Field Day Lab Project Manager - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Job Summary:

Field Day Lab (FDL) at Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER) is looking to hire a new project manager (PM) to assist in developing a Project Execution Plan (PEP) for a new technical and service research infrastructure for conducting educational research using data from learning games.

The outcome of the project will be a full submission to the National Science Foundation Research Infrastructure 2 program (MSRI). A current call for proposals has not been issued, but based on the 2023 call, a deadline of Late Fall 2025 is expected. See https://new.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/mid-scale-ri-2-mid-scale-research-infrastructure-2for information about the program.

The new project manager will primarily work with the proposed research infrastructure's PI, David Gagnon, but will also leverage the expertise of researchers, other research infrastructure projects, and a wide array of experts nationally.

As a very unique program within the federal funding landscape, the new PM will require specific support to be successful in this role. The NSF has established a community of practice with a prior awardee of MSRI funds as well as other recipients of the MSRI Incubator program, which was awarded to the PI in 2023. This community has regular online workshops and a yearly workshop with funders and other proposers. Additionally, NSF facilitates a yearly MSRI workshop in Washington DC during early summer.

Specific Duties Are Expected to Include

-Work with the PI to develop an inventory of the technical and social components of the proposed infrastructure

-Develop detailed descriptions of each component. For technical components this will involve specific technical specifications, network diagrams, software interface mockups, software architecture diagrams, etc. For other components, this may include data management and sharing plans, templates for multi-organizational human subjects protocols, descriptions of various legal agreements, descriptions for documentation and training materials, etc.

-Work with other staff at FDL, WCER, UW-Madison and outside vendors to develop a scope of work documents, timelines, staffing and cost estimates to develop each component of the infrastructure.

-Develop an organizational structure for the staff of the proposed infrastructure

-Develop contingency plans

-Develop Budgets

-Write the Project Execution Plan (PEP) documents for inclusion in the full proposal following requirements described in NSF Document 21-107, Research Infrastructure Guide (RIG)

-Participate in the MSRI Incubator community-of-practice and consult with other PMs that have experience with the NSF MSRI program

Responsibilities: Manages multiple projects simultaneously from start to finish or one large project impacting the institution at-large under general supervision.

• 30% Creates a project plan, monitors progress and performance against the project plan, and identifies, resolves, or escalates risks and issues
• 20% Manages the activities of outside contractors to ensure they are integrated into the project and that the organization receives satisfactory standards of service
• 10% Facilitates the estimation of project costs, resources, and time required to complete the assigned phase of a project and monitors activities, negotiates for resources, and assigns tasks to ensure these targets are met. Follows established change control processes if targets can no longer be met
• 5% Prepares regular reports to communicate the status of the project within and beyond the project team
• 25% Sets priorities, allocates tasks, and collaborates with project staff to meet project targets and milestones
• 10% Develops an NSF MSRI Project Execution Plan (PEP) to communicate the results of the project

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Education:

Preferred

Bachelor's Degree

Project Management Certifications, preferred

Qualifications:

Requirements:

-Experience in project management, providing clear direction and establishing work priorities to achieve the lab's goals.

-Demonstrated track record of organizational skills, attention to details and meeting deadlines.

Preferred:

-Experience with federal (e.g. NIH, NSF, DOD), state, foundation or industry funding mechanisms.

-Experience in a higher education setting

Work Type:

Full Time: 100%

This position requires some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. The balance of in-person and remote work for this position will be discussed at the time of hire.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Salary:

Depending on Qualifications

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits.

Additional Information:

Housed within the School of Education, the Wisconsin Center for Education Research (WCER), established in 1964, is one of the first, most productive, and largest university-based education research and development centers in the world. WCER's researchers and staff work to make teaching and learning as effective as possible for all ages and all people.

WCER's mission is to improve educational outcomes for diverse student populations, impact education practice positively and foster collaborations among academic disciplines and practitioners. To this end, our center helps scholars and practitioners develop, submit, conduct, and share grant-funded education research.

At WCER, all employees share five fundamental organization values to guide the purpose and quality of our work and interactions within ourselves and our outside stakeholders. The values that the work and people of WCER strive to uphold are:

• Innovation and Excellence. Continuous improvement is a driver for excellence. We innovate and improve in our work to advance education through leading research and development.
• Equitable Education. Equitable education is essential to a healthy society. We aim to reverse imbalances and injustices in education through our work.
• Affirming and Increasing Diversity. Individual differences and group diversity inspire creative and equitable outcomes. We actively affirm and seek to increase such diversity in our center.
• Healthy Workplace. The well-being of our workplace enhances success for all. We commit to a workplace based on mutual respect and transparency.
• Partnering Across Differences. Diverse backgrounds and expertise improve the quality of our work. We collaborate across disciplines, methodologies, organizations, and communities to strengthen our research and development outcomes.

If you need to request an accommodation because of a disability during the recruitment process, please email education-HR.DDR@education.wisc.eduand one of our Division Disability Representatives will contact you. More information can also be found at https://employeedisabilities.wisc.edu/disability-accommodation-information-for-applicants.

How to Apply:

Please click on the "Apply Now" button to start the application process. As part of the application process, you will be required to submit:

• A cover letter addressed to David Gagnon describing how your experience and qualifications meet the requirements of this position
• A current resume
• A list with the contact information of at least three professional references

A successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment.

Contact:

Erik Borresen

borresen@wisc.edu

608-265-5608

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Project Manager II(AD016)

Department(s):

A17-SCHOOL OF EDUCATION/WCER

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

308605-AS