Director of (Flight) Projects

Job Summary

The Director of (Flight) Projects leads all operations of the LASP Project Office, driving the successful execution of large flight projects and other major projects from award through delivery. This senior leadership role is responsible for establishing the project office framework, standardizing methodologies for execution and reporting, supporting the principal investigators and project managers, reporting progress to the LASP Director, executive and senior leadership teams, and ensuring each project advances LASP's strategic science goals. The Director of Projects may also actively manage projects. The Director reports to the Senior Director for Technology and partners closely with the Director of Strategy to deliver mission-critical programs that meet technical, schedule, and cost commitments. This role requires an onsite presence of at least 4 days per week.

Who We Are

The Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) is one of the largest research institutes of CU Boulder, the #1 public university recipient of NASA research grants, and one of America's leading aerospace universities. With a focus on solar, stellar, space plasma, atmospheric, and planetary sciences, LASP employs both experimental and theoretical approaches to answer key science questions. Since its inception in 1948, LASP has developed, operated, and analyzed the data from scientific instrumentation for solar science, earth atmospheric, planetary, deep-space, and Earth-orbiting spacecraft missions investigating the Sun, all eight planets, Pluto and beyond.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead and direct the full operations of the LASP Project Office, including insight, support, and reporting to LASP leadership for major mission and instrument efforts and oversight of the SmallSat Program and other multi-project programs
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of project managers supporting multiple concurrent flight projects
• Identify high-potential technical leaders and create structured development pathways to build project management depth and succession across the lab
• Establish a lab-wide community of practice that supports project management professionals at all career stages, spanning both dedicated project managers and science and technical staff leading projects

Project Standards

• Steer the full project portfolio, from early concept through mission operations, ensuring LASP's flight projects and programs are executed with technical rigor, schedule discipline, and cost accountability for sponsors
• Define organizational authority structures, accountability frameworks, and decision-making for project leadership across the lab, including the roles and responsibilities of principal investigators (PIs) and project managers (PMs)
• Design, implement, and continuously improve project management standards and methodologies.
• Define and implement internal project kickoff and oversight and reporting processes to ensure consistency and accountability across all projects
• Ensure compliance with contractual obligations and export control requirements, and maintain accountability for project schedules
• Implement scalable performance measurement approaches (e.g. Earned Value Management) across programs and ensure compliance with customer and contractual reporting requirements
• Establish organizational mechanisms for project risk management, support/oversight, and intervention/problem solving with project and technical managers

Oversight

• Serve as the primary point of escalation for program risks, issues, and changes, and oversee corrective actions/planning
• Report project status, milestones, and the full project portfolio to the Senior Director for Technology and lab leadership

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with the Director of Strategy on proposal formulation, translating LASP mission concepts into competitive flight project proposals
• Facilitate partnership between Finance & Operations and project managers to ensure project managers have sufficient training and resources for budgeting and contract management
• Work closely with the LASP Finance team to develop and incorporate proactive financial management and associated tools to allow for a consistent and clear picture of project financial health

* Other duties as assigned.