シニア・プロジェクト管理・スペシャリスト
Manage and coordinate externally funded research projects, including budget, reporting, and stakeholder communication, supporting the principal investigator.
The position
JST Moonshot Research and Development Program (Goal 6) and other externally funded research projects are seeking a Senior Project Management Specialist to support the research PI (Associate Professor Takahashi).
OIST's graduate education and research program is an interdisciplinary program aimed at conducting cutting-edge research in science and technology, including life sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics. Currently, over 90 research units conduct research in eight fields: physics, chemistry, neuroscience, marine science, environmental and ecological science, mathematical and computational science, engineering and applied science, and molecular, cell, and developmental biology.
About OIST
The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University was established in 2011 to contribute to the development of science and technology worldwide and to serve as a hub of innovation in Okinawa. OIST is a dynamic new graduate university of science and technology in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan which offers a 5-year PhD program and brings together outstanding researchers from across the country and across disciplines to conduct cutting-edge scientific research.
The university is located on 85 hectares of protected forestland overlooking a beautiful shoreline and coral reefs. The campus is striking architecturally, and the facilities are outstanding. To facilitate multidisciplinary research, there are no academic departments. Outstanding resources and equipment are provided and managed to encourage easy access and collaboration.
English is the official language of the University, and the university research community is fully international, with more than 50 countries represented. OIST is rapidly gaining recognition in the worldwide academic community as a model for excellence in education and research, and our unwavering commitment to scientific and technological innovation is dedicated to generating progress that will fuel Okinawa's economic growth.
Responsibilities
This position autonomously manages project operations including liaison with research funding agencies (e.g., JST), and leads coordination among multiple universities, research institutions, PIs, and administrative departments. The role is expected to be a core member supporting the smooth execution and dissemination of research project outcomes.
1. Project management and liaison with research funding agencies
- Proactively oversee administrative and operational tasks related to externally funded research projects.
- Serve as the primary contact with research funding agencies, organizing requests, prioritizing, communicating with stakeholders, and managing deadlines.
- Ensure compliance with project implementation regulations, guidelines, and reporting schedules.
2. Budget management and expenditure tracking
- Coordinate with relevant departments to manage and track project budget execution.
- Organize and monitor budget allocation and usage across participating institutions.
- Identify budget risks and issues, and propose improvements to the project manager.
3. Planning and reporting
- Lead the preparation and coordination of various documents required by research funding agencies (implementation plans and revisions, annual/interim reports, final reports and related materials).
- Compile information from PIs and participating institutions, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and deadline compliance.
4. Stakeholder coordination
- Lead coordination among PIs, researchers, and administrative departments of multiple universities and research institutions.
- Plan and manage project meetings (agenda setting, material preparation, minutes, follow-up).
- Arrange separate meetings as needed among researchers, administrative staff, and funding agency representatives.
- Manage overall project schedule and promote information sharing.
5. Output dissemination and public relations
- Lead external dissemination of research results in line with funding agency policies.
- Plan and manage the bilingual (Japanese/English) project website.
- Coordinate press releases and public relations with internal and external departments.
6. Other general administrative support for project operations
Requirements
Required qualifications
- Experience in research project management and related administrative work at a university, research institution, or research support organization.
- Practical experience in budget management, planning, and report writing.
- Ability to independently judge and execute complex tasks.
- High-level coordination, negotiation, and communication skills.
- Ability to work in Japanese and English.
Preferred qualifications
- Experience with competitive funding programs such as JST, JSPS, NEDO.
- Experience managing large-scale research projects involving multiple institutions.
- Experience in research output dissemination, website management, public relations, and press relations.
- Experience working in an international research environment.
Desired personal attributes
- Able to autonomously lead project operations without detailed instructions.
- Can strategically organize and prioritize responses to research funding agencies.
- Can smoothly facilitate coordination among diverse stakeholders.
- Views public dissemination of results as an important element of research projects.
- Respects the research field while acting from an overall optimization perspective.
Benefits
- Relocation allowance, housing allowance, commuting allowance
- Annual paid leave, summer leave
- Social insurance (private school mutual aid, employment insurance, workers' accident compensation insurance)
- Child Development Center
- Schooling information
- Japanese/English language classes
- Resource Center (support for life in Okinawa)
- Remote work system
Additional Info
Employment term
Full-time, fixed-term employment for 2 years including a 6-month probation period. Renewable based on performance evaluation, work attitude, and the university's financial and other circumstances. Renewable until the Moonshot project ends, up to a maximum of 5 years. Work location may be negotiable for the Tokyo office in some cases.
Working hours
Scheduled working hours: 9:00 - 17:30. Break: 12:00 - 13:00. Flextime system (core time 10:00 - 15:00). Actual working hours: 7.5 hours per day × monthly working days.
Holidays and leave
Holidays: Saturdays, Sundays, national holidays, year-end and New Year holidays (December 29 - January 3). Leave: Annual paid leave, summer leave, sick leave, special leave.
Report to
Associate Professor Yuki Takahashi
Application documents
- Cover letter (Japanese and English)
- Resume and work history (Japanese and English)
How to apply
Send application documents to: HIROKI.TAKAHASHI[at]OIST.JP (replace [at] with @)
Declaration
- OIST adopts positive action (affirmative action) and respects diversity among faculty, students, and staff.
- Application documents will be treated as confidential in accordance with the OIST Privacy Policy and will not be returned. Registered personal information will be used only for recruitment selection purposes.
- Recruiter: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
- Passive smoking prevention measures: Smoking prohibited indoors
- Please check the Concurrent Appointment Rules for the university's policy on concurrent employment.
- For details, please refer to the university's website.