Program Manager, CREST - Vanderbilt University

The Program Manager for the Coalition Responsible for Equitable Skills Training (CREST) works in the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt University’s Innovation Center, supporting a grant that focuses on workforce development. The CREST award fulfills a core mission to connect diverse adults seeking upward economic mobility through STEM skills training via a unique, cross-sector collaboration. Under the direction of the Wond’ry’s Director of Entrepreneurship, the Program Manager is responsible for managing the day-to-day activities such as recruitment, networking, resources, and programming for CREST fellows and industry partners. The ideal candidate embodies a demonstrated commitment to, and interest in, innovation, education, inclusive recruitment, and workforce development, and will have a strong acumen in teaching and education and comfort and experience managing diverse teams. The candidate must have the ability to coordinate across multiple sectors using unique methods and will possess the fortitude to explore and implement novel outreach programs to communities historically excluded from participation in the innovation economy. The ideal candidate will also understand the design thinking process and Lean Launch methodology, and will use this knowledge to ensure the Wond’ry and workforce development programming educates both trainees and innovators on how to utilize these processes to learn and master their new skills in innovative settings, and also uses these methodologies internally as part of a continuous improvement process to ensure the needs of participants are being met. The Program Manager will play a key collaborative role working with the Director of Entrepreneurship to design program strategy and content while ensuring implementation leads to meaningful and measurable outcomes for all involved.



This is a grant-funded position. This pilot program is funded by the National Science Foundation Experiential Learning for Emerging and Novel Technologies (ExLENT) Program with a two-year performance period. Funding is available through September 30, 2025.



The Wond’ry is the University’s center for innovation and design. We are an outwardly facing, customer service-oriented unit that serves the entire Vanderbilt community of faculty, staff, and students from all colleges and schools, while also working to build up the innovation ecosystem in Nashville and beyond. We provide a variety of programming, resources, and funding opportunities to help our constituents express and test their ideas, to develop design and systems thinking skills and an innovation mindset, as well as facilitate interdisciplinary and immersive learning experiences. Because we assist with the development of innovations and collaborations across all disciplines, we look for dynamic, self-starting, curious individuals with a variety of background experiences they can leverage to help people along their innovation journey.



The Coalition Responsible for Equitable Skills Training (CREST) project pilots a scalable model

for equitable workforce development and shared economic prosperity for deployment across the State of Tennessee, the Mid-South region of the US, and beyond. CREST is spearheaded by an organized, collaborative, cross-sector coalition that represents the three, customarily siloed, key ecosystem elements (“triumvirate aspects”) required to generate a robust workforce across any region: the community, the industry, and the education distributors. CREST is systematically designed to organize these siloed ecosystem elements into a system wherein the elements are empowered to intrinsically and synergistically support one another. The deployment of this scalable architecture for equitable workforce development is paramount to repair and resurrect US competitiveness on the global stage and secure America’s economic prowess and national security. CREST will drive the upward economic mobility of impoverished and underrepresented citizens, empowering them to tangibly contribute to the forthcoming innovation economy that is poised to rejuvenate US competitiveness worldwide.



The experiential learning opportunity piloted by CREST will build skills and competencies necessary for participants to pivot into nationally certified biotechnician careers that will support the emergent biomedical innovation ecosystem arising across Tennessee and the Mid-South. The actuality of a trained workforce of biotechnicians is the foundational aspect of a biomedical innovation ecosystem. The social, cultural, and macroeconomic benefits and reasons to launch and/or relocate life science firms and biotechnology jobs to Tennessee are compelling. The major shortcoming of this imminent region is the lack of available, trained biotechnicians sourced from the local and regional community. The Urban League of Middle Tennessee, the Tennessee Coalition for Health Science and BioSTEM, and the Tennessee Board of Regents, each representing one of these triumvirate aspects, have assembled under the leadership of Vanderbilt University to pilot this novel model for equitable workforce development. The first implementation of the CREST apparatus will be towards the development of a robust biotechnician workforce of the future in Tennessee. CREST will pilot and distribute, both state and region-wide, the CREST Biotechnician Bootcamp to train, certify, and transform inclusive cohorts of community participants into a nationally certified biotechnician workforce in 90 days. The industrial element of CREST has such a tremendous need for a well-established STEM workforce that they are willing to fund fellowships and programs that provide a sustained supply of STEM-trained personnel. CREST will leverage this consistent source of demand by delivering the required supply – diverse, STEM-trained personnel - thus generating a positive feedback loop of prosperity and abundance.



