Job Description (show details...)

Summary

The program manager provides leadership and overall management of an assigned technical or operational portfolio, which may be large or small in total budget and may encompass one or more discrete programs. The program manager brokers with customers and individual researchers or research groups/programs to determine what work will be done to meet the customers’ needs, general timeframes, and funding requirements. The program manager is expected to develop working relationships that span existing internal and/or external institutional missions and extend into new opportunities as policies, missions, and opportunities evolve. Programs are a complex set of related activities needed to produce products or services over time to meet customer requirements within a given mission area. Programs are often ongoing over multiple years and evolve in response to the customers’ changing needs. The customer may be an external body, such as a federal agency, or may be an internal organization within the Laboratory. Programs often are funded by a specific source, but may comprise similar activities funded by multiple sources.

NOTE:    This function is related to the professional overall management of a particular program, or programs.

                For professional activities related to the management of discrete projects, which together with defined line assignments form an integrated whole covering the total scope of the programmatic deliverables, see:

                Project Manager

Job Duties

1. Safety and security are a primary responsibility for all Laboratory employees. Maintains required safety and security training, assures safety and security compliance, and makes safety and security an integral part of every task, including taking the necessary steps to stop work if continuing the job is unsafe or compromises security.
2. Serves as the primary interface with one or more high-level external customers to develop, negotiate, and define mission goals and programmatic deliverables, in accord with Laboratory capabilities, capacities, and priorities, that balance the best interests of the customer, the program, and the institution as a whole.
3. Provides leadership, vision, and strategic and tactical planning for execution of an assigned portfolio consisting of one or more large and/or highly complex programs impacting multiple organizations and may formulate, plan, and implement new program development initiatives in technical or operational disciplines.
4. Works with external and internal organizations, and individuals, to evaluate, develop, negotiate, and maintain partnerships and strategic relationships with Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration customers, other government agencies, academic institutions, and/or private industries.
5. Works to indentify upcoming strategic shifts of relevance to the institutional mission and seeks to position institutional resources for opportunities and actions needed to address future customer needs.
6. Serves as the Laboratory’s contractual agent, with authority to negotiate with the high-level external customer(s) and define work scope, schedules, budgets, and funding for programmatic work, priorities, and performance milestones.
7. Serves as the agent of the high-level external customer(s) within the Laboratory, with responsibility for negotiating and authorizing work and allocating resources.
8. Integrates significant, unique, and/or complex program work with other Laboratory priorities and commitments, including safety, security, environmental compliance, quality, contractor assurance, and business imperatives.
9. Applies broad knowledge and expertise to develop an execution/implementation plan that covers the programmatic work from conception to completion.
10. Uses independent judgment to define work breakdown structures to assign programmatic deliverables to projects, or develops other means to accomplish the work.
11. Interfaces and negotiates with line managers to accomplish programmatic work not assigned to projects.
12. Works closely with project and line management to ensure performance and monitor and track cost, schedule, and progress against milestones.
13. Uses independent judgment to identify potential portfolio risks, develop risk mitigation strategies, and recommend risk acceptance/avoidance for all aspects of the assigned program(s).
14. Establishes reporting and documentation requirements with the high-level external customer(s) and serves as the primary spokesperson to report status, manage expectations, and warn of upcoming issues to Laboratory senior managers and to the customer.
15. Maintains expert-level knowledge of the relevant technical discipline and understands and adheres to all Laboratory and regulatory guidance and governance specific to the programmatic work of assigned portfolio(s).
16. Fosters a mutually respectful work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment.

Job Knowledge

·          Expert-level knowledge of and consultative experience in all aspects of program management of technical or operational work, including defining program work scope, schedules, budgets, priorities, and performance milestones; developing cost, scope, and schedule baselines; reporting cost and schedule variance; and managing change control and risk.

·          Expert-level knowledge of the technical or operational discipline of the assigned portfolio(s).

·          Expert-level knowledge of regulatory and Laboratory requirements related to programmatic work of assigned portfolio(s). 

·          Consultative experience in developing and nurturing effective high-level external and internal customer relationships.

·          Consultative experience in interacting effectively with all levels of external and internal personnel; building trust, gaining consensus, and resolving conflicts.

·          Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.

Education

·          Position typically requires at a minimum a bachelor’s degree and at least twelve years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.  At this level, an advanced degree may be expected.

Direction

A. Supervision Received

·          Receives functional and operational direction from the program director or division leader.

B. Supervision Exercised

·          Coordinates the work of project managers and may coordinate the work of other program managers.

·          May supervise office staff in the absence of the program director. 

C. Contacts

·          Regular contact with high-level external customers to negotiate and define goals, deliverables, and resources.

·          Regular contact with all levels of Laboratory management and staff to manage program scope, schedule, and budget.

This description is not intended to be a complete statement of every aspect of the position, but rather to act as a guide to the essential functions to be performed. Assigned functions of this job may vary, and other duties and responsibilities may be assigned or changed at the discretion of management.