Program Manager (Federal R&D Grants)

New York, United States | Studio Company | Fully remote

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tl;dr - Scout is a platform built to match startups with the grants they’re most likely to win, and then create highly technical grant applications that stand out and win. Our technology shrinks the time to produce an application by up to 80%, and is also backed by a team of PhD technical writers and project managers to support our partners end-to-end through the grant process. 

We are seeking a highly organized and proactive Program Manager to oversee and streamline the grant writing process. As a key player in our team, you will coordinate between clients, grant writers and internal stakeholders to ensure smooth project execution and successful submissions.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Act as the primary point of coordination between clients, grant writers and internal teams to drive grant writing projects to completion

  • Organize and facilitate weekly client calls, track action items, and manage project timelines.

  • Advise/guide clients on strategy and coordination with Program Officers/Managers from the federal agencies

  • Ensure all necessary company registrations, information, and documents are prepared in advance of submissions (e.g., proposal titles, UEIs, addresses, and login credentials).

  • Maintain organized project workflows and documentation in shared platforms like Google Drive and project management tools .

  • Review, format, and edit supporting documents, including but not limited to:

    • Biosketches

    • Letters of support

    • Project summaries/narratives/abstracts

    • Budget justifications (including subcontractor details)

    • Compliance and resource-sharing plans (e.g., DMS, CPS)

  • Ensure that all drafts meet submission guidelines, comply with federal requirements, and are properly formatted.

  • Follow up with stakeholders to ensure timely responses and progress on all tasks.

  • Engage with the internal Scout engineering team to advise on product/workflow improvement

Requirements:

  • Experience managing federal grant or contract projects (e.g., SBIR/STTR, FOAs, BAAs) across agencies such as NIH, NSF, DOD, DOE, ARPA-e, ARPA-h, etc.

  • Successful background of securing and/or serving as the PI of federal grants and contracts

  • Familiarity with the federal grants submission landscape and tools, including registration processes and portals (e.g., SAM.gov, DSIP, Research.gov).

  • Excellent organizational skills with the ability to juggle multiple projects in a high-paced, deadline-driven environment.

  • Strong attention to detail and ability to manage complex documentation and compliance requirements.

  • Exceptional communication skills, with a proactive approach to stakeholder management and problem-solving.

  • Must be willing to sign an NDA.

Why Join Us:

  • Be part of a dynamic, mission-driven team at the intersection of R&D, innovation, and impact.

  • Work on exciting, impactful projects in climate, healthcare, and defense.

  • Opportunity to grow with a fast-paced, early-stage company.

  • Passionate working with Founders and early stage starts on strategy on how to translate new innovation towards the market

Forum recruits, employs, trains, compensates and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected statuses as required by applicable law.

Forum's dedication to promoting diversity, multiculturalism, equity and inclusion is more than a commitment - it is the foundation of what we do. And thus we strongly encourage people from ALL backgrounds to apply for this position.

About Forum:

Forum Ventures is an early-stage fund, accelerator, and community designed to take founders from pre-seed to seed. We back companies across all B2B SaaS verticals with a monetary investment, a dedicated support team, hand-picked mentors and a growing community of founders, operators, and investors. We join founders early on in their journey – usually as the first check in – and we stay by their side as they build, navigate the ups and downs, and go on to do great things. We’re a community of B2B SaaS experts, founders and operators here to support founders every step of the way. Forum founders have gone on to raise from funds like Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, Uncork Capital, 8VC, Founders Fund, Menlo Ventures, Canaan, Bowery Capital, Susa Ventures, SV Angel, and more.