About NIBS

The National Institute of Building Sciences is in the process of filling the positions below to support the organization and federal agency clients.

Interested individuals with the required skill sets can read the job descriptions below to see the full duties and responsibilities of the positions.

WHO WE ARE

Whether in your home, office or out in your community, the walls that surround you must be safe, structurally sound, and sustainable. It’s our job to make that happen.

We were created by act of Congress in 1974 to be the nation’s authoritative source of findings and recommendations that impact and improve the built environment for the American people.  At the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), we connect research, policy, and practical application to advance innovation in the built environment. Our mission is to create a safer, more resilient, and technologically advanced infrastructure that serves American communities and strengthens our nation’s future.

Building American Innovation isn’t just our tagline – it’s our commitment. We foster collaboration between government, industry, and academia to drive forward-thinking strategies for resilient communities. Because at NIBS, we don’t just build structures, we build solutions.

SUMMARY

We are looking for a visionary Senior Project Manager of Digital Technology to lead the execution of complex, multidisciplinary projects from initiation through closeout, advancing client-driven goals in resilience, innovation, and community impact. The Senior Project Manager supports the Digital Technology Portfolio and by ensuring delivery within approved scope, schedule, and budget, establishing themselves as a central point of contact for stakeholders internal and external to the organization. This role bridges technical expertise in Building Technology and Transportation Engineering, serving as the strategic lead for an Industrialized Construction Planning program and a Digital Technology Transportation portfolio. The Senior Project Manager can operate with autonomy at the project level while collaborating closely with executives on organization-wide strategy, policy, and financial authority.

Beyond project delivery, the Senior Project Manager plays a critical organizational leadership role by proactively identifying and mitigating risks, mentoring and developing junior staff, and aligning project outcomes with broader financial and performance targets. They engage strategically with stakeholders, cultivating long-term relationships that strengthen client trust and advance program growth. The role emphasizes thought leadership and proactive adoption of industry innovations, ensuring NIBS remains at the forefront of technical standards and criteria modernization. The Senior Project Manager also contributes to business development by identifying opportunities to expand revenue and organizational reach, while externally representing NIBS to elevate the Institute’s brand and influence at the national and industry levels.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES includes the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Operations, Program & Project Delivery

  • Leads the end-to-end lifecycle of high-profile and complex projects, from strategic planning to execution, with a focus on building technology, transportation, and innovation. 
  • Defines and manages project scope, success criteria, budgets, schedules, and KPIs, managing progress across delivery and financial responsibilities.
  • Utilize tools and standardized processes to increase project management efficiencies and expand project portfolio.
  • Utilizes data-driven performance management to track project financials and conduct financial forecasting to meet performance targets.
  • Identifies and manages both project and client relationship risks, resolving conflicts between parties efficiently and with professionalism and escalating to executive leadership when necessary.
  • Oversees the development of project documentation and ensures deliverables meet or exceed quality management frameworks.
  • Coordinates cross-functional teams including architects, engineers, researchers, and subcontractors.
  • Monitors industry trends in BIM, Digital Twins, AI, and Industrialized Construction to integrate best practices into project delivery.
  • Maintains professional verbal and written communication channels between the client and subcontractors.
  • Manage project-level contracting, invoicing, and compliance requirements.

 

Mentorship and Team Development

  • Cultivate a high-performing team through mentoring, training, and talent development.
  • Proactively assess and identify competencies critical to staffing current and future projects.
  • Creates effective means of communication between team members which foster inclusivity and solidarity.

 

Business Development and Growth

  • Develops long-term relationships with existing clients and identifies strategic growth opportunities to expand revenue opportunities and organizational reach.
  • Leads proposal development, including scope, schedules, cost estimates, and technical approaches.
  • Monitors subcontractor proposal development and compliance.
  • Identifies industry opportunities to expand current clientele with existing NIBS services and digital products.
  • Presents strategic initiatives for future development of NIBS portfolio offerings to NIBS leadership.

 

Industry & Community Impact

  • Leads pro-bono and strategic initiatives that enhance community resilience.
  • Contributes to eminence and thought leadership: presenting at events, publishing articles, and developing white papers, blog posts, or answering company-wide solicitation for interview question responses.

