Program Manager

Job No: 503914
Work Type: Staff Full Time (1500 hours or greater)
Location: Dayton, OH
Category: Research Institute Staff
Department: Materials PM/Admin Office - 250501
Pay Grade: P2/P3 - Exempt
Advertised: September 30, 2026
Applications close: October 13, 2026

Where Program Leadership Meets Cutting-Edge R&D. UDRI is a national leader in scientific and engineering research, serving government, industry and nonprofit customers. This is a full-time benefit eligible position.

The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Program Manager or Senior Program Manager to support Department of Defense (DoD), U.S. Air Force (USAF), and industry-sponsored research and development (R&D) programs within the Materials Sector.

This position will manage the programmatic execution of assigned projects and programs supporting the development and transition of advanced materials, processes, technologies, and capabilities. The Program Manager will work closely with customers, principal investigators (PIs), technical leads, financial analysts, business operations staff, subcontractors, Contracts and Grants personnel, and sector leadership to ensure successful project execution.

The selected candidate will manage assigned projects throughout the project lifecycle. Responsibilities include management of cost, schedule, scope, performance, risk, change, quality, resources, forecasts, contractual deliverables, and stakeholder communication.

The successful candidate will be an execution-focused professional who demonstrates initiative, ownership, sound judgment, attention to detail, and strong follow-through. The individual must be able to identify execution issues, coordinate across multiple stakeholders, develop practical solutions, and drive actions to completion in a fast-paced research and development environment.

This position may be filled at the Program Manager (P2) or Senior Program Manager (P3) level based on the selected candidate's education, directly related experience, demonstrated program management proficiency, and ability to independently manage complex projects and programs.

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of three years of directly related program or project management experience.
• Experience supporting the planning, execution, monitoring, and coordination of projects or programs.
• Experience monitoring project cost, schedule, scope, performance, risk, and deliverables.
• Experience developing or maintaining, or contributing to project schedules, budgets, forecasts, resource plans, risk registers, or other project management documentation.
• Experience coordinating activities across multiple functional areas or stakeholder groups.
• Ability to identify issues, organize competing priorities, follow actions through completion, and elevate issues when appropriate.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate project information to internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
• Formal project management educations, training, or certification
• Due to the requirements of U.S. Government contracts, candidates for this position must be U.S. citizens and must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance.

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of three years of directly related program or project management experience.
• Experience supporting the planning, execution, monitoring, and coordination of projects or programs.
• Experience monitoring project cost, schedule, scope, performance, risk, and deliverables.
• Experience developing or maintaining, or contributing to project schedules, budgets, forecasts, resource plans, risk registers, or other project management documentation.
• Experience coordinating activities across multiple functional areas or stakeholder groups.
• Ability to identify issues, organize competing priorities, follow actions through completion, and elevate issues when appropriate.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate project information to internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Project.
• Formal project management educations, training, or certification
• Due to the requirements of U.S. Government contracts, candidates for this position must be U.S. citizens and must be…