Project Manager, Federal Programs

About the Department

Continuing and Professional Education (CPE) at George Mason University serves as the university’s central hub for workforce development, executive education, and applied professional learning. CPE partners with federal agencies, industry, and academic units across Mason to design and deliver high-impact training programs that strengthen the region’s talent pipeline.

CPE supports strategic university initiatives by offering flexible, mission-aligned programs—including short courses, certificate programs, customized federal training, and large-scale workforce skilling efforts—that advance organizational performance and address emerging national security, defense, and technology needs. As part of GMU’s research and innovation ecosystem, CPE collaborates closely with Mason Defense, academic colleges, and research centers to ensure programs are responsive, experiential, and aligned with federal workforce priorities.

CPE also supports George Mason University’s efforts to expand and deliver impactful defense and national security programs through applied research, federal partnerships, workforce development, and strategic initiatives. The department collaborates closely with academic units, research centers, and federal agencies to advance mission-critical national security objectives.

About the Position

The Project Manager (Federal Contracts) supports federal, defense, and national-security-aligned programs within George Mason University’s Mason Defense initiative within CPE.

This role oversees the planning, coordination, and delivery of federal contract–funded programs, ensuring regulatory compliance, high-quality program execution, and alignment with Mason’s mission to advance workforce readiness and national security education.

Responsibilities

Project Leadership and Execution

• Leads end-to-end delivery of federal and defense-aligned programs operated through Mason Defense and CPE;
• Develops, manages, and tracks program schedules, milestones, and deliverables; and
• Coordinates with internal GMU units, faculty, partner organizations, government stakeholders, and subcontractors.

Contract and Compliance Management

• Ensures adherence to FAR, DFARS, and agency-specific federal acquisition regulations;
• Manages contract deliverables, reporting, documentation, audits, and compliance protocols; and
• Partners with GMU’s Office of Sponsored Programs and other internal compliance teams as needed.

Financial and Budget Oversight

• Tracks budgets, expenditures, invoices, and financial forecasts for defense-funded programs; and
• Supports cost proposals, budget modifications, and pricing for new or expanding contract efforts.

Stakeholder Communication

• Serves as a primary liaison between government sponsors, GMU leadership, and program teams;
• Provides executive-level updates, briefings, and performance summaries; and
• Communicates program status across Mason Defense, CPE, and university partners.

Team and Vendor Coordination

• Supports staffing, onboarding, and resource allocation for program personnel;
• Oversees subcontractor work to ensure quality and compliance; and
• Facilitates coordination with faculty, instructional designers, and subject-matter experts for training-based programs.

Other duties as assigned from time to time

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Project Management, Public Administration, Engineering, IT, or related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Generally, 5+ years of project management experience, including typically 3+ years supporting federal or defense government programs;
• Experience delivering programs under FFP, T&M, or Cost-Plus contracts;
• Strong knowledge of FAR/DFARS and federal procurement regulations;
• Excellent organizational, communication, and documentation capabilities;
• Proficiency in tools such as MS Project, SharePoint, Smartsheet, or Jira;
• U.S. citizenship required; and
• Active Clearance Level or the ability to maintain a US security clearance is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field;
• PMP, CAPM, Agile/Scrum, or DoD program management certification;
• Experience supporting defense-focused entities (DoD, DHS, IC, DoN, Army, Air Force);
• Experience with federal workforce development, training programs, or university-based contract management; and
• Familiarity with Earned Value Management (EVM).

Instructions to Applicants

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Project Manager, Federal Programs at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.