Policy Research Project Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position Title

Research Project Manager

Job Group

Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree

Job Description

Summary of Duties and Responsibilities:

Do you love bringing big ideas to life? Are you energized by variety, collaboration, and helping teams turn research into real-world impact? If so, the Office of the Vice President for Research is seeking candidates for a Research Project Manager to join ResearchPOST, a small team of centralized project managers who serve all university units. As part of ResearchPOST, this individual will manage a portfolio of research projects, each with a term of three months or longer.

What You’ll Do:

Partner with principal investigators and research teams to support the planning, coordination, and execution of sponsored research projects. Coordinate and monitor project timelines, milestones, deliverables, budgets, and resources to support successful project outcomes. Maintain project management tools, reports, and documentation to monitor progress and support compliance requirements. Coordinate communications, meetings, and activities among faculty, staff, sponsors, collaborators, and other stakeholders. Support post-award administration activities, including budget monitoring, financial reporting, forecasting, and sponsored project management. Maintain project records, documentation, and reporting materials related to project deliverables and compliance requirements. Build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal and external partners to support successful project outcomes. Assist with workshops, training opportunities, outreach efforts, and communication initiatives that advance research programs and partnerships. Provide general administrative and operational support for research projects and initiatives.

The ideal candidate will have interest in supporting a broad range of projects, some of which will be interdisciplinary and/or multi-institutional. This individual will also bring strong organizational and relationship-building skills to the role. This is a one-year fixed-term position, with the opportunity for renewal. We are hiring for two positions at this time and anticipate hiring one candidate as a Research Administrator I and one candidate as a Research Administrator II. The Research Administrator I position requires a Bachelor’s degree and is classified at pay grade PS807. The Research Administrator II position requires a Bachelor’s degree and three years of related experience and is classified at pay grade PS808. Both levels perform similar research administration and project management functions; however, the Research Administrator I typically supports projects with less complexity, lower-level financial administration responsibilities, and a narrower scope of project activities. The Research Administrator I is an individual contributor position with developing professional and/or technical skills working under immediate to general supervision. The Research Administrator II independently manages more complex project portfolios, including projects with greater budgetary, financial, and administrative requirements. The Research Administrator II is an intermediate-level position with solid professional and/or technical skills working under general supervision to achieve goals.

Preferred Qualifications:

Background in conducting or supporting research projects.

Previous experience working in a university environment.

Experience with Federal regulations and agency policies and guidelines for sponsored research.

Demonstrated experience implementing project management in accordance with industry-standard principles and best practices.

Experience developing and managing strategic partnerships.

Experience with financial administration, such as budget monitoring, reporting, etc.

Department Description:

Research projects at Iowa State University often involve multiple stakeholders, strict deadlines, and complex coordination. The Research Project Operations and Strategy Team (ResearchPOST), supported by the Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR), provides experienced project managers to guide scientific, scholarly, and educational initiatives, focusing on post-award support. We build essential infrastructure and ensure efficient progress, allowing you to concentrate on your research. For more information, please visit ResearchPOST.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Why Choose Iowa State University? (Benefits)

Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental, as well as:

• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
• Generous vacation, holiday, and sick time and leave plans.
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa).
• Life insurance and long-term disability.
• Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Wellbeing program.

Iowa State offers WorkFlex options for some positions. WorkFlex offers flexibility on when, where, and how you do your work. For more information, please speak with the Hiring Manager. If you have questions regarding this application process, please email employment@iastate.edu, or call 515-294-4800 or Toll Free: 1-877-477-7485.

Appointment Details

Appointment Type: Regular with Term Appointment (Fixed Term)

Proposed End Date or Length of Term: October 18, 2027

Number of Months Employed Per Year: 12 Month Work Period Time Type: Full time

Pay Grade: PS807

Original Posting Date: September 4, 2026

Posting Close Date: September 17, 2026

Job Requisition Number: R19908

Equal Opportunity Statement

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran.

Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.

Compensation Information

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website.

Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.

Current employees (excluding temporary, student and graduate assistants) must apply through the Workday Internal Careers Hub.

Mission and Values

By focusing on the future and providing the best student experience possible, Iowa State University attracts students and faculty who want to make a difference.

With a comprehensive land-grant mission of education, research, extension and outreach, we produce scholars whose ideas change the world.

And through Innovate at Iowa State, we provide innovative and entrepreneurial opportunities for students of all backgrounds.

Located just 30 minutes north of Des Moines, the city of Ames was recently named one of the Top 10 cities in the U.S. for campus life and career opportunities.

Iowa State University is a welcoming community of students, faculty, and staff. Campus community members have a wide range of backgrounds and experiences and are committed to engaging with each other respectfully as outlined in the university’s Principles of Community.

Iowa State recognizes that diverse intellectual and philosophical perspectives are vital to innovation, critical thinking skills, and a dynamic academic community that fosters the land-grant ideals of putting science, technology, and human creativity to work.

Employment Contingencies

All offers of employment, oral and written, are contingent upon the university’s verification of credentials and other information required by federal and state law, ISU policies/procedures, and may include the completion of a background check and/or a consumer credit check.

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. Veteran.

Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to Office of Equal Opportunity, 2680 Beardshear Hall, 515 Morrill Road, Ames, Iowa 50011, Tel. 515-294-7612, email eooffice@iastate.edu.

Application Process and Accommodations

If you have questions about the application process please email employment@iastate.edu or call 515-294-4800 or Toll-Free at 1-877-477-7485.

Iowa State University provides reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should email employment@iastate.edu or call (515) 294-4800 or Toll-Free: (877) 477-7485. TTY users are welcome to use the Iowa Relay Service number by dialing 7-1-1 or (800) 735-2942.

Compensation Repetition

General ISU compensation information can be found on the University Human Resources website.

Please note that this is only a list of ranges and individuals will be paid commensurate with qualifications.