Project Manager in San Diego, California at San Diego State University Research Foundation

San Diego State University Research Foundation
Project Manager

US--

Job ID: 2026-20356
Type: Full-Time Contract
# of Openings: 1
Category: Research/Project
Prison Arts Collective

Overview

The salary range for this position is $6,666.67 - $7,916.67 per month depending upon qualifications and is non-negotiable.

Established in 1943, the mission of the SDSU Research Foundation (SDSURF) is to support the research objectives of San Diego State University by helping faculty and staff find, obtain, and administer funding for their research and sponsored programs. SDSU achieved its strategic plan goal of becoming an R1, premier public research university in early 2025 furthering discoveries, interventions, and solutions that improve communities and change the world. SDSURF provides the full life cycle of grants services to faculty and staff to further their important work.

Our vision is to foster a culture of creativity and collaboration with integrity and respect for individuals that results in the delivery of superior service to support the university’s strategic aspirations.

Our core values:

Service: We are a service organization that strives to provide superior support to the university community to achieve SDSU’s goals; we are committed to being professionally competent by setting high standards and working hard to achieve results; and we continually seeking to improve our skills and capabilities by valuing education and professional development.

Collaboration: We seek to actively engage with our stakeholders and employees to identify issues and design solutions, build strong relationships grounded in trust, openness, and inclusion and achieve the best results by taking pride in the accomplishments of our colleagues.

Innovation: We work towards inspired solutions to improve and adapt to emerging opportunities and challenges, creative ways to streamline and enhance our delivery of services through resourceful and proactive problem solving and strategic use of technology and reduction of obstacles.

Respect: We promote a culture where every individual is valued and treated with dignity, we honor open-mindedness toward different viewpoints and ideas and have a genuine appreciation for varied backgrounds, experiences, and ways of thinking.

Integrity: We are committed to act with the highest ethical standards, with honesty, integrity, and transparency, provide consistent and accurate information and value and respect all individuals.

The Institute for the Arts, Humanities, and Social Justice (IAHSJ) at San Diego State University is a collaboration of the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts and the College of Arts and Letters. The IAHSJ is an interdisciplinary hub for research, creative projects, and community engagement at the intersection of the arts, humanities, and social justice. The Institute seeks to interrupt systemic injustices in access to the arts and education through cultivating dialogue and collaboration among faculty, students, and partners with a goal of building bridges across the university and community.

Responsibilities

IAHSJ is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and mission-aligned Project Manager to support the coordination, implementation, and advancement of IAHSJ initiatives. This role works closely with the Founding Director and is responsible for the management of the Institute, including operations and strategic priorities across funded programs, including Prison Arts Collective (PAC), Valuing Incarcerated Scholars Through Academia (VISTA), and the Holistic Learning in Higher Education in Prisons (HLHEP) project, ensuring operations are effective, efficient, and in alignment with program and IAHSJ goals.

The Project Manager supports the coordination and implementation of IAHSJ operations by maintaining systems, tracking budgets and administrative requirements, and supporting onboarding processes and personnel tracking to ensure consistency and accountability. The Project Manager prioritizes oversight and coordination based on grant requirements and funding commitments to support timely, compliant, and well-resourced implementation. This role supervises program leads, part-time staff and interns, and IAHSJ communications. Working under the direction of the Founding Director, the Project Manager plays a central role in supporting program staff and ensuring that initiatives are organized, responsive, and positioned for continued growth.

Specific Duties:

Operations 30%

• Identify gaps in processes (e.g., onboarding, off-boarding, communication, reporting) or support structures within PAC and VISTA (and across IAHSJ) and communicate recommendations for improvement
• Implement recommendations by developing and maintaining systems, workflows, and documentation to improve organization and efficiency across IAHSJ initiatives
• Develop, implement, and maintain standardized documentation and systems across IAHSJ initiatives, ensuring consistency and holding program staff accountable to established practices
• Responsible for managing project including collaboration with SDSURF partners for financial projections and tracking and ensuring equity and accountability with staff across roles and positions
• Monitor financial activity and follow up with program leads to ensure spending aligns with grant requirements, timelines, and approved budgets
• Coordinate and monitor alignment between program needs, staffing, and available resources, ensuring programs are appropriately supported, proactively identifying gaps, and alerting the Founding Director
• Track and maintain required documentation, personnel appointments, and training compliance, ensuring materials are complete, up to date, and submitted on time
• Review and approve standard administrative and personnel documents as appropriate, providing clear updates and alerting the Founding Director to any issues in a timely manner
• Supervise the student assistants, interns, and part-time staff, including timesheet approval and training compliance
• Oversee the IAHSJ office, ensuring shared spaces are organized and administrative needs are supported
• Support alignment between program needs, staffing, and available resources in coordination with the Founding Director

