Project Director
United States - Remote | Full-time | Contingent upon contract award
Job Description
Safal Partners is seeking a highly skilled leader to serve as Project Director and Principal Investigator on a large-scale federal initiative focused on AI readiness and workforce development. The ideal candidate brings federal program leadership experience at a national scale, demonstrated credibility as a convener across sectors and geographies, and the operational capacity to stand up a complex national hub coordination infrastructure across all 50 states and territories. The Project Director will guide internal teams, collaborate with external stakeholders, oversee the budget, and ensure all deliverables meet the highest standards of quality and timeliness.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Serve as Principal Investigator and the primary point of contact to the federal client and agency partners, managing the program relationship at the executive level
- Manage contract compliance, milestone accountability, and budget oversight
- Manage a multi-disciplinary team of technical leads, subject matter experts, and subcontractors spanning AI readiness and deployment, workforce development, and K-postsecondary education
- Oversee multiple program workstreams including coordination hub support and technical assistance, AI deployment support, industry and philanthropy engagement, national sector coordination, award competition management, reporting, and program evaluation
- Represent the program at national convenings, policy forums, and stakeholder briefings
- Facilitate partnerships aligned with hub needs and program workstreams
- Oversee the design and administration of grant award competitions, including competition lifecycle management
- Review and approve key performance indicator frameworks, standardized reporting templates, and quarterly and annual written report submissions
- Ensure all deliverables adhere to acceptance criteria: accuracy, clarity, consistency, and timeliness
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of 10 years’ experience leading federal programs or national initiatives at comparable scale and complexity
- Master’s degree or higher in public policy, education, workforce development, public administration, or a closely related field
- Demonstrated credibility in at least one of the following domains at a national level: AI readiness or adoption, workforce development or training systems, K-postsecondary education policy or practice
- Proven track record of managing complex, multi-site federal contracts, cooperative agreements, or grants with substantial federal agency involvement
- Exceptional leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, including comfort in public-facing roles such as presentations and briefings
- Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder-management skills
- Must be authorized to work in the United States
Preferred Qualifications
- Terminal degree (Ph.D.,Ed.D, or equivalent) in a relevant field
- Previous experience as a Principal Investigator on a federal project
- Familiarity with national AI policy, technology readiness initiatives, or federal science and innovation programs
- Experience with workforce development systems, career and technical education, or postsecondary education policy
- Experience authoring federal-style reports, policy briefs, and technical guidance documents
Safal Partners is committed to supporting your mental, emotional, and physical health and wellbeing. Our comprehensive benefits package includes:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and employee assistance programs
- Paid federal holidays, generous PTO, and dedicated sick leave
- 401(k) plan with immediate vesting and competitive company matching
- Flexible pathways that support advancement, mobility, and long-term development, including access to courses and certifications
- Opportunities to contribute to innovative, mission-driven projects with impact at the federal, state, and national levels
- A collaborative environment grounded in continuous improvement, and shared purpose
