CDSI Project Manager

University of Minnesota Critical Disability Studies Initiative (CDSI) invites applications for the position of Project Manager.

The priority review deadline for application materials is December 15, 2025. This is an 80% benefits eligible appointment.

The Project Manager for the University of Minnesota Critical Disability Studies Initiative (CDSI) manages a three-year project funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to establish an intersectional and transnational critical disability studies curricular program at the University of Minnesota. The position serves as the administrative lead for CDSI, acting as the liaison between CDSI and its University partners, the Mellon Foundation, and the broader community.

It oversees cross-unit collaborations, implements annual programming, and manages budgets and reporting for the Mellon grant, as well as any additional external or internal grants.

The Project Manager reports to the Principal Investigator/Faculty Director (Dr. Jessica Horvath Williams) and works with the whole CDSI leadership team to develop a Critical Disability Studies program (UMN-CDS). The Project Manager will support the CDSI team in implementing faculty fellowships to develop cross-college critical disability studies courses, organizing and submitting materials for program status, and managing the timeline to complete a graduate certificate and an undergraduate major in CDS within the three-year grant period.

The position will collaborate with the Department of English and the Center for Race, Indigeneity, Disability, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (RIDGS) to meet the requirements for undergraduate and graduate programs, respectively, in accordance with UMN policies.

The Project Manager serves as a liaison between CDSI and the Twin Cities and Minnesota disability communities, working closely with the leadership team to create focus groups for curricular development, organize events in collaboration with community partners, and manage funding support as outlined in the UMN-CDS Mellon initiative. The person in this position will also work closely with the PI and leadership team to develop and implement CDS community-engaged research and scholarship, and to coordinate with regional disability studies scholars/programs.

With support from the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) and the English department, the Project Manager will oversee annual programming, including reading groups, guest speakers, symposia, and social events.

CDSI is housed primarily in the Department of English on the East Bank of the TC campus. The position will be hybrid. The Project Manager will have office space available in Pillsbury Hall; however, most work can be performed remotely, if preferred. Attendance at some in-person events and meetings will be necessary.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning (50%):

• Develop and deploy methods and processes for tracking deadlines, details, logs, communications, goals, tasks, and evaluations throughout the grant period.
• Co-facilitate project planning sessions with the leadership team to help develop the project scope, deliverables, and schedule.
• Assist with content development and submission processes for initiatives, programming, curriculum, research, teaching, and engagement, as well as tools for the group’s work.
• With the Faculty Director, UMN-CDS affiliates, and collaborators, implement the logistics for programming, exhibits, and oversee the evaluation of project activities.
• With the Faculty Director and Leadership Team, plan and implement ongoing and new programming, including the annual CDS lecture, research symposium, reading and writing groups, events, and specialized curricular opportunities.
• Serve as the primary liaison between key University partners, including but not limited to campus leadership/administration, the Department of English, the Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS), the Center for Race, Indigeneity, Disability (RIDGS), Gender, and Sexuality Studies (GWSS), and various disability-related groups or units across the UMN system.
• Cultivate, develop, and maintain research, curricular, and programmatic collaborative relations with constituencies including faculty, staff, students, and alumni.
• Draft and publish advisory board charter in collaboration with UMN-CDS faculty/affiliates.
• Develop and maintain relations with CDS constituencies across colleges and universities in the Midwest regarding research, curricular, and programmatic collaborative relations.
• Cultivate and maintain relationships with University leadership, development officers, and donors, and effectively share strategic plans, goals, and promising initiative.

Finance & Development (30%):

• Identify and monitor relevant university, governmental, and private foundations for funding opportunities that align with UMN-CDS research and curriculum interests.
• Co-write and submit grant proposals according to the identified funding opportunities, as deemed appropriate by the Principal Investigator and CDS affiliates.
• Assist…