Project Manager in Dayton, Ohio at University of Dayton

Project Managers: Are you ready to lead on the cutting edge of systems engineering and digital transformation? Join us to drive high-impact projects that will push your skills, expand your expertise, and fuel innovation across the Air Force and industry. If you're looking to make a real difference, this is the role for you.

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Project Manager to support a diverse range of systems engineering, digital materiel management, and applied research projects for government and commercial clients. The ideal candidate will not only manage complex projects from inception through completion, but will also bring a working understanding of technical concepts to effectively monitor performance, identify emerging risks, and escalate issues with clarity and urgency. This role requires a highly proactive individual who excels at maintaining momentum—driving accountability across teams, persistently following up on action items, and ensuring projects remain on schedule and aligned to commitments.

Additionally, the ideal candidate will demonstrate strong financial acumen, with the ability to actively manage and forecast project budgets, analyze cost performance, and embed themselves in the financial health of each project. A background in contracting, subcontracting, flow down of terms, and their effects on project deliverables is desired. This role will require close collaboration with cross-functional teams, stakeholders, and clients to align technical solutions with strategic and financial goals.

The Mid-Level (P2) role focuses on growing responsibility and execution excellence, while the Senior-Level (P3) position emphasizes leadership, financial ownership, and oversight of larger, more complex initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:
• Lead project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and execution for a variety of technical projects.
• Maintain relentless focus on schedule adherence by actively tracking tasks, following up with owners, and driving timely completion of deliverables.
• Apply sufficient technical understanding to monitor project performance, recognize risks or anomalies, and escalate issues effectively to technical leads and stakeholders.
• Ensure adherence to project scope, schedule, and budget through proactive risk management, issue tracking, and resolution.
• Collaborate with technical teams, stakeholders, and clients to ensure project alignment with technical, strategic, and financial objectives.
• Own project financials, including budget tracking, forecasting, variance analysis, and cost control.
• Manage project documentation, including schedules, risk management plans, financial reports, and status updates.
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships, acting as the primary point of contact for program-related issues.
• Monitor project progress and implement corrective actions to address variances from the plan across scope, schedule, and cost.
• Foster a collaborative environment and mentor junior team members (for Senior-Level P3).
• Contribute to business development efforts, including proposals and project bids (more emphasized in P3).

Key Competencies:
• Project Execution Discipline: Demonstrated ability to drive projects forward through persistent follow-up, accountability, and schedule management.
• Technical Acumen: Working knowledge of technical environments sufficient to understand project risks, ask the right questions, and escalate issues appropriately.
• Financial Management: Strong capability in managing project budgets, forecasting, and understanding cost drivers and financial performance.
• Communication: Clear and concise communication with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Client Management: Ability to establish and maintain client relationships and deliver high-value results.
• Leadership: Proven track record of managing teams, mentoring staff, and leading cross-functional efforts.
• Problem-Solving: Strong analytical skills to address program challenges and adapt to evolving client needs.

Minimum qualifications for P2 classification:
• Bachelor’s degree.
• 5 years of relevant experience in program or project management, preferably within a technical or engineering environment.
• Ability to manage the full project lifecycle, from initiation through delivery and closeout.
• Ability to actively manage project schedules, drive task completion, and maintain accountability across teams.
• Working familiarity with technical project environments sufficient to monitor execution and escalate issues effectively.
• Excellent communication and leadership skills, with the ability to interface effectively with clients, technical teams, and stakeholders.
• Proficiency in project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or similar).
• Experience with risk management, change management, and issue resolution.
• Ability managing project budgets, including forecasting, variance analysis, and financial reporting.
• Due to the requirements of our research contracts with the U.S. federal government, candidates for this position must be a U.S. citizen

P3 classification must meet these additional minimum qualifications:
• 8+ years of relevant experience in program or project management, preferably within a technical or engineering environment.
• Experience leading large-scale, complex technical programs

While not everyone may possess all of the preferred qualifications, the ideal candidate will bring many of the following:

• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification or equivalent is strongly preferred.
• Advanced degree in a contracting or business management.
• Experience managing government contracts or working with government clients.
• Experience drafting, negotiating, and managing subcontracts with commercial partners, including statements of work.
• Familiarity with the lifecycle of government contracts, including proposal development, contract negotiation, and performance management.
• Familiarity with digital materiel management practices, tools, and processes.

To apply please submit a cover letter addressing each minimum qualification and any applicable preferred qualifications that you meet.

Informed by its Catholic and Marianist mission, the University is committed to the dignity of every human being. Informed by this commitment, we seek to increase diversity in all of its forms, achieve fair outcomes, and model inclusion across our campus community. The University is committed to policies of affirmative action designed to increase the employment opportunities of individuals with disabilities and protected veterans in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973.