NRT Project Coordinator, Mechanical Engineering

Historically, educational and research opportunities in biological control have been limited to ad hoc collaborations whose scale is insufficient to meet the growing workforce demand in biotechnology, manufacturing, robotics, systems engineering, data science, rehabilitation, bioremediation, agriculture, and sustainability. The NRT program includes faculty, staff, and graduate students from many departments across the university, including mechanical, biomedical, and electrical engineering; biology; physics; chemistry; bioinformatics; biochemistry; and computing and data sciences.

NRT Project Coordinator The NRT Project Coordinator will play a key role in advancing Boston University's National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT) Program, 'A Convergent Training Program on Biological Control.' This exciting interdisciplinary initiative brings together faculty, graduate students, and external partners to prepare the next generation of researchers in a rapidly growing field. This is an outstanding opportunity for someone who enjoys building programs, connecting people, and making a meaningful impact on graduate education and interdisciplinary research.

 

The successful candidate will be highly organized, collaborative, and community-oriented, with a passion for supporting student success and fostering an inclusive environment where graduate students can thrive. As a key member of the NRT leadership team, the Project Coordinator will work closely with faculty and staff leaders to promote community and collaboration among all program participants while supporting the continued growth of this innovative program.

 

Key Responsibilities:

 

• The Project Coordinator will: Manage the day-to-day operations of the NRT program, including graduate student trainee recruitment, admissions, retention, and progress tracking.
• Coordinate and provide operational support for summer boot camps, workshops, internship opportunities, and annual symposia.
• Organize meetings of representatives from participating graduate programs to coordinate recruitment, mentoring, and retention activities.
• Maintain the program's website and social media presence.
• Partner closely with the Project Evaluator to track trainee progress and faculty development.
• Work closely with the Project Director to prepare reports for the National Science Foundation, the Provost's Office, and other University administrative offices, as needed.
• Collaborate with staff supporting trainee professional development to foster a welcoming, inclusive community that prioritizes student growth, belonging, and self-efficacy.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with faculty, staff, students, and external partners across the University and beyond.

 

Successful Candidates Will Demonstrate:

 

• The successful candidate will excel at building relationships across the University, fostering an inclusive graduate student community, collaborating with internal and external partners, and using data to inform program decisions.

 

Candidates should possess:

 

• Strong interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills.
• A demonstrated ability to work effectively with a diverse graduate student population.
• Experience building and managing relationships with a broad range of stakeholders, including graduate trainees, principal investigators, program and University administrators, and industry, government, and nonprofit partners.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
•  The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively as part of a team.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to collect, interpret, and analyze data to support program planning, assessment, and decision-making.

 

Preferred Qualifications:

 

• Experience working with graduate students or young adults in higher education, research, or nonprofit settings. 
• Experience coordinating complex programs or projects involving multiple stakeholders is desirable.

 

More About the Program:

 

Biological control is an emerging discipline in which study of the engineering principles of feedback control merges with investigations of the diverse array of self-regulating systems in biology. Historically, educational and research opportunities in biological control have been limited to ad hoc collaborations whose scale is insufficient to meet the growing workforce demand in biotechnology, manufacturing, robotics, systems engineering, data science, rehabilitation, bioremediation, agriculture, and sustainability. As such, the NRT program creates an integrated training environment where faculty, trainees, and external partners collectively develop new approaches for describing feedback control methods uniquely found in biology. Researchers in the program will then use these constructs to create new engineered systems, new experimental approaches for gaining control of biological systems, and new teaching strategies for supporting this important discipline. The NRT program includes faculty, staff, and graduate students from many departments across the university, including mechanical, biomedical, and electrical engineering; biology; physics; chemistry; bioinformatics; biochemistry; and computing and data sciences.

Required Skills

Resume and cover letter required. Education: Bachelor's degree with 3+ years of related professional experience.

 

Required Experience