Senior Project Manager for Research, Partnerships - 138659

The Department of Political Science was founded in 1974 and currently has 41 faculty members and 11 adjunct faculty who represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds, methodologies, and approaches. Ours is a young department, and yet it has skyrocketed to prominence among political science departments in the United States. The most recent National Academy of Sciences study ranks us among the top ten graduate programs in political science in the country. The political science department conducts research and teaching in all subfields ofpolitical science.

The Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections at UC San Diego facilitates collaboration between researchers, election officials, and civic partners to strengthen democratic institutions through evidence-based election administration. The Senior Project Manager for Research, Partnerships, and Outreach serves as the primary lead for research project lifecycles and strategic dissemination.

The Senior Project Manager of Research, Partnerships and Outreach is responsible for the systematic management of multi-party research initiatives-defining project scopes, managing complex deliverables, and ensuring adherence to grant requirements and university compliance standards. This role requires a sophisticated understanding of the distinct communication frameworks utilized by researchers, election administrators, and journalists. The Senior Project Manager will translate complex research findings into accessible policy briefs, technical reports, and high-impact digital content tailored for a national audience of election administrators and policymakers.

Beyond project coordination, the Project Manager will steward cross-sector partnerships, negotiate timelines among diverse stakeholders, and facilitate high-level outreach to amplify the Center's data through national media and professional associations. This position requires an advanced ability to analyze organizational needs and deliver strategic communications that drive policy influence and institutional trust.

• Please submit a cover letter along with a resume for a complete application.

• Experience in research and disseminating research that supports the trust-building efforts of election officials around the country.

• Substantive knowledge of the elections field.

• Experience in developing proposals and recommendations to guide and support a broader strategic direction for the organization or initiative.

• Experience with planning events.

• Experience analyzing, researching and synthesizing large amounts of data for preparing sound and relevant proposals / analyses.

• Proven ability to manage complex projects involving multiple stakeholders.

• Knowledge of common organization- or research-specific and other computer application programs.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

• Ability to use discretion and maintain all confidentiality.

• Analytical / problem-solving skills. Collaborative, detail-oriented, and proactive.

• Ability to multi-task with demanding timeframes.

• Strong policy analysis techniques.

• Passion for strengthening democratic systems and improving the transparency and trustworthiness of elections.

PREFERRED:

• Experience in election administration at the local, county, or state level (preferably in the South, Southwest, Midwest, or Mountain West) or experience in managing research-practice partnerships is preferred.

• Background check required.

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Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace