Cohort and Convenings Project Manager

LEO Cohort and Convenings Project Manager

Job Description

LEO is looking for a proactive, self-starter who desires to be part of solving one of the most critical issues our nation faces today – poverty. The Cohorts and Convenings Project Manager will be part of LEO’s Administrative team and report to the Associate Director of Administration. The Cohorts and Convenings Project Manager will lead our nonprofit partners through the cohort process. Through the cohort process, LEO equips and supports our partners to design and launch research studies. It is essential to our mission that this role plans, manages, and executes LEO cohorts with excellence, efficiency, and consistency.

Additionally, the Cohorts and Convenings Project Manager will plan and manage the content and logistics of convenings of key LEO stakeholders. They will provide project management for these convenings in support of units across LEO’s team, ensuring that the core values of LEO’s work are present in the experience at LEO convenings. Those responsibilities include project management, logistics, communications, and execution for internal and external convenings.

Who we are:

The Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO) at the University of Notre Dame is a research center dedicated to reducing poverty and improving lives in the United States through evidence-based programs and policies. We are dedicated to…

• Partnership – We thoughtfully engage with partners and commit to a collaborative process on this road to creating and using evidence. We believe the best solutions lie with those closest to the problem, and that our partners are the ones that know best the needs of the communities they serve. We embed that belief into every step of the evidence-to-impact journey.
• Rigor – We believe service, philanthropy, and public policy must be aligned with what actually helps people the most. Our partisanship is to those in poverty. We produce rigorous research because we believe an accurate answer, whether inspiring or challenging, makes us all better.
• Dignity – We prioritize the dignity of every person with a preferential option for those struggling in poverty and with awareness of the additional struggles facing marginalized communities. We approach our work with respect to those participating in research and structure our work in service to those individuals. Our research serves people, not the other way around.
• Hope – The complexities of poverty can be overwhelming, but we don’t respond by believing that solving poverty is a hopeless endeavor. We respond by building evidence to uncover solutions that reflect an environment of opportunity for all people. We diligently pursue what works to reduce poverty with a hopeful confidence that evidence enlightening action will alter the path ahead.

Who we need:

We are looking for someone who wants to change the face of poverty in our country and believes that impacting poverty is possible. The Cohort and Convenings Project Manager’s top priorities will be:

• LMA: Lead, manage, and hold accountable the Administration Program Specialist.
• Convenings Management: Plan, evaluate, and manage the content and logistics of convenings of key LEO stakeholders: Coordinate with Project Sponsors to provide project management for units across LEO’s team Ensure that the core values of LEO’s work are present in the experience at LEO convenings. Responsibilities include project management, logistics, communications, and execution for internal and external convenings.
• Research Cohorts Management: Through the cohort process, LEO equips and supports our partners to design and launch research studies. It is essential to our mission that this role plans, manages, and executes LEO cohorts with excellence, efficiency, and consistency. These responsibilities include:
  • Communication + Scheduling: Create and maintain clear lines of communication with all key stakeholders throughout each cohort. Key stakeholders include cohort partners, internal research teams, external affiliated researchers, and other external partners such as LEO’s marketing partner.
  • Matching: Cohort partners are matched with their research teams once accepted as a LEO partner. This matching process requires coordination between LEO’s project development team, internal faculty, external affiliated researchers, and research operations team. This role project manages this process and related communications.
  • Transitions: During the cohort process, partners transition from LEO’s project development team to LEO’s research operations team. This role manages transitions by: providing all parties with clarity on roles, ensuring transfer of knowledge between parties, making sure all parties understand the process (what comes next and why). To be successful this requires clear communication with internal and external partners.
  • Marketing Support: Drive forward the internal process to determine which cohort partners receive marketing support provided by LEO as part of the study design process. For those partners selected, manage the logistics of their engagement with LEO’s marketing support.
  • Content: Manage all content preparation and execution for partner workshops where LEO (1) selects new partners (2) trains partners on impact evaluations and (3) presents study designs to key stakeholders. Ensure cohesiveness of content across all workshops.
  • Logistics: Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to prepare for workshops, manage invitation processes to engage supporters, and support cohort partners through a seamless process.
  • Partnership Agreements: Manage partnership agreement process, providing clarity to partners, and driving to completion within the defined timeline.
  • Process Improvement: Own ongoing process improvement to ensure high quality cohorts. Cohort Workshops include: Discovery Day (In-person): Workshop to vet and select cohort participants. Workshop 1 (In-person): Kick-off event for the 16-week research design process. Workshop 2 (Virtual): Culmination event of the 16-week research design process. WHAM Sessions (Virtual): Build excitement and ensure buy-in for the research process.

This is a 5 year limited term position with the possibility for extension based on funding.


About LEO:

Founded as a research center in the Department of Economics at the University of Notre Dame just over ten years ago, LEO has quickly risen to prominence as a leader in evidence-based interventions against poverty. Since our founding in 2012, LEO has:

• Attracted over $50 million in endowed gifts in support of our mission.
• Secured $16.8 million in research funding and support from private foundations and government sources.
• Launched over 90 active and completed research projects, with dozens more in the project pipeline.
• Published in leading peer-reviewed journals.
• Grown to over 30 full-time faculty and staff.
• Forged partnerships with innovative providers of services to people living in poverty across the country.
• Developed an extensive nationwide network of faculty affiliates.

In the next few years, we plan to grow significantly: increasing our project portfolio and continuing to strengthen LEO’s reputation as the gold standard of research in this area.

Minimum Qualifications

The ideal candidate has 3-4 years of project management experience in a University setting, excellent interpersonal skills, project management experience, and strong organizational skills.

Required:

• A deep commitment to the mission of both LEO and the University
• Bachelor’s degree with 3-4 years of related work experience
• Ability to independently manage multiple complex projects
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills
• Self-directed with willingness to take initiative
• Strong attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred:

• Project management experience with track record of coordinating researchers and non- profit partners with competing priorities
• Experience working within a University setting

This position will be based at the University of Notre Dame. For more information about LEO, please visit leo.nd.edu .