Entry Level Technical Program Manager Jobs in Chicago, IL

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Technical Program Manager at UL Research Institutes, within our Digital Safety Research Institute (DSRI). This is a REMOTE opportunity 

The Technical Program Manager plans, executes, and brings projects to closure on behalf of Digital Safety. The Technical Program Manager oversees the entire technical project lifecycle, ensuring that projects are completed on time, within budget, and according to the specified scope and quality requirements. The Technical Program Manager manages resources, coordinates teams, and mitigates risks to deliver successful project outcomes. 

UL Research Institutes: 

At UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge. 

Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Fire Safety teams who conduct the research required to produce that knowledge and put it into practice. 

Digital Safety Research Institute: 

The Digital Safety Research Institute (DSRI) addresses unresolved safety risks and emerging dangers in the world’s digital ecosystem. We aim to help protect people from unwanted access to personal devices and privacy, algorithms, and disinformation threats by working to create a new digital safety ecosystem. 

DSRI is committed to sharing digital safety insights, collaborating with key stakeholders, and offering extensive outreach and education to help support safer digital environments for people everywhere. 

What you’ll learn and achieve: 

As the Technical Program Manager, you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you: 

• Define project objectives, scope, deliverables, and success criteria and develop comprehensive project plans, including schedules, budgets, and resource allocation, Identifying project dependencies, risks, and mitigation strategies. 

• Collaborate with engineering team leads, research leadership, and external partners (sponsors, researchers, engineers, and adopters) to gather requirements and establish clear communication channels. 

• Coordinate and lead cross-functional project teams, assign tasks and responsibilities, and monitor project progress, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards. Foster effective teamwork and collaboration among team members. 

• Conduct regular project status meetings, providing updates to stakeholders and addressing any issues or concerns. 

• Manage changes to project scope, schedule, and resources, following appropriate change control processes and proactively identify and resolve project issues and conflicts. 

• Escalate critical risks and issues to appropriate stakeholders and senior management. 

• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, sponsor requirements, research data-handling expectations, and our open-source release processes. 

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with project stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and collaboration. and provide regular project status reports and updates to stakeholders, including progress, milestones, and key decisions. 

• Manage resources to balance internal Digital Safety tasks with UL-wide organizational assignments. 

• Manage stakeholder expectations and address concerns or feedback. 

• Facilitate effective communication among project team members, ensuring alignment and clarity. 

• Conduct project reviews and lessons learned sessions to identify areas for improvement. 

• Document project outcomes, successes, and challenges for future reference. 

• Perform other duties as assigned. 

What makes you a great fit: 

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes: 

• Strong leadership skills to guide and motivate team members towards project goals. 

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects across competing priorities. 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

• Relevant technical knowledge. 

• Highly organized and skilled in managing multiple tasks, priorities, and deadlines. 

• Strong problem-solving skills to analyze complex situations. 

• Skilled negotiator to manage stakeholder expectations, resolve conflicts. 

• Solid understanding of budgeting principles, cost estimation, and financial management. 

• Adaptable and flexible, capable of adjusting plans, reallocating resources, and managing uncertainties while maintaining project objectives. 

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include: 

• Bachelor\'s degree in computer science and 3 years or more of hands-on experience as a software engineer. 

• PMP Certification (or equivalent) and four year or more in product and program management. 

• PMP Certification or equivalent 

• Agile certifications (e.g., Certified ScrumMaster), and Six Sigma certifications. 

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement 

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.  

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.  

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