Special Projects Manager, Scientific Operations

The American Heart Association (AHA), established in 1924, has a longstanding history of leading advancements in cardiovascular health and continuing its mission to combat and reduce the impact of cardiovascular diseases across the nation. Over nearly a century, the AHA has been instrumental in cutting cardiovascular disease deaths in half and remains committed to overcoming the biggest health challenges of today through innovative science, community initiatives, and education. As a leading health organization, AHA fosters a collaborative environment where passionate individuals can contribute to meaningful progress and help ensure a healthier future for all populations regardless of race, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, or other diverse attributes.

The American Heart Association is currently offering an exceptional opportunity for a Special Projects Manager within its Scientific Operations division, specifically supporting The Periodic Table of Food Initiative (PTFI). This initiative is part of the Sustainable Food Systems portfolio at the AHA, a pioneering effort aimed at transforming global food systems into measurable drivers of human and planetary health. The role is full-time, grant-funded, and eligible for benefits, with funding currently valid for one year from the start date. The position may be home-based, offering flexible work arrangements to accommodate the candidate's needs.

In this role, the Special Projects Manager acts as a key operational figure, supporting the scaling and coordination of the PTFI Global Lab Ecosystem. The PTFI is co-managed by the American Heart Association and focuses on building scientific infrastructure and tools to leverage multi-omics approaches to food composition analysis, enabling stakeholders in food production, agriculture, and health to develop data-driven solutions for healthier and more sustainable food systems worldwide. The manager will collaborate closely with the Senior Program Manager to engage a growing network of international laboratories participating in PTFI. This requires excellent organizational, communication, scientific, and management skills, with a capacity to translate complex scientific concepts into practical operational processes.

The ideal candidate possesses experience within multi-institutional research environments, preferably with a background in multi-omics, food science, nutrition, public health, food systems research, or data science. They must demonstrate a detail-oriented and systems-focused mindset, capable of coordinating activities across diverse teams distributed globally. Responsibilities include managing contracts and agreements, coordinating shipping and logistics for laboratory onboarding, and providing administrative and event support to ensure smooth project operations.

This role offers a competitive salary range of $60,000 to $67,000, commensurate with experience and inclusive of potential geographic adjustments. The American Heart Association provides a comprehensive total rewards package, underscoring its commitment to employee well-being and professional growth. Benefits include extensive healthcare plans, retirement programs with employer contributions, wellness and assistance programs, and opportunities for ongoing learning through Heart U, the Association’s corporate university. The AHA values work-life harmonization, offering paid time off, paid holidays, and tuition assistance programs to support career development. As part of a respected historic institution, this position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking scientific initiatives that impact global food systems and public health on a significant scale.