Duties and Responsibilities







+ Lead and coordinate the communications network between all Principal Partners and their respective Program Coordinators.



+ Assist with the recruitment, hiring, training, and management of instructors, mentors, and student interns.



+ Develop and oversee the application and interview processes for aspiring CREST fellows while implementing pre- and post-assessment procedures for formative program evaluation, reporting, and public dissemination.



+ Provide daily fiduciary responsibilities under the oversight of the Director of Entrepreneurship and assigned grants manager to ensure the work remains within budget and that funds are being spent responsibly in support of the Wond’ry’s mission and in accordance with government financial agreements.



+ Support partnerships established by CREST, the Principal Partners, and the Wond’ry, and seek out partnership opportunities with innovation and industry resources both on and off campus.



+ Ensure that CREST activities are aligned with the mission of both the Wond’ry and Vanderbilt University.



+ Collaborate with University partners to optimize operations of the pilot program, receiving project management guidance; prepare training for Bootcamp sessions; ensure activities align with the exemplary, participant-centered culture of the Wond’ry; and entrepreneurial and biomedical innovation activities and goals align with the activities and goals of workforce development programs.



+ Review and deploy relevant biodesign, biotech, and life science training programs as inspiration and use these to formulate an approach for the CREST biotechnician bootcamp program.



+ Co-develop and co-design a robust curriculum guide, training and instruction manual, and an instructor training protocol for adaptation into a registered apprenticeship and/or for-credit programs that exist at their community and technical colleges.



+ Co-develop and co-design inclusive CREST Biotechnician Bootcamp Fellowship application and develop effective outreach materials to attract community members to apply for the program.



+ Ensure content is developed, uploaded, and shared with program participants in a timely manner using the course management platform. Review participant assignments and offer office hours as needed to assist the instructors.



+ Work to maintain up-to-date records of participants and capture the achievements of program alums to measure outcomes.



+ Outline and oversee events to supplement core programming.



+ Assist in the identification of grant opportunities that could support core Wond’ry areas and related initiatives.



+ Provide assistance to other team members and work on other projects on an as-needed basis.





Supervisory Relationships

This position supervises project groups and student interns as assigned, by providing clear performance expectations and regular feedback. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of Entrepreneurship.



Qualifications









+ A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is required.



+ A Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education is strongly preferred.



+ Five years of direct or translatable experience in the education of STEM-related concepts is strongly preferred.



+ Experience as a program manager, program coordinator, and/or developing programs in collaboration with entities outside of the principal work unit is strongly preferred.



+ Experience in managing teams of more than 5 personnel is strongly preferred.



+ Excellent interpersonal skills with an ability to interact fluidly with the many different individuals and organizations that will contact and work with CREST and the Wond’ry.



+ Experience navigating university policies and procedures.



+ Proficient in office software tools (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Airtable, MailChimp), and other software tools for communication, analysis, and office operations.



+ Experience with design thinking and Lean Launch methodology is strongly preferred.



+ Flexible with job expectations, schedule, and general uncertainty in an office that is on the cutting edge of innovation.



+ Positive, energetic, “can-do,” proactive entrepreneurial attitude with a passion for innovation and creativity.





Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education.


Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.


Please note, all candidates selected for an offer of employment are subject to pre-employment background checks, which may include but are not limited to, based on the role for which they have been selected: criminal history, education verification, social media review, motor vehicle records, credit history, and professional license verification.






Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.