 

SECURITY CLEARANCE

Individual must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance throughout the period of employment.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position will have direct reports. Supervisory responsibility of internal and external project partners is a core component of the role.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

The position requires a candidate with a Bachelor’s degree in project management, engineering, architecture, transportation engineering, construction management, or related field, or 8 years’ experience in these fields or equivalent combination of education and experience. 5 or more years of project management experience, including 3 or more years managing multi-stakeholder projects; projects in the built environment/transportation industry is preferred. Experience with federal government contracting and reporting requirements preferred.

TECHNICAL AND OTHER SPECIALIZED SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

  • Excellent writing and communication skills including technical reports, proposals, journal articles, and conference presentations. Strong ability to lead and collaborate within diverse, multidisciplinary project teams.
  • Proficiency of project management methodologies (PMI, Agile, or equivalent).
  • Demonstrated expertise in processes, tools, and data standards required to deploy building technologies including BIM and Digital Twins preferred.
  • Strong proficiency project management software such as Monday.com or Microsoft Project or similar, MS Office Suite, project collaboration tools (e.g., SharePoint, Power BI), and task management tools/methods (Kanban, Backlog management, other).
  • Conceptual understanding or better in processes, tools, and data standards required to deploy Industrialized Construction, Artificial Intelligence for the built environment, and/or blockchain for the built environment.
  • Ability to digest client needs into actionable steps, document steps, update schedules, and coordinate and direct team members and subcontractors in completing work.
  • Excellent written, verbal, and graphical communication skills.
  • Strong leadership, facilitation, and negotiation skills.
  • Ability to thrive in a dynamic, collaborative, and fast-paced environment.

 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to walk and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and depth perception.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

NIBS is primarily a remote work environment. Position specific business needs will determine when  individuals need to work in the office or on-site at a third party. For example, meetings with external and internal stakeholders can necessitate coming to the office. Staff can voluntarily choose to work in the office at any time. The physical demand of NIBS positions is typical of those in an office environment. Positions require frequent use of a computer to communicate both orally and in writing.

Estimated amount of travel, not including periodic trips to the office, is up to 15%.

BENEFITS

  • Opportunity to work at the intersection of industry, government, and academia.
  • Work alongside some of the most respected experts in the building sciences and technology fields, gaining insight into best practices across industry and government.
  • Professional development and training opportunities.
  • NIBS offers a competitive salary and benefits package including fully paid health care premiums for medical, dental, and vision.

 

HOW TO APPLY

If you feel you are a great fit for this role, please send your resume, cover letter, and salary requirement to jobs@nibs.org today!

WHO WE ARE

From the spaces you live and work to the roads, utilities, and public systems you rely on every day, the infrastructure around you should be safe, dependable, and sustainable. That’s what we’re here to ensure.

National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) was created by act of Congress in 1974 to be the nation’s authoritative source of findings and recommendations that impact and improve the built environment for the American people. At NIBS, we connect research, policy, and practical applications to advance innovation in the built environment. Our mission is to create safer, more resilient, and technologically advanced infrastructure that serves American communities and strengthens our nation’s future.

Building American Innovation isn’t just our tagline – it’s our commitment. We foster collaboration between government, industry, and academia to drive forward-thinking strategies for resilient communities. Because at NIBS, we don’t just build structures; we build solutions.

SUMMARY

The Senior Project Manager is a highly motivated engineering and project management professional supporting NIBS’ Infrastructure Team, which focuses on reducing EPCM risk to our clients through the development of design criteria and specifications, asset management, and providing limited technical support to our clients during the planning and procurement phases. 

The position will primarily support Department of Defense (DoD) contracts, advancing facility criteria development and enabling collaboration and knowledge sharing across government and industry stakeholders. The ideal candidate brings experience that reflects DoD or other federal project environments including disciplined documentation, multi-stakeholder coordination, and disciplined execution against scope, schedule, and budget.  Candidate would be required to travel to military bases around the country supporting or leading various NIBS projects.

While DoD work is anticipated to be the primary function of this role, the Senior Project Manager will also contribute to a diverse portfolio of federal, state, and local infrastructure initiatives. This may include partnering with under-resourced municipalities to develop hazard mitigation plans, leading resilience-focused technical studies, or advising clients on strategies to strengthen infrastructure performance and community safety.

