Innovation Program Manager

The American Physical Society (APS) is a nonprofit membership organization working to advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics through its outstanding research journals, scientific meetings, and education, outreach, advocacy, and international activities. APS represents more than 50,000 members, including physicists in academia, national laboratories, and industry in the United States and throughout the world.

Position Summary:

Do you like to engage academics, faculty, students, and more to promote scientific initiatives, events, and activities? Do you enjoy collaborating with professionals, project managers, and teams to facilitate meetings, manage projects, evaluate and inform project outcomes? The Innovation Program Manager is primarily responsible for managing Innovation programs, including the Innovation Fund. You will play a key role in supporting the organization, development, and improvement of department programs that advance the physics community.

APS values diversity and welcomes candidates from a variety of backgrounds. APS offers a dynamic work environment with an outstanding total compensation package including competitive salary, outstanding benefits, and excellent paid time off.

A Typical Week May Look Like This:

• Develop and facilitate impactful activities for program participants and members
• Collaborates with Head of Innovation to pursue and implement new initiatives aligning with the APS strategic plans
• Suggest and implement policies that improve project outcomes
• Develop and implement assessments and evaluations to inform projects
• Interact with physics faculty, students, and administrators to promote APS efforts
• Represent the department’s activities at conferences and other events
• Manage subawards and contracts by writing agreements, monitoring progress, reviewing outcomes, and ensuring that funder requirements are met
• Manage and track project budgets and approve invoices
• Meet all objectives, deliverables, and deadlines associated with assigned projects
• Work collaboratively with program manager team and project teams
• Supervise summer interns, consultants and contractors when necessary
• Write and edit articles, brochures, project reports, proposals, and web-based materials
• Organize project materials, data, and policies in accessible ways
• Facilitate events and meetings through management of task lists, agendas, and outcomes
• Coordinate with communication department to create graphics and materials
• Develop and manage project work plans

Scope and Relationships

• Responsible for managing annual budgets in excess of $100k.
• May supervise an intern. Internal relationships with APS Programs department staff and APS staff in other departments.
• External relationships with members of the physics community including members and staff at other professional organizations.
• Position may require up to 10% business travel annually to attend meetings and events as directed by the supervisor.

Is This You:

Education: Masters or equivalent experience OR Bachelor’s plus three to five years of related experience.

Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• 3+ years of work experience or demonstrated skills/expertise
• Knowledge of issues affecting physics education
• Able to manage multiple complex programs, and to jump quickly between these programs as timelines demand.
• Experience in organizing events and writing complex reports and promotional materials
• Must be able to work independently and recognize critical issues or decisions that require deliberation based on complex interactions between project participants and stated policies.
• Must have the ability to take initiative in identifying and responding to issues as they arise.
• Strong polished interpersonal skills needed.
• Customer service orientation.
• Ability to resolve conflicts constructively, and to empathize and understand perspectives of others.
• Computer skills and a high level of proficiency in standard office software are essential.
• Strong organization, documentation, and prioritization skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Ability to adapt to quickly changing schedules.
• Ability to work well with interdepartmental teams as well as independently.

Our Mission:

To advance and diffuse the knowledge of physics for the benefit of humanity, promote physics, and serve the broader physics community, we:

• Provide a welcoming and supportive professional home for an active, engaged, and diverse membership
• Advance scientific discovery and research dissemination
• Advocate for physics and physicists, and amplify the voice for science
• Share the excitement of physics and communicate the essential role physics plays in the modern world
• Promote effective physics education for all

Our Core Values:

• The Scientific Method
• Truth and Integrity
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Respect
• Partnering, Cooperation, and Open Collaboration
• Speaking Out
• Education and Learning

The American Physical Society is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of American Physical Society not to discriminate or allow the harassment of employees or applicants on the basis of race, religious creed, alienage or citizenship, religion, color, ethnicity, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, familial status, protected veteran status, protected military status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, ancestry, domestic violence victim status or any other characteristic protected by law with regard to any employment practices, including recruitment, advertising, job application procedures, hiring, upgrading, training, promotion, transfer, compensation, job assignments, benefits and/or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment, provided the individual is qualified, with or without reasonable accommodations, to perform the essential functions of the job. This policy applies to all jobs at APS. The American Physical Society is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact APS Human Resources.

The APS has a “remote first” concept that promotes equal treatment and equal access, independent of physical work location, with a majority of staff working primarily from remote work locations.

We welcome you to apply today!