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 mid-level internal and/or 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 moderately large and/or complex programs impacting multiple organizations and may formulate, plan, and implement new program development initiatives in technical or operational disciplines.
4. Without considerable direction, works with internal and/or external organizations 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. Without considerable direction, 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 mid-level internal and/or 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 mid-level internal and/or external customer(s) within the Laboratory, with responsibility for negotiating and authorizing work and allocating resources.
8. Integrates complex program work with other Laboratory priorities and commitments, including safety, security, environmental compliance, quality, contractor assurance, and business imperatives.
9. Applies advanced knowledge and experience to develop an execution/implementation plan that covers the programmatic work from conception to completion.
10. Exerts significant latitude in defining work breakdown structures to assign programmatic deliverables to projects, or develops other means to accomplish the work.
11. Without considerable direction, interfaces and negotiates with line managers to accomplish programmatic work not assigned to projects.
12. Without considerable direction, works closely with project and line management to ensure performance and monitor and track cost, schedule, and progress against milestones.
13. Exerts significant latitude in identifying potential portfolio risks, developing risk mitigation strategies, and recommending risk acceptance/avoidance for all aspects of the assigned program(s).
14. Without considerable direction, establishes reporting and documentation requirements with the mid-level internal and/or 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 advanced 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

·          Advanced knowledge of and successfully demonstrated 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.

·          Advanced knowledge of the technical or operational discipline of the assigned portfolio(s).

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

·          Successfully demonstrated experience in developing and nurturing effective internal and/or external customer relationships.

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

·          Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.

Education

·          Position typically requires a bachelor’s degree and eight years of related management experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.  At this level, post graduate course work may be desirable.

Direction

A. Supervision Received

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

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 internal and/or 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.