General Summary of the Position:
UMass Lowell is leading a community planning project to strengthen the local STEM ecosystem for girls and women in Lowell. In partnership with Lowell High School, Greater Lowell Technical High School, and the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell, the planning period will build a shared understanding of barriers to girls’ math readiness and STEM persistence; gather local input through listening sessions, focus groups, and surveys; co-design a pilot pathway that couples math skill development with engaging STEM experiences; and develop a full proposal for a larger community STEM grant.
The Project Coordinator is responsible for day-to-day coordination of the planning grant, including scheduling and logistics, partner communication, documentation, and draft deliverable development. The Coordinator will help keep the work on-track across multiple partners and workstreams, support ethical and organized data-collection processes, and ensure timely preparation of planning outputs (e.g., meeting notes, draft pilot framework, draft evaluation/metrics framework, and proposal components).
Duties include:
1. Project Coordination & Governance Support
- Maintain the overall project plan and timeline for the grant planning period; track tasks, owners, and deadlines.
- Coordinate governance and accountability structures (meeting cadence, agendas, decision logs, roles/responsibilities).
- Prepare and circulate agendas, pre-reads, and follow-ups; capture action items and ensure timely completion.
- Maintain organized shared drives/folders and version control for key documents, drafts, and data instruments.
2. Convenings, Workshops, and Community Engagement Logistics
- Plan and coordinate up to four convenings (workshops, focus groups, or mini-retreats) including scheduling, room setup, materials, and accessibility needs.
- Coordinate participant logistics across partners (20-25 participants per convening), including calendars, reminders, sign-in processes, and feedback collection.
- Support recruitment and coordination for listening sessions and focus groups with girls, families, educators, and youth staff (in collaboration with partners).
- Support culturally responsive and multilingual engagement logistics (e.g., interpretation/translation coordination as available).
3. Data Discovery & Evaluation Coordination
- Coordinate with the data collection and analysis consultant/graduate research assistant to support survey and focus group implementation.
- Support partner data coordination and basic data governance workflows (e.g., secure storage, de-identification practices, disaggregated reporting needs).
- Compile inputs and draft summaries to support two feedback sessions reviewing findings with partners.
- Assist in building a shared metrics framework (diagnostics, confidence measures, participation indicators) aligned to planning goals.
4. Proposal & Pilot Framework Development Support
- Support development of a ready-to-launch pilot framework that aligns evidence-based student success practices with school and community contexts.
- Draft and/or coordinate inputs for proposal components (narrative sections, work plan, roles, improvement cycle, and reporting routines).
- Coordinate partner review cycles and consolidate edits; maintain up-to-date working drafts and templates.
- Support preparation of presentation materials for internal and partner-facing reviews.
5. Communications, Administrative, and General Grant Support
- Serve as a point of contact for scheduling and routine communications with partner representatives and internal stakeholders.
- Support procurement/ordering and tracking of approved supplies and materials within grant guidelines (in coordination with supervisor).
- Maintain documentation for participation, convenings, and project outputs; support end-of-grant reporting preparation.
- Perform other related duties as assigned consistent with the scope of the planning grant.
Minimum Qualifications (Required):
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree required; degree in education, public policy, social sciences, STEM, business, or related field preferred.
Experience:
- 2+ years of relevant experience coordinating projects or programs in higher education, K-12, youth development, community-based organizations, or a related setting.
- Experience working with cross-sector partners and coordinating meetings, events, and deliverables across multiple stakeholders.
- Experience supporting community-engaged work with attention to equity, culturally responsive practice, and accessibility.
Skills:
- Strong project management skills: planning, prioritization, documentation, follow-through, and deadline management.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate complex information into clear agendas, notes, and draft materials.
- Ability to manage sensitive information with discretion and maintain organized records and secure files.
- Comfort working with data collection logistics (e.g., surveys, focus group scheduling, basic data hygiene) and coordinating with evaluation staff/consultants.
- Proficiency with collaboration and productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams/Outlook/Office; shared drives; spreadsheet and presentation software).
Additional Considerations: (If applicable)
- Master’s degree preferred.
- Bilingual/multilingual ability (spoken and/or written) preferred; experience coordinating interpretation/translation is a plus.
- Experience with survey tools (e.g., Qualtrics) and/or qualitative data collection support preferred.
- Knowledge of STEM pathway programs, math readiness interventions, mentoring models, or student success practices is a plus.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Initial review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. However, the position may close when an adequate number of qualified applicants is received.
This is a part-time, temporary, non-unit, non-benefited position anticipated until May 2026. Position has the option to be extended annually until 2029, pending successful first term evaluation.
Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. Names and contact information of three references will be required during the application process.
