Project Manager

The Water Institute is looking for a Project Manager to plan, lead, and shepherd projects from conception to completion with an anticipated start date of January 2027. The project manager will ensure projects are performed on time, within budget and meet the objectives and scope. The project manager will act as the main link between researchers, clients, Institute senior executives, and other stakeholders.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Serves as Project Manager for projects selected in coordination with the Project Management Office Manager and Research Directors.
• Manages projects to ensure project activities will accomplish project objectives and scope while seeking efficiencies and synergies.
• Develops project management plans after soliciting requirements from clients and validating them with project teams.
• Leads and manages scope definition processes and ensures approval by project sponsors and key stakeholders.
• Leads management and development of the project work breakdown structure, budget and schedule.
• Initiates and leads project meetings and issues correspondence to ensure project work proceeds in accordance with the relevant agreement/contract and required scope.
• Works with Grants and Contracts department to procure subconsultant / subrecipient services, evaluates subcontractor services, and tracks sub deliverables against SOW.
• Recommends and/or coordinates changes with clients and partners as required.
• Performs overall quality control by reviewing scope, schedule and project team coordination.
• Monitors client and partner satisfaction.
• Takes a collaborative approach to advancing the project by routinely soliciting feedback from the team and fostering internal discussion and prioritizing team decisions over individual decisions.
• Regularly reviews project costs and trajectory to identify cost variances, elevates any variances to leadership, and participates in regular project review meetings to discuss variances.
• Has a clear understanding of invoicing requirements, promptly completes monitoring reports and invoices, following up with clients as necessary to ensure prompt payment.
• Achieves full acceptance of deliverables by ensuring project deliverables and work meet the requirements.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, or related field
• Five years of experience in project-based work, related to water resources, planning, or coastal scientific, engineering or socio-environmental fields
• Excellent problem-solving skills, ability to see complex projects and break them down into smaller, more easily managed components
• Excellent writing skills, ability to clearly define requirements in a manner that is easily understood by staff and stakeholders
• Strong oral communication skills for discussing highly technical concepts to diverse audiences (including oral presentations at project meetings and scientific conferences; discussions at stakeholder meetings)
• Ability to work harmoniously with a collaborative research team is crucial
• Ability to work independently, and self-motivated

Desired Qualifications:

• Two years’ experience in project management in water resources, planning, or coastal scientific, engineering, or socio-environmental fields
• Experience working for or with Louisiana state agencies
• Experience with integrated models, developing master plans, coastal ecology, or other applied research are considered a plus
• Project Management Professional certification or Certified Associate in Project Management or ability to obtain one of these certifications within two years
• Ability to Identify or assist with acquisition of funding from public, private, and federal sources
• Field work experience in estuaries

Successful candidates will desire to continue expanding their knowledge and skills, be results-driven and self-motivated, and are capable of effective cross-disciplinary collaboration in a demanding, fast-paced environment. Responsibilities will reflect career stage and previous experience. Workload will vary from week to week, and candidates will be flexible, willing to occasionally work evenings, and travel for meetings and conferences.

The Water Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

We are headquartered in Baton Rouge and the position will be located in Louisiana at our main office in Baton Rouge.

The hiring pay for the position starts at $83,000 per year and a final determination is based on the skills, education, and/or experience of the successful candidate. We believe in the importance of pay equity and consider the internal equity of our current staff as part of any final offer. We also offer a generous benefits package for full-time exempt positions.

Unique Benefits of a Water Institute Career

• Growth opportunity: We are always learning and developing new research methodologies and working with partners to solve problems. You will have the opportunity to engage in growing and leading research with ample opportunities to take ownership and flourish.
• Flexibility: We understand that our team members have different needs and do our best to work with their schedules and provide benefits and resources to meet these needs.
• Inclusive environment: We are committed to building an inclusive environment where all teammates feel comfortable and supported.
• Fun! We love to keep things fun, both within our work and at company-wide events.
• Work life balance: We are respectful of people’s boundaries and support that through Institute values so that our team has time to recharge and do their best work within the mission of the organization.
• The Water Institute Values: Scientific Integrity, Excellence, Transdisciplinary Collaboration, Accountability, Diversity, Work/Life Balance, Respect, Impact