Associate Administrator Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

The Project Administrator serves as the primary administrative and business management lead for the Memphis Institute for National Defense Sciences (MINDS) in support of the Memphis Large Volume Inspection Systems (MLVIS) initiative. This position is responsible for coordinating program operations, managing project administration activities, organizing stakeholder meetings, supporting business and financial management functions, facilitating communications among government, university, and industry partners, and ensuring that project deliverables, schedules, and stakeholder needs are met throughout the 24-month project lifecycle. MINDS is specifically tasked with administrative coordination and alignment among MLVIS stakeholders, as well as program management activities supporting the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) Rapid Applied Materials and Processing (RAMP) mission. 

The Project Administrator will work closely with project stakeholders to support the planning, design, construction, procurement, installation, testing, and commissioning of a $20 million radiographic testing facility in the Memphis region. 

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Project Management, Engineering Management, or a minimum of 5 years of experience in project administration, program coordination, business operations, or related administrative management roles.
• Experience coordinating multi-organizational projects involving government, academia, and industry stakeholders. 
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, project scheduling tools, and collaboration platforms. 
  Experience preparing reports, meeting materials, and executive-level communications. 
   

Preferred Qualifications
    Experience supporting Department of Defense (DoD), federal, or defense-related programs. 
    Knowledge of project management principles and lifecycle management. 
    Familiarity with federal contracting, grants administration, or cooperative agreements. 
    Experience working with CUI, ITAR, export control, or security-related administrative requirements. 
    Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM), or similar certification preferred. 
    Experience supporting large-scale capital projects, research infrastructure projects, or technical programs. 
 

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
    Exceptional organizational and time-management skills. 
    Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with diverse stakeholders. 
    Strong written and verbal communication abilities. 
    Ability to analyze information and provide administrative recommendations. 
    Attention to detail and commitment to accuracy. 
    Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information appropriately. 
    Ability to work independently while supporting collaborative project teams. 

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.
 

1. Program Administration and Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as the primary administrative liaison among MINDS, University of Memphis, NSWCCD, NCMS, Vision Point Systems, Materials Resources LLC, and other project partners. 
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement activities and ensure alignment across all participating organizations. 
• Facilitate communication between project leadership, technical teams, contractors, and government sponsors. 
• Track project milestones, action items, risks, and decisions to ensure timely execution. 
• Support development and maintenance of collaborative agreements, memoranda of understanding (MOUs), cooperative agreements, and other partnership documentation. 
• Assist with coordination of security, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) administrative requirements. 
• Monitor stakeholder needs and proactively resolve administrative issues that may affect project execution. 
• Support development and implementation of project governance processes and reporting structures. 

2. Business Management and Financial Administration

• Assist with project budgeting, expenditure tracking, invoicing, and financial reporting activities. 
• Monitor project spending against approved budgets and funding allocations. 
• Coordinate procurement documentation and administrative support for equipment acquisitions, service contracts, and subcontractor activities. 
• Maintain project records, contract documentation, compliance files, and audit-ready records. 
• Support preparation of financial summaries and business reports for project leadership and sponsors. 
• Assist with grant, contract, and cooperative agreement administration activities. 
• Coordinate administrative support for permitting, licensing, certification, and regulatory documentation. 
• Ensure compliance with university, sponsor, and federal administrative requirements. 

3. Meeting Planning, Scheduling, and Event Coordination 

• Plan, schedule, and coordinate project meetings, technical reviews, executive briefings, site visits, and stakeholder workshops. 
• Develop meeting agendas, briefing materials, presentations, and meeting minutes. 
• Coordinate logistics for in-person, virtual, and hybrid meetings. 
• Track action items and ensure follow-up activities are completed by responsible parties. 
• Support project kickoff meetings, design reviews, progress reviews, acceptance reviews, and closeout meetings. 
• Coordinate travel arrangements and visitor access requirements as necessary. 
• Maintain project calendars and integrated schedules for administrative activities. 

4. Reporting, Documentation, and Communications Management 

• Prepare and distribute recurring project status reports and stakeholder communications. 
• Maintain project documentation repositories and records management systems. 
• Support preparation of project execution plans, logistics plans, operations and sustainment plans, and other required deliverables. 
• Draft correspondence, presentations, executive summaries, and briefing materials. 
• Coordinate collection of information from project partners for reports and deliverables. 
• Ensure project documentation is complete, organized, and submitted according to sponsor requirements. 

5. Strategic and Special Projects Support 

• Provide administrative support for emerging initiatives related to the RAMP mission and defense manufacturing ecosystem. 
• Assist leadership with special projects, strategic planning activities, and partnership development opportunities. 
• Support project closeout activities and transition planning for operational readiness and sustainment.