Manager, Funding Process and Policy

About Us

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) is an independent nonprofit organization authorized by Congress in 2010. Its mission is to fund research that will provide patients, their caregivers and clinicians with the evidence-based information needed to make better-informed healthcare decisions. PCORI is committed to continually seeking input from a broad range of stakeholders to guide its work.

The Award Development & Implementation (ADI) unit is one of six functional units of the Program Operations division, which is one of four major divisions of the Patient-Centered Research Programs (PCRP) department. ADI provides end-to-end project management, coordination, resources, and outreach/communications for the successful development and implementation of PCORI funding opportunities across all PCRP divisions. The unit further provides leadership and coordination for the development, maintenance, and implementation of PCORI funding policies and processes, throughout the award lifecycle with respect to PCORI's national priorities and research agenda.

Position Summary

The Manager, Funding Cycle Process & Policy role in ADI is responsible for providing project leadership, project management, and operational coordination, as well as policy development and maintenance, for one of three major activities within the PCORI funding cycle across stakeholders throughout the PCRP department: Funding Cycle Planning (e.g., developing funding opportunities), Funding Cycle Preparation (e.g., developing PCORI Funding Announcements), and Funding Cycle Execution (e.g., funding approval processes across opportunities, cross-division award execution processes and policies). This individual job description includes responsibilities pertinent to the Funding Cycle Execution activity.

The Manager will work closely with the ADI Director, Associate Director, and other members of the ADI team to execute all assigned responsibilities within ADI functionalities, some of which will include leadership and coordination of activities across all levels of personnel within Program Operations and other PCRP divisions. These include the PCORI Executive Director, PCRP Deputy Executive Director, PCRP Chiefs, and other members of PCORI and PCRP leadership and staff, as well as external stakeholders.

The Manager will focus on strategic, cross-team collaboration to support unit-based, divisional, departmental, and organizational goals; develop, maintain, and improve efficient ADI business processes; and support business operations and monitoring and reporting efforts (e.g., visuals, reports, dashboards). The ideal candidate will be a self-starter, work well as part of or leading teams, and demonstrate technical proficiency working with a variety of tools. They should have superior written and verbal communication skills, strong interpersonal skills, strong analytic and organizational capacities, solid professional judgment, and a results-oriented, collaborative, and resourceful approach to their work.

Duties and Responsibilities

Funding Approval Process and Policy

• Holds primary responsibility for leading and coordinating approvals of funding following application solicitation and completion of review for all typical, novel, and/or ad hoc PCORI funding opportunities.
• Responsible for execution of Standing Selection Committee (SSC) (as a sub-component of the PCORI Board of Governors) review of funding recommendations, to include compliance with the SSC charter, internal and external collaboration and coordination, meeting management and materials preparation, documentation, reporting and process improvement.
• Responsible for supporting, stewarding, or advising on funding approvals that are below the threshold or otherwise conducted separately from SSC review.

Funding Cycle Execution Process and Policy Support

• In consultation with the Chief Officer, Program Operations and ADI Director/Associate Director, provide project management and/or support for process and policy documentation across the funding cycle execution overarching workstream, to include merit review, contract management, peer review, and award process management (note: this is a developing functionality and will mature over several funding cycles).
• In consultation and collaboration with the ADI Director/Associate Director and Chief Officer, Program Operations as needed, serve as project manager for receipt, review, decisions, and relevant communications for applicant appeals on PCORI review or funding decisions. This requires close collaboration across multiple Program Operations units and across all PCORI funding programs, and facilitation of policy refinement.

Unit Engagement

• Serve as an active member of the ADI unit team, participating in team meetings, supporting fellow team members in their workstreams as needed, identifying and acting upon potential synergies, and collaborating on team projects.

Other Responsibilities

• Contribute, as needed, to Program Operations and ADI best practice process implementation.
• Support cross-division communications and reporting efforts, such as newsletters, presentations, briefings to the leadership team, and stakeholder outreach.
• Provide data collection and analysis, as needed, for evaluation or other purposes.
• Develop or enhance proficiency with the Asana project management tool, as needed.
• Contribute to implementation planning, execution, and refinement of the PCORI AMS.
• As requested, serve as an ADI or Program Operations representative on PCORI committees or workgroups (e.g., Data Governance Council).
• Provide support to other members of the ADI unit as needed.

Incumbents in this position may be required to perform other duties and special assignments not specifically stated above.

Statements outlined in this section are designated as essential job functions in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Required Skills

• Strong project management skills, including superb organizational skills. Keen attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to think independently, to be proactive and responsive, to be flexible and to juggle multiple, competing priorities, and to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing and competing priorities and complex tasks. Tolerant of ambiguity.
• Proficiency in managing-up and keeping leadership on track regarding key timelines and/or deliverables, as needed.
• Collaborative team player orientation with the ability to develop and maintain cooperative relationships with colleagues across PCORI and other stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills; collegial, energetic, able to develop productive relationships with colleagues across PCORI, consultants, external stakeholders, and others.
• High level of maturity and professionalism; must interact effectively with staff at all levels.
• Strong work ethic with the highest personal and professional integrity, sense of accountability and good judgment.
• Excellent editing, oral and written communications skills. Communicates, both written and orally, on complex issues relating to projects to internal and external teams.
• Personal motivation to support PCORI's mission and goals; work independently and in teams to think imaginatively about opportunities; to create and respond to novel and innovative approaches to addressing an issue; to inspire others to work towards achieving team goals.
• Advanced experience in MS Office Suite, especially Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint. Proficient in project management and dashboard tools.

Required Experience

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree or a combination of education and requisite experience. A Master's degree is a plus but not required. At least 5 years of project management and/or analytical experience.
• Knowledge or background in public health, research or research funding and operations/ administration a plus.
• Experience handling and managing multiple projects and priorities effectively, including superior time management and organization.
• Experience working with and/or communicating with diverse organizations and individuals, with professional experience with specific stakeholder groups or in research contexts strongly preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Salary Range: $90,000 - $110,000

The above range represents the salary range expected for the position; however, final offers are based on several factors such as the position's responsibilities; the candidate's experience, education, and skills; location; travel required; and current market conditions.

Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect, eligible employees may participate in PCORI-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance plans for the employee and the employee's eligible dependents.

Conflict of Interest.

PCORI wants to ensure that prospective employees are aware of its conflict-of-interest policies so that employment deliberations take into consideration this aspect of PCORI employment. PCORI requires all PCORI employees to disclose upon commencement of their employment and on an annual basis all individual and close relatives financial, business, and personal association with the potential to bias or that have the appearance of biasing one's decisions relating to PCORI. All disclosures made by employees are made publicly available on PCORI's website. Disclosures must include all financial and business and personal associations with any health or healthcare-related organizations and include all associations with any other organizations that have the potential to bias or that have the appearance of biasing one's decisions relating to PCORI, including but not limited to vendors or other third parties with whom PCORI has a contract or that PCORI has funded. For more information please visit PCORI-Conflict-of-Interest-Policies-Outside-Employment-Policy.pdf

PCORI conducts reference and background checks on all applicants.

PCORI recommends all members of the PCORI workforce adhere to the CDC recommendations regarding staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccination.

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