now . Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile, search Find Jobs and then R0056336. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

1- A CV/resume

2- A cover letter is optional but strongly encouraged. In your cover letter, please address your previous experience:

• Managing large research projects conducted in educational settings

• Recruiting and consenting educators as research participants

• Using project management software

• Skill level in us of Microsoft 365 tools

• Supervising research assistants and volunteers

• Coordinating multiple teams

All documents can be loaded into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The position will remain open until filled.  This is an Exempt level, benefited position. This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas. This restricted position is a one-year appointment, and continuation beyond one year is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment. 

For additional information about the position, please contact Tish Jennings, [email protected] . For questions about the application process, please contact Margaret Weeks .

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In alignment with President Ryan’s UVA strategic plan, CASTL is committed to:

• Recruiting talented and diverse doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and staff;

• Recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce and providing an inclusive and supportive environment in which staff and faculty are recognized as integral to the success of our work; and

• Promoting a culture of integrity, mutual respect, excellence, collaboration, and innovation.

The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, veteran status, and family medical or genetic information.