Program Oversight 25%

• Coordinate program implementation across IAHSJ initiatives to ensure consistency in reporting, communication, and delivery
• Support development, refinement, and implementation of strategic plans across IAHSJ initiatives, ensuring programs are aligned with defined goals and held accountable to outcomes
• Oversee program performance within Prison Arts Collective (PAC) by monitoring implementation, reviewing progress, and supporting the Assistant Director in ensuring programs operate effectively and meet established goals
• Oversee program performance within VISTA initiatives by monitoring implementation, reviewing progress, and supporting the VISTA Coordinator in ensuring programs operate effectively and meet grant/SDSU/CDCR requirements and timelines
• Work with program leadership to address challenges, improve processes, and maintain progress toward program goals
• Monitor progress and follow up with program leads to ensure timelines, deliverables, and grant requirements are met

Leadership Development & Organizational Capacity 20%

• Supervise all staff and mentor leadership staff across all projects to provide effective mentoring, community building, and clear guidelines to their teams
• Provide mentorship and support to IAHSJ program leaders to strengthen organization, communication, and project management practices
• Support professional development across IAHSJ initiatives by cultivating a positive culture within the workspace and identifying and creating opportunities for growth and shared learning
• Reinforce clear roles, expectations, and communication practices across teams

Leadership & Coordination 10%

• Work closely with the Founding Director to support the implementation of IAHSJ priorities, goals, and ongoing initiatives
• Coordinate work across IAHSJ programs, with a special focus on PAC, VISTA, and Holistic Learning in Higher Education in Prisons, to ensure activities are organized, on track, and supported
• Track timelines, deliverables, and key milestones across IAHSJ initiatives and follow up as needed to maintain progress and provide a monthly and annual update to the Founding Director
• Support communication across teams to ensure information is shared clearly and consistently
• Maintain relationships with partners and stakeholders, supporting communication and follow-up in coordination with the Founding Director
• Represent IAHSJ, PAC, VISTA, or HLHEP in meetings as delegated

Communications & Development 10%

• Supervise the IAHSJ creative lead and communications team to support implementation of communications and development efforts
• Supervise the collection of program updates, stories, and materials from across initiatives to support documentation and reporting
• Ensure communications and development team program keep information organized and available for reports, grant communications, and public-facing materials
• Support consistency and accuracy in how IAHSJ programs are represented

Other Duties as Assigned 5%

Qualifications

Knowledge & Abilities

• Knowledge of program management and multi-site program coordination.
• Knowledge of staff supervision, team leadership, and organizational operations.
• Knowledge of budgeting and grant-funded program administration.
• Ability to translate strategic goals into operational systems and practices.
• Ability to supervise and mentor staff while fostering collaboration and accountability.
• Ability to coordinate work across teams, sites, and partner institutions.
• Ability to analyze program information to support decision-making and improvement.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with diverse partners and stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report and presentation preparation.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining strong organization and follow-through.

Education & Experience

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree and/or equivalent training and administrative work experience involving study, analysis, and/or evaluation leading to the development or improvement of administrative policies, procedures, practices, or programs.
• 5 years of progressively responsible experience performing varied or specialized administrative and analytical duties and/or service as a program administrator.

Preferred Qualification & Special Skills

• Proven leadership in nonprofit, higher education, public sector, or mission-driven organizations.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
• Advanced degree in arts administration, public administration, nonprofit management, education, or related field.
• Experience working within higher education or large institutional environments.
• Experience working in or in partnership with correctional institutions or justice-impacted communities.
• Experience with arts programming, arts education, or Arts in Corrections initiatives.
• Experience managing grant-funded programs and coordinating reporting requirements.
• Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams of staff, artists, students, or volunteers.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, access, and community-centered arts engagement.
• Candidates with lived experience of the criminal justice system will be strongly considered.

Additional Applicant Information

• Candidate must reside in California and live within a commutable distance from SDSU at time of hire.
• Job offer is contingent upon satisfactory clearance based on background check results (including a criminal record check).
• San Diego State University Research Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, SDSU Research Foundation provides equal opportunity in employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin or any other categories protected by federal or state law.
• Employment decisions are based on an individual’s qualifications as they relate to the job under consideration. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every employee has equal access to resources and support.
• SDSU Research Foundation complies with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), and other applicable state and federal anti-discrimination laws including grant or contract terms and conditions related to funded program activities. Further the SDSU Research Foundation maintains a Nondiscrimination Policy that prohibits discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all programs, policies, and practices.
• SDSU Research Foundation makes all employment decisions including, but not limited to, applicant screening, hiring, promotion, demotion, compensation, benefits, disciplinary actions, and terminations on the basis of merit.