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Position Function:

The Associate Director of Programs is a full-time position located at MSU Main Campus and reports to the Executive Director of ASSURE. This position provides leadership and direct oversight for ASSURE program and project management operations across the FAA Center of Excellence and ASSURE Global research portfolios. The position is responsible for establishing consistent project-management practices, coordinating portfolio execution, monitoring schedule, budget, deliverables, risk, and sponsor requirements, and ensuring all of the ASSURE projects are executed consistently across university and industry teams. The Associate Director of Programs supervises ASSURE program-management personnel and works closely with the Associate Director of Research, other ASSURE leadership, university investigators, sponsors, and MSU administrative units. The position translates technical scope and sponsor requirements into executable project plans while maintaining clear accountability for project performance, documentation, communication, and follow-through. The position does not replace the technical authority of the Associate Director of Research, but partners with that role to ensure technically sound work is planned, managed, documented, and delivered successfully.

Salary Grade:  18

Please see Staff Compensation Structure or Skilled Crafts and Service Maintenance Compensation Schedule for salary ranges.  For salary grade UC, these positions are "Unclassified" and salary ranges are determined by the hiring department.

Department Profile:

Alliance for System Safety of UAS through Research Excellence is comprised of 29 of the world’s leading research institutions and more than a hundred leading industry and government partners. ASSURE members are core to four FAA UAS test sites, lead four FAA research centers, and have a multitude of UAS ranging from small drones below 55 pounds to the largest UAS at any US academic institution at 1800 pounds. This alliance features expertise across a broad spectrum of research areas, including: Air traffic control interoperability, UAS airport ground operations, control and communications, detect and avoid, human factors, UAS noise reduction, UAS wake signatures, unmanned aircraft pilot training and certification, low altitude operations safety, spectrum management and UAS traffic management. ASSURE possesses the expertise, experience, and influence that the FAA Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems demands.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Provides direct leadership and supervision of the ASSURE program and project management team and establishes consistent expectations, processes, tools, and reporting across the research portfolio.
2.Oversees program management of ASSURE Center of Excellence and ASSURE Global projects, including project initiation, schedules, milestones, budgets, deliverables, risk, closeout, and sponsor requirements.
3.Serves as the primary ASSURE leadership point for project execution, portfolio status, workload coordination, and escalation of schedule, budget, staffing, or performance concerns to the Executive Director.
4. Works in close coordination with the Associate Director of Research to translate approved technical scope, research requirements, teaming decisions, and sponsor expectations into executable project plans.
5.Coordinates with project managers, principal investigators, university teams, industry partners, and sponsors to maintain project schedules, resolve execution issues, and ensure timely completion of required deliverables.
6.Develops and maintains standardized project-management procedures, templates, dashboards, review processes, and performance measures to provide consistent execution across ASSURE projects.
7. Monitors project budgets and expenditures in coordination with ASSURE business operations personnel and appropriate MSU administrative units; identifies potential funding, schedule, or resource issues and coordinates corrective action.
8. Coordinates proposal and award-transition activities with ASSURE leadership, project managers, research personnel, and MSU units to ensure new work is appropriately scoped, budgeted, staffed, initiated, and tracked.
9. Maintains portfolio-level awareness of project status and provides clear, routine reporting to the Executive Director and other ASSURE leadership on performance, risks, upcoming decisions, and required actions.
10. Supports sponsor and stakeholder engagement related to project execution and represents ASSURE in project-management, programmatic, and portfolio discussions as assigned.
11. Mentors and develops program-management staff, establishes appropriate delegation and accountability, and promotes effective communication and collaboration across the organization.
12. Works with ASSURE leadership to identify staffing and resource needs and recommends improvements to organizational processes and project-management capacity.
13. Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Management, Business, Sciences or Aviation-related field.

Experience: Seven years of experience in aviation; engineering; program management; research; or test or evaluation of unmanned aircraft or applicable systems.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Management, Business, Sciences or Aviation-related field.
• Ten years related experience with aviation; systems design; engineering; program management; research and development; or test or evaluation of unmanned aircraft or applicable systems.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of both theoretical and practical aspects of project and program management.
• Knowledge of project-management techniques, tools, portfolio controls, scheduling, budgeting, risk management, and performance reporting.
• Direct work experience in project management; particularly aviation, research, and government-sponsored projects.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple complex projects simultaneously and meeting sponsor-driven deadlines.
• Experience managing and leading project teams across departments, organizations, universities, or partner institutions.
• Experience in strategic and tactical project planning, workload prioritization, delegation, and organizational follow-through.
• Experience in risk assessment, mitigation, management, and escalation.
• Ability to develop and implement standardized processes while adapting to differing project and sponsor requirements.
• Ability to synthesize technical, financial, schedule, and programmatic information and communicate project status clearly to leadership, sponsors, and project teams.
• Knowledge of applicable FAA regulations and guidance pertaining to the operation and integration of UAS in the national airspace system.
• Knowledge of the UAS industry and research environment, including universities, manufacturers, suppliers, service providers, integrators, and government stakeholders.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office, project-management software, computer networking and programs, and computer-based systems.
  Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated leadership skills in mentoring, motivating, and holding employees and project teams accountable for performance.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• Work is primarily performed in a typical interior/office work environment, with occasional work at training or partner locations.
• Work may involve externally imposed deadlines, frequent shifts in priority, and occasional after-hours support associated with scheduled training activities
• No unusual physical requirements; occasional travel and handling of routine training equipment or materials may be required.

Instructions for Applying:

Link to apply:  http://explore.msujobs.msstate.edu/

Apply online by submitting a cover letter, resume, and a copy of your transcript(s). Any social security numbers included on requested transcripts should be redacted prior to submitting online.

Restricted Clause:

Position is contingent upon continued availability of funding.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Mississippi State University is an equal opportunity institution. Discrimination is prohibited in university employment, programs or activities based on race, color, ethnicity, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, genetic information, status as a U.S. veteran, or any other status to the extent protected by applicable law. Questions about equal opportunity programs or compliance should be directed to the Office of Civil Rights Compliance, 231 Famous Maroon Band Street, P.O. 6044, Mississippi State, MS 39762, (662) 325-5839.

What do I do if I need an accommodation?

In compliance with the ADA Amendments Act (ADA), if you have a disability and would like to request an accommodation in order to apply for a position with Mississippi State University, please contact the Department of Human Resources Management at tel: (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding this policy, contact the Department of Human Resources Management at (662) 325-3713 or ada@hrm.msstate.edu. Upon request, sections of this job listing are available in large print, and readers are available to assist the visually impaired.