Key responsibilities expand beyond project execution to include strategic planning, client relationship management, program oversight, and mentoring junior staff. The Senior Project Manager will manage projects exceeding $3M, cultivate strong relationships with clients and subcontractors, provide high-level technical reviews, and proactively identify and mitigate cost, schedule, and performance risks.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Lead complex, multi-year projects and programs, ensuring alignment with client objectives, federal requirements, and NIBS strategic priorities.
  • Serve as a senior advisor to clients, providing expert guidance on design criteria, infrastructure resilience, asset management, and risk mitigation.
  • Oversee project teams, including internal staff, subcontractors, and cross-disciplinary partners, ensuring coordinated execution and high-quality deliverables.
  • Mentor and support junior project managers and technical staff, fostering professional growth and strengthening team capabilities.
  • Contribute to business development activities, including proposal development, client presentations, and identification of new opportunities.
  • Represent NIBS in high-level stakeholder engagements, interagency working groups, and industry forums.
  • Lead day-to-day coordination for multiple concurrent projects and initiatives, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery.
  • Manage project budgets, schedules, resource allocations, and performance metrics across complex portfolios.
  • Develop and maintain comprehensive project documentation, including project plans, risk registers, reports, and status updates.
  • Provide senior-level quality reviews of engineering and architectural technical documents, including design criteria, specifications, and technical studies.
  • Identify project risks and lead the development of mitigation strategies, escalation pathways, and corrective actions.
  • Support and occasionally lead stakeholder engagement activities such as workshops, webinars, technical meetings, and field assessments.
  • Implement and refine project management frameworks, tools, and best practices across the Infrastructure Team.
  • Drive process improvements that enhance project efficiency, technical rigor, and client satisfaction.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

  • To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering, architecture, construction, or related field.
  • 5-10 years of relevant engineering, architecture, construction, consulting, technical deliverables development, or project management operations experience, ideally supporting government or multi-stakeholder projects.
  • Professional Engineering license (PE).
  • Experience leading large, complex projects or programs, including oversight of multidisciplinary teams.

 

TECHNICAL AND OTHER SPECIALIZED SKILLS AND ABILITIES

  • Strong familiarity with federal projects and project reporting requirements (DoD preferred).
  • Experience in the building sciences, construction, or related technical disciplines.
  • Expertise in developing and utilizing A/E technical documents, including design criteria, specifications, and drawings.
  • Ability to analyze complex technical data and develop actionable recommendations.
  • Strong understanding of risk management, quality assurance, and performance evaluation methods.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage diverse stakeholder groups.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leaders.
  • Strong proficiency in project management tools and Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Highly organized, proactive, and adaptable in a dynamic environment.
  • Ability to contribute innovative ideas that advance resilient and sustainable infrastructure solutions.

 

SECURITY CLEARANCE

No security clearance is required to start employment.  Individual must be a U.S. person (citizen or green card holder) and be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance throughout the period of employment if required.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position does not currently have direct supervisory responsibilities but may in the future.  Additionally, to successfully deliver projects, the candidate must be able to confidently coordinate various internal and external team members and stakeholders.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This position may be fully remote, but those candidates residing in the Washington, D.C. area are encouraged to be present in office three days per week.

The physical demands of NIBS positions are typical of those in an office environment. Positions require frequent use of a computer to communicate both orally and in writing.

This role requires the ability to travel up to 40%.

HOW TO APPLY

If you feel you are a great fit for this role, please send your resume, cover letter, and salary requirement to jobs@nibs.org today!

WHO WE ARE

Whether in your home, office or out in your community, the walls that surround you must be safe, structurally sound, and sustainable. It’s our job to make that happen.

We were created by act of Congress in 1974 to be the nation’s authoritative source of findings and recommendations that impact and improve the built environment for the American people.  At the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS), we connect research, policy, and practical application to advance innovation in the built environment. Our mission is to create a safer, more resilient, and technologically advanced infrastructure that serves American communities and strengthens our nation’s future.

Building American Innovation isn’t just our tagline – it’s our commitment. We foster collaboration between government, industry, and academia to drive forward-thinking strategies for resilient communities. Because at NIBS, we don’t just build structures, we build solutions.

SUMMARY

We are looking for a visionary Project Manager of Building Technology to lead high-stakes initiatives at the intersection of innovation and infrastructure. This isn’t just about managing projects; it’s about pioneering the integration of BIM, Digital Twins, AI, and Industrialized Construction to redefine how our world is built. As a leader at NIBS, you will bridge the gap between emerging technology and real-world application, orchestrating elite cross-functional teams to deliver excellence for our most critical stakeholders.

