Job Description Summary:
** NOTE A COVER LETTER IS REQUIRED FOR CONSIDERATION **
The Transportation Research Board (TRB), a division of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, provides leadership in transportation innovation through objective, evidence-based research and convenes experts from government, industry, and academia to address complex transportation challenges. Within TRB, the Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) are applied research programs—including the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP), Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP), and others—that develop practical, implementable solutions to current and emerging transportation issues through stakeholder-driven research and collaboration.
The Senior Program Manager - Planning and Environment provides senior-level program management for a complex and diverse portfolio of cooperative transportation research projects. This role has no direct supervisory responsibilities and combines portfolio-level accountability with hands-on management of complex and high-visibility research projects.
Reporting to the Program Director, the Senior Program Manager exercises substantial independent judgment in managing and overseeing project portfolios, resolving complex issues, and engaging with volunteers, sponsors, research agencies, and stakeholders. The role is accountable for ensuring research quality, operational effectiveness, and timely delivery across multiple topic areas, while aligning project activities with division priorities.
Job Description:
Transportation Disciplines
This role involves leading and facilitating research efforts in collaboration with expert panels across diverse transportation topics for Panning and Environment.
Responsibilities
Project Panel Meeting Planning & Support
Review panel nominations and coordinate the formation of project panels.
Facilitate project panel meetings, support panel chairs, and follow up with notes and action items from panel meetings.
Prepare materials, schedules, and documentation needed to support effective panel deliberations and project decisions.
Document panel input, decisions, and recommendations to support timely project implementation and follow-up.
Proposal Development & Research Agency Selection
Work with prospective proposers to resolve matters related to submission of acceptable proposals.
Evaluate research proposals for technical merit and participate in the process of selecting research agencies.
Support fair, objective, and well-documented proposal review and research agency selection processes.
Research Planning & Contract Coordination
Become thoroughly familiar with selected research plans and work with research agencies and project panels to develop detailed working plans to accomplish project objectives.
Work with administrative offices to provide information necessary for contract negotiation and execution.
Clarify project objectives, technical expectations, schedules, deliverables, and performance requirements with research agencies and project panels.
Contract & Project Management
Assemble and submit the complete contract package, including all required documents, in accordance with CRP processes.
Manage contracts by establishing clear project objectives and technical approaches for achieving project goals.
Visit research agencies, as appropriate, to become familiar with their organizations and facilities, monitor work, and assess progress against project schedules.
Review monthly, quarterly, and other progress reports needed for administration of the program.
Prepare compliance reports that document project progress and assess research agency performance and accomplishments.
Project Monitoring & Quality Review
Conduct site visits, as appropriate.
Make critical reviews of project progress and recommend improvements when needed.
Review all types of reports that emanate from research for clarity, completeness, adherence…