Program Manager III; STI​/R20 - NOAA

Description

INNOVIM seeks an experienced Program Manager III to provide programmatic and technical support to the National Weather Service’s Office of Science and Technology Integration (OSTI) Research‑to‑Operations (R2O) team. This mid‑level role is integral to accelerating the transition of research innovations into operational weather and water forecasting.

This position will be based in Silver Spring, MD with a hybrid telework schedule.

• Manage the William M. Lapenta Internship Program: facilitate security clearances, badging and high‑performance computing access; coordinate student activities and seminars; maintain the program’s Virtual Lab (VLab) pages and Smartsheet tracker; support application review and onboarding.
• Support the National SOO/DOH Program and broader R2O initiatives: organize and facilitate quarterly meetings, Pre‑AOP workshops and transition‑plan reviews; coordinate with Science and Operations Officers (SOOs), Development and Operations Hydrologists (DOHs) and regional Scientific Services Divisions to collect project milestones and ensure timely execution.
• Track milestones and deliverables: develop, maintain and report on program documentation and schedules using Smartsheet and other collaboration tools; monitor Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and R&D milestones, deliverables and metrics for the R2O portfolio.
• Prepare program status reports: assemble quad charts, quarterly program review (QPR) slide decks and other briefing materials to communicate progress, risks and resource needs to OSTI leadership and stakeholders.
• Facilitate meetings and communications: schedule and conduct regular teleconferences and annual reviews; record minutes, action items and risk mitigation steps; coordinate outreach and engagement with internal and external partners, including NOAA line offices, testbeds, academia and industry.
• Support budget execution: work with senior program managers to develop funding memos, formulate spend plans, monitor obligations and expenditures, and assist in proposal review and resource prioritization.
• Assist with research‑to‑operations transition: help prepare transition plan documentation, organize review meetings and track R2O projects through readiness levels, ensuring that science innovations meet operational requirements and service delivery evaluation (SDE) criteria.
• Provide general program support: respond to data calls and taskers, maintain R2O program documentation, and support OSTI leadership with ad‑hoc assignments.

• Provide mid‑level scientific and technical insight for evaluating research projects related to numerical weather prediction, subseasonal-to-seasonal forecasting, hydrology, air quality and other OSTI‑sponsored initiatives.
• Apply knowledge of NOAA’s Unified Forecast System (UFS), ensemble modeling and SDE to assess project feasibility and performance and to inform milestone planning.
• Collaborate with subject‑matter experts to ensure that research products are properly documented, verified and ready for transition to operations.

Education: Master’s degree in environmental science, atmospheric science, business administration, project management or a related field.

Experience: Minimum of 10 years of experience providing scientific, technical and programmatic support for research and development projects, preferably within NOAA, NWS or another federal environment. Experience managing internship or training programs is a plus.

Program management skills: Demonstrated ability to develop documentation, track milestones and budgets, manage multiple projects concurrently and coordinate cross‑disciplinary teams. Familiarity with Smartsheet, Google Workspace and Microsoft Office is required.

Technical knowledge: Background in numerical weather prediction, atmospheric sciences or systems engineering related to weather forecasting. Understanding of research‑to‑operations processes, including readiness levels and evaluation metrics, is desirable.

Communication: Excellent written and oral communication skills; able to prepare concise reports and briefing materials and to interact professionally with senior…