In this role, you will oversee multi-stakeholder projects ensuring alignment with client goals, scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards. You will manage project team members, manage subcontractors, and ensure effective communication and knowledge transfer across the organization. You will serve as an integrator across numerous digital technology projects and work closely with multidisciplinary teams of engineers, researchers, policymakers, and public officials.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES includes the following. Other duties may be assigned.

  • Lead the end-to-end lifecycle of high-profile projects, from strategic planning to groundbreaking execution, with a focus on building technology and innovation.
  • Generate project workplans for assigned projects and support defining and documenting project scope, deliverables, KPIs, and success criteria; implement control mechanisms for performance tracking.
  • Manage project budgets, schedules, and resources; Estimate to Complete (ETC), forecasting, and margin. Make recommendations for actions necessary to meet targets.
  • Manage project financial and quality performance.
  • Proactively identify, track, and mitigate task, project, and client relationship risks.
  • Establish and enforce quality management frameworks, ensuring deliverables meet or exceed client expectations.
  • Coordinate cross-functional teams including architects, engineers, researchers, IT specialists, and subcontractors.
  • Serve as the primary liaison for top-tier clients and federal partners and represent the organization’s professional eminence and thought leadership on a national stage.
  • Foster a culture of knowledge sharing, capturing lessons learned to sharpen our competitive edge. Oversee knowledge management practices: maintain project files, ensure accessibility of content, capture lessons learned, and contribute to continuous improvement.
  • Monitor industry trends in BIM, Digital Twins, AI, and industrialized construction; integrate best practices into project delivery.
  • Inform senior leaders of gaps in skills needed for project delivery.
  • Promote a culture of continuous improvement, recommending ways to establish systematic continuous improvement as able, knowledge management plans, and change management plans as needed to support successful delivery of assigned projects.
  • Ensure compliance with organizational standards, federal contracting norms, and relevant industry regulations.
  • Self-manage workloads and proactively coordinate with supervisor on concerns related to workload.
  • Support business development; identifying organic growth opportunities through project-based relationships.

 

SECURITY CLEARANCE

Individual must be a U.S. citizen and able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance throughout the period of employment.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position will have supervisory and direct report responsibilities. This position will also have responsibility for oversight of contracted staff.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

The position requires a candidate with a Bachelor’s degree in project management, engineering, architecture, construction management, or related field, or 5 years’ experience in these fields or equivalent combination of education and experience. 3 or more years of project management experience, including 2 or more years managing multi-stakeholder projects; projects in the built environment is preferred. Experience with federal government contracting and reporting requirements preferred.

TECHNICAL AND OTHER SPECIALIZED SKILLS AND ABILITIES: 

  • Proficiency of project management methodologies (PMI, Agile, or equivalent).
  • Demonstrated expertise in processes, tools, and data standards required to deploy building technologies including BIM and Digital Twins preferred.
  • Strong proficiency project management software such as Monday.com or Microsoft Project or similar, MS Office Suite, project collaboration tools (e.g., SharePoint, Power BI), and task management tools/methods (Kanban, Backlog management, other).
  • Conceptual understanding or better in processes, tools, and data standards required to deploy Industrialized Construction, Artificial Intelligence for the built environment, and/or blockchain for the built environment.
  • Ability to digest client needs into actionable steps, document steps, update schedules, and coordinate and direct team members and subcontractors in completing work.
  • Excellent written, verbal, and graphical communication skills.
  • Strong leadership, facilitation, and negotiation skills.
  • Ability to thrive in a dynamic, collaborative, and fast-paced environment.


PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and reach with hands and arms. The employee is required to walk and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, color vision, and depth perception.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

NIBS is primarily a remote work environment. Position specific business needs will determine when  individuals need to work in the office or on-site at a third party. For example, meetings with external and internal stakeholders can necessitate coming to the office. Staff can voluntarily choose to work in the office at any time. The physical demand of NIBS positions is typical of those in an office environment. Positions require frequent use of a computer to communicate both orally and in writing.

Estimated amount of travel, not including periodic trips to the office, is 5%.

BENEFITS

  • Opportunity to work at the intersection of industry, government, and academia.
  • Work alongside some of the most respected experts in the building sciences and technology fields, gaining insight into best practices across industry and government.
  • Professional development and training opportunities.
  • NIBS offers a competitive salary and benefits package including fully paid health care premiums for medical, dental, and vision.

 

HOW TO APPLY

If you feel you are a great fit for this role, please send your resume, cover letter, and salary requirement to jobs@nibs.org today!