Project Manager, Construction Industry Institute in Cockrell School of Engineering

As a top-10 engineering school with the No. 1 program in Texas, the Cockrell School of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin has been a global leader in technology innovation and engineering education for over a century. With 11 undergraduate and 13 graduate programs, over 20 research centers and a faculty community that boasts one of the highest number of National Academy of Engineering members among U.S. universities, Texas Engineering has launched some of the nation’s most accomplished leaders and pioneered world-changing solutions in virtually every industry, from space exploration to energy to health care. Situated in the heart of Austin — named “America’s Coolest City” by Expedia and “The Best Place to Live in the U.S.” by U.S. News and World Report — the Cockrell School embodies the city’s innovative spirit. Major companies with Austin campuses, such as Dell, National Instruments, Apple, IBM, Samsung, Google and many others, continue to recruit Cockrell School students at a remarkable rate, launching thousands of successful careers and developing Texas Engineers into industry leaders.

The Construction Industry Institute (CII) is a leading research unit at the University of Texas at Austin. For over 40 years, CII has brought together academics and industry volunteers from its 100+ member organizations to improve the management of capital projects through applied research that drives innovation and excellence in the construction industry. UT Austin provides outstanding employee benefits and total rewards packages that include:

• Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)

• Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options

• Generous paid vacation, sick time, and holidays

• Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 7.75% employer matching funds

• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)

• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses

• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities

• Tuition assistance

• An expansive employee discount program, including athletic tickets

• Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card

• Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card

Purpose

The CII Research Project Manager will coordinate the research portfolio, manage project information and reporting systems, and support multiple research initiatives. The position will collaborate with leading academic and industry professionals, use Power BI and Salesforce to develop dashboards and reports, and translate data into actionable insights. This role supports high-impact research that is presented at CII events, published for industry use, and applied to improve construction practices worldwide.

Responsibilities

Research Portfolio Management

• Serve as the primary resource for information related to CII’s research portfolio, including project status, schedules, activities, participation, and outcomes

• Manage portfolio-level research activities, records, systems, and reporting to support planning and organizational decision-making

• Maintain the master research calendar, coordinating research team activities, committee meetings, project milestones, deliverables, and related events

• Design, develop, and maintain dashboards using Power BI or similar business intelligence tools to provide visibility into research projects, portfolio activity, and member engagement

• Administer research data within Salesforce and other designated systems, including research team records, idea repositories, team rosters, attendance, project information, and related documentation

• Develop and maintain research workflows, process documentation, and RACI matrices to define roles, responsibilities, approvals, and project requirements

• Coordinate the preparation, publication, and distribution of research information through CII webpages, wikis, email communications, eblasts, and other communication channels

• Manage the research ideation process used to identify and evaluate future research and development topics, including surveys, workshops, planning meetings, and member engagement activities

Research Team Management

• Manage and monitor research team activities throughout the project lifecycle, including project initiation, progress tracking, deliverable review, presentation preparation, and project closeout

• Track research objectives, milestones, deliverables, risks, issues, and action items, and provide status information to appropriate stakeholders

• Manage the annual Request for Qualifications process, including solicitation, submission tracking, evaluation coordination, selection documentation, and applicant communications

• Manage the annual Request for Nominations process, including member outreach, nomination tracking, deadline coordination, documentation, and reporting

• Coordinate research team kickoff meetings and related launch activities in collaboration with CII events staff and research leadership

• Maintain research team records, project documentation, meeting materials, and decision histories

Research Committee Support

• Coordinate the operational activities of the Research Committee in consultation with committee leadership and the Director of Research

• Plan and organize Research Committee meetings, including schedules, agendas, presentation materials, supporting documentation, and meeting logistics

• Prepare draft slides, agendas, reports, briefing materials, and other documents for committee review and use

• Document committee decisions, directives, action items, and follow-up requirements

• Coordinate implementation of Research Committee decisions across the research portfolio and individual research projects

• Facilitate communication between the Research Committee, research teams, CII staff, academic partners, and other stakeholders

• Translate committee direction into operational plans, project activities, timelines, and deliverable requirements

Budget Management

• Coordinate development and administration of the research budget in collaboration with the Director of Research and CII Financial Services staff

• Prepare preliminary budget drafts, expenditure reports, cost projections, and other financial information based on current and anticipated research activities

• Maintain historical records of research project costs, expenditures, commitments, and funding activity

• Track and reconcile research expenditures against approved budgets and financial records

• Monitor anticipated project costs and provide financial information to support budget forecasting and planning

• Prepare routine and ad hoc budget reports for research leadership and CII Financial Services staff

Contract Oversight

• Coordinate the initiation, review, routing, execution, and completion of research-related contracts and agreements

• Serve as a liaison between research staff, academic partners, CII Financial Services staff, and other stakeholders during the contracting process

• Track contract documentation, approvals, deadlines, status, and outstanding actions

• Maintain contract records and communicate status updates to appropriate stakeholders

• Coordinate contract and payment activities in accordance with applicable CII and University of Texas policies and procedures

• Review contracting and payment processes and recommend improvements to research-related workflows

Academic and Research Program Support

• Coordinate with CII events and communications staff to support academic programs, research presentations, student poster sessions, and researcher-industry engagement activities

• Collect, organize, and provide research information needed for academic initiatives, meetings, publications, presentations, and events

• Coordinate communications with academic partners, researchers, committee members, and other stakeholders

• Manage the review and publication of academic and research content, including proofreading, formatting, routing, approval coordination, and publication

• Coordinate research team quality assurance and quality control activities, including progress updates, issue tracking, deliverable reviews, revisions, and approvals

• Track research deliverables and coordinate submission, review, revision, and completion requirements

• Coordinate research team rehearsals and presentation preparation in collaboration with CII event managers

• Support research lifecycle activities, including kickoff meetings, progress reviews, deliverable reviews, presentations, and project closeout

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field

• Five years of experience in project coordination, research administration, project management, or program management

• Demonstrated experience with data management, business intelligence, reporting, and financial tracking

• Proficiency in Power BI or a similar business intelligence tool for dashboard development and data visualization

• Strong working knowledge of Salesforce for data management and reporting

• Advanced Excel skills for data analysis and financial tracking

• Strong planning and organizational skills, with the ability to independently manage deadlines and multiple complex projects

• Exceptional attention to detail and a strong commitment to maintaining accurate, current data

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify and implement process improvements

• Service-oriented mindset with excellent communication skills and the ability to provide timely, accurate information to various stakeholders

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with budget management and financial reporting

• Background in construction, engineering, or a related technical field

• Experience working with academic researchers, industry professionals, or other volunteer stakeholders

Salary Range

$70,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• May work around standard office conditions

• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation

• Use of manual dexterity

Required Materials

• Resume/CV

• Letter of interest

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume in the first step of the online job application process. Then, any additional Required Materials will be uploaded in the My Experience section; you can multi-select the additional files or click the Upload button for each file. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find Jobs. Before you apply, though, log in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left-hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will need to click the Upload button multiple times in order to attach your Resume, References and any additional Required Materials noted above.