Description

HOW TO APPLY

Applications must be submitted via email to careers@flinn.org. Applicants should submit (1) a resume and (2) a cover letter explaining their interest in and alignment with the position. The cover letter should include a current email address and phone number.

ROLE OVERVIEW

Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap is the nation’s longest-running statewide bioscience strategic plan, commissioned by the Flinn Foundation in 2002. The current edition, released in 2025, includes new goals and strategies for Arizona to become a nationally recognized, rising bioscience leader. The Foundation coordinates Roadmap implementation, staffs its Steering Committee of Arizona bioscience leaders, and monitors progress against metrics.

The Project Manager, Arizona’s Bioscience Roadmap, is the operational lead for these activities: planning meetings of the Steering Committee and supporting its members, facilitating working groups, managing logistics for aligned Foundation programs, and informing strategic decisions with data.

Operational and analytical capacity is essential to this role; the Project Manager should also have knowledge of how science and technology ecosystems function.

The Project Manager works as part of the Foundation’s four-person bioscience staff team and routinely interacts with leaders from organizations across Arizona involved in Roadmap implementation.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES

• Plan and execute activities of the Roadmap Steering Committee and its five project teams, including agenda development, communications, and meeting-materials production.
• Track Steering Committee membership and participation, conduct new-member orientations, and provide ongoing support.
• With colleagues, coordinate logistics for the Foundation’s annual public Roadmap Progress Report, risk capital conference, and other bioscience convenings.
• Capture and analyze information on metrics relevant to Roadmap progress; lead project outcome assessments and make process improvements.
• Build a working knowledge of the Foundation’s bioscience grantmaking and developments across the sector to advance Roadmap implementation.
• Contribute to other Foundation bioscience initiatives as needed, including grantee communications, analysis of grant progress and program outcomes, and reporting to the Foundation’s board of directors.
• Contribute to Foundation-wide initiatives, planning, and special projects, undertake other tasks as assigned, and contribute to a collegial shared responsibility for fostering excellence at the Foundation.
• Foster the mission and values of the Flinn Foundation, including a commitment to inclusive excellence across internal practices, engagement with the community, and philanthropic activities.
• Pursue professional development in areas of professional relevance and responsibility.

Requirements

REQUIRED

• Skill in facilitating work among external stakeholders, ideally including support to a governance body such as a steering committee, advisory board, or board of directors.
• Sound independent judgment: setting priorities among competing demands, moving work forward without close direction, and identifying and fixing inadequate processes.
• Fluency with tools for managing and analyzing data (e.g., Salesforce, Excel, and dashboard tools such as Power BI), and for tracking projects and shared work (e.g., Trello, SharePoint).
• Clear speaking and writing, including the ability to tailor messages to different audiences, synthesize evidence into actionable recommendations, and edit for accuracy and tone.
• Discretion with confidential information and the ability to work productively with colleagues and constituencies across sectors.

PREFERRED

• Formal project-management training or certification (e.g., PMP, CAPM), or equivalent applied experience.
• Working familiarity with research universities, private companies, health systems, government agencies, and other organizations in the bioscience ecosystem.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five or more years managing multi-organization projects, programs, or events that involve senior stakeholders, including workplan development, selection and tracking of success metrics, and meeting design.
• Experience in higher education, health care, economic development, government, or grantmaking organizations preferred.

PHYSICAL AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• This position typically works at least four days per week in the Flinn Foundation office.
• Occasional travel statewide during and outside normal work hours, with rare overnight stays.
• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer, and prolonged periods of standing and walking.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds at times.
• Valid U.S. driver license.
• Current auto insurance on personal vehicles.