Senior Technical Program Manager, FEWS NET (Part-Time)

Join AIR as a Part-Time Senior Technical Program Manager on the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) Data, Learning and Communications Hub ('the Hub') project and use your experience and knowledge to help us deliver on our mission: to generate and use rigorous evidence that contributes to a better, more equitable world for all. The Senior Technical Program Manager will play an integral role in delivering on some of the most meaningful projects in communities across the United States and the world. You'll collaborate with our teams of motivated and passionate visionaries, where your input will be valued and your contributions vital to our success.

The Department of State (DoS)-funded FEWS NET project produces evidence-based food security analyses that inform U.S. Government decision-making at global, regional, and country levels. The impact of these analyses depends not only on technical quality, but on how effectively they are translated, communicated, and embedded into decision-making processes across the Department of State and related stakeholder communities.

The FEWS NET Hub is looking for a Senior Technical Program Manager who will provide day-to-day and strategic project management and leadership for FEWS NET's core technology platforms, including the FEWS NET data platform, public website, helpdesk, and learning systems, managing the overall cohesion and synergy of all technology platforms and ensuring alignment. Following guidance and priorities set by the Hub Director, they will manage and implement enhanced functionality of the FEWS NET Data Warehouse and other associated FEWS NET data management systems that may be created.

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of ourU.S. office locations.This does not include U.S. territories.

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

• Lead Agile project management across multiple, interrelated technology workstreams, serving as Scrum Master for multiple development teams.
• Plan, facilitate, and document all Agile ceremonies, including stand-ups, sprint planning, sprint demos, and retrospectives.
• Administer and govern Jira and Confluence environments, including project configuration, workflows, dashboards, reporting, and service desk operations.
• Manage and maintain the backlog of work for the technology platforms
• Coordinate work across multiple platform teams using a "Scrum of Scrums" or technical leads-level scrum to ensure alignment of priorities, dependencies, and delivery timelines.
• Develop and maintain integrated quarterly and annual work plans across platforms, aligning deliverables with task orders, budgets, and client priorities.
• Serve as the primary coordination bridge between technical teams, program leadership, and clients, translating requirements into actionable plans and communicating progress, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Lead preparation of client-facing deliverables, including quarterly and annual progress reports, sprint demos, and strategic planning materials.
• Oversee helpdesk operations and service-level performance, ensuring timely intake, prioritization, and resolution of requests.
• Support strategic planning and roadmap development for FEWS NET technology platforms, facilitating discussions on future capabilities, technical debt, and platform integration.
• Identify and proactively manage project risks, dependencies, and resource constraints across teams and platforms.
• Foster a collaborative, transparent, and inclusive working environment for globally distributed teams.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Master's degree with 6 years of relevant experience, or Bachelor's degree with 8 years of relevant experience.

Technical Skills

• Demonstrated experience managing complex software or data platform projects using Agile/Scrum methodologies.
• Proven ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams or platforms, including cross-team dependency management and integrated planning.
• Strong Jira and Confluence administration experience, including workflow design, reporting, dashboards, and service desk configuration.
• Experience running full Agile delivery cycles, from backlog development through sprint execution, demos, and retrospectives.
• Ability to operate at both project and program levels, balancing near-term delivery with longer-term strategic alignment.
• Excellent communication skills, with experience producing client-facing reports and facilitating stakeholder meetings.
• Experience working with distributed, multidisciplinary teams (software engineers, data scientists, GIS specialists, UX/design, and operations).
• Strong organizational skills, with the ability to prioritize work, manage competing demands, and maintain delivery momentum in resource-constrained environments.
• Familiarity with data platforms, web applications, and modern software development practices (CI/CD, cloud hosting, APIs) sufficient to engage credibly with technical teams.
• Experience working on donor-funded or government-funded projects, including alignment to task orders, reporting requirements, and stakeholder governance structures.
• Ability to lead with diplomacy and clarity, fostering alignment across teams while respecting existing workstream ownership.

Disclosures:Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE:If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at tboone@air.orgor call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer:AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an "@air.org" domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out torecruitment@air.org. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) atReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

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