Edtech.com's Summary

The Pennsylvania State University is hiring an Engineering Project Manager to manage projects within the Electro-Optics and Electronics Division at its Applied Research Laboratory. The role involves financial tracking, reporting, vendor management, stakeholder engagement, and ensuring compliance with government contracts and sponsor requirements, while supporting technical project execution across multiple disciplines.

Highlights

Develop and manage technical and financial status reports and track labor and costs.
Assemble and submit reports per sponsor guidelines, analyze costs and schedules, and manage project risks.
Track deliverables and maintain project schedules to ensure timely completion.
Coordinate vendor activities including statements of work, RFQs, purchase orders, and delivery schedules.
Organize and facilitate project meetings and serve as a primary contact for principal investigators and stakeholders.
Use Microsoft Office, Microsoft Project, and Visio proficiently.
Hold or work towards Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Demonstrate knowledge of government contracts, funding appropriations, and reporting requirements.
Possess eligibility for Secret level security clearance or higher and willingness to undergo background checks.
Salary range: $86,300 to $145,700 with comprehensive benefits including a 75% tuition discount.

Engineering Project Manager Full Description

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

CURRENT PENN STATE EMPLOYEE (faculty, staff, technical service, or student), please login to Workday to complete the internal application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.
If you are NOT a current employee or student, please click "Apply" and complete the application process for external applicants.

Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Electro-Optics and Electronics (EOE) Division of the Materials, Manufacturing, and Sustainment Office (MMSO) at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State University is seeking a highly motivated and self-starting Engineering Project Manager to support a broad range of projects encompassing multiple technical disciplines and scopes. Our mission is to transition new electro-optics technologies and applications to Navy-selected focus platforms. Since 1999, the Electro-Optics Center has proudly served as the Office of Naval Research's (ONR) Manufacturing Technology Center of Excellence for Electro-Optics.

You Will:

Financial tracking and reporting: Develop and manage technical and financial status reports, as well as technical data package documentation for internal and external stakeholders; set priorities and recommend changes as needed; assist with detailed labor and cost tracking, including mid-month and end-of-project financial updates, and generate custom reports for external presentations
Reporting and compliance: Assemble and submit regular reporting materials in accordance with sponsor guidelines, including quarterly reports, quad charts, trip reports, and project plan templates; analyze program costs, schedules, and milestones to assess risk and manage changes to program deliverables; this includes regular reporting to ARL project leadership and external collaborators, including government sponsors, and requires the application of independent thinking and advanced problem-solving skills
Track and manage project deliverables: Develop and maintain deliverable tracking charts/schedules, ensuring compliance with sponsor guidelines and timely updates
Vendor and supply chain management: Coordinate vendor activities, including SOWs, RFQs, POs, and delivery schedules, ensuring alignment with project timelines and requirements
Meeting facilitation: Organize and facilitate project meetings, including agenda creation, meeting minutes, and follow-up actions
Stakeholder engagement: Serve as a primary point of contact for Principal Investigators (PIs) and external stakeholders, assisting with day-to-day requests and ensuring deliverables are met on time

Additional responsibilities for higher-level position includes:

Utilize project management strategies for implementing project requirements; collaborate with investigators to develop, execute, and update the project plan; monitor and facilitate technical project execution, milestones, and deliverables
Facilitate communication between sponsors, investigators, resource managers, project engineers, and technical tradesmen; manage and track project schedule, resources, deliverables, and milestones; monitor technical project execution to ensure timely and quality deliverables
Manage stakeholder project and product needs; coordinate with investigators to manage and adhere to sponsor requirements
Facilitate task/project budgets, work breakdowns, rough order estimates, task prioritization, and integration plans with investigators and program managers; coordinate with investigators and financial teams to create project budget baseline; establish and update the project budget
Provide relevant project data including cost and hours input to financial teams to create estimates; review project costs on a regular basis to ensure accuracy in preparation for project close out
Collaborate with financial and property inventory teams to review fabrication costs; ensure correct classification, work breakdowns, and coding in preparation for project close out

Required Skills/Experience:

Microsoft Office applications including Microsoft Project and Visio
Fundamental project management concepts and their application to real-world projects
Financial tracking and reporting, including labor planning and cost analysis
Government contracts, including contract types, funding appropriations, and reporting requirements
Strong organizational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
Success in an office environment where strong communication and organizational skills are essential for effectiveness
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
FFRDC, UARC, or other government laboratories
Managing vendor relationships and supply chain activities
Extensive experience with government contracts, including contract types, funding
For higher level positions: requires the application of independent thinking and advanced problem-solving skills
Current eligibility for access to classified information at the Secret level or higher, and willingness to undergo a government background investigation to upgrade clearance eligibility, if required

This is a hybrid on-site/work from home, project-dependent ability for hybrid work located in Freeport, PA. Questions related to flexible work should be directed to the hiring manager during the interview process.

MINIMUM EDUCATION, WORK EXPERIENCE & REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONSIf filled as Engineering Project Manager - Senior Professional, this position

requires:Bachelor's Degree6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience acceptedRequired Certifications:NoneIf filled as Engineering Project Manager - Advanced Professional, this position requires:Bachelor's Degree3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience acceptedRequired Certifications:None

ARL's purpose is to research and develop innovative solutions to challenging scientific, engineering, and technology problems in support of the Navy, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Intel Community (IC).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION on ARL, visit our web site at www.arl.psu.edu.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES
Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

All positions at ARL require candidates to possess the ability to obtain a government security clearance; you will be notified during the interview process if this position is subject to a government background investigation. You must be a U.S. citizen to apply. Employment with the ARL will require successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen.

SALARY & BENEFITS
The salary range for this position, including all possible grades, is $86,300.00 - $145,700.00.**THE PROPOSED SALARY RANGE MAY BE IMPACTED BY GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENTIAL**

Salary Structure - Information on Penn State's salary structure

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time. One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children. For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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Original Job Description