Peer Review Project Director

The Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG) LLC, a rapidly growing management consulting firm, is seeking a Project Manager for an upcoming opportunity to oversee peer review grant competition contract for theDepartment of Justice (DOJ) and or Department of Commerce (DOC). The scope of work includes client relations, training, technology implementation, quality assurance and general support and execution of peer review grant competitions.

The Peer Review Project Director provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and quality assurance for Federal grant and peer review programs. This individual is responsible for planning, directing, and managing all aspects of the peer review lifecycle, including reviewer recruitment and management, meeting logistics, panel facilitation, grants management system coordination, compliance monitoring, quality control, risk mitigation, and client relationship management.

The Project Director serves as the primary point of contact for Government stakeholders and ensures that peer review activities are executed efficiently, securely, and in compliance with Federal regulations, agency policies, and established performance standards. The successful candidate will lead cross-functional teams supporting large-scale grant competitions, scientific reviews, discretionary grant programs, and technical assistance initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Project Leadership and Management

• Provide overall leadership and direction for Federal peer review contracts and task orders.

• Serve as the primary liaison between Government clients, reviewers, applicants, and contractor staff.

• Develop and implement project management plans, schedules, staffing plans, and risk mitigation strategies.

• Monitor project performance, budgets, deliverables, and timelines to ensure successful contract execution.

• Lead project kick-off meetings, status meetings, lessons learned sessions, and client briefings.

• Ensure all deliverables meet contractual requirements, quality standards, and submission deadlines.

Peer Review Operations

• Direct the planning and execution of virtual, hybrid, and in-person peer review meetings.

• Oversee reviewer recruitment, screening, conflict-of-interest reviews, onboarding, training, and retention.

• Manage panel assignments and reviewer matching based on subject matterexpertise.

• Coordinate review schedules, scoring activities, discussion facilitation, and consensus-building processes.

• Ensure the integrity, confidentiality, and fairness of all peer review activities.

• Develop andmaintainstandard operating procedures (SOPs), reviewer guidance materials, and quality assurance protocols.

Grants Management Systems Administration

• Oversee peer review activities conducted through Federalgrantsmanagement systems.

• Coordinate application processing, reviewer assignments, scoring workflows, and reporting activities within agency platforms.

• Collaborate with Government staff to troubleshoot system issues and ensure continuity of operations.

• Support data validation, records management, and compliance reporting requirements.

Quality Assurance and Compliance

• Implement comprehensive quality control procedures for all peer review activities.

• Ensure compliance with Federal regulations, agency-specific policies, privacy requirements, and information security standards.

• Monitor project metrics and performance indicators to identify opportunities for process improvement.

• Conduct quality reviews of reports, reviewer records, meeting documentation, and final recommendations.

• Develop corrective action plans and risk mitigation strategies when necessary.

Financial and Contract Management

• Monitor project budgets, laborutilization, subcontractor performance, and contract deliverables.

• Support invoicing, financial reporting, and contract administration activities.

• Manage subcontractors, consultants, and temporary staff supporting peer review operations.

• Ensure resources areallocatedeffectively to meet project requirements and performanceobjectives.

Staff Supervision

• Supervise project managers, peer review coordinators,logisticsspecialists, recruiters, and administrative personnel.

• Provide coaching, mentoring, and performance management support to project staff.

• Foster a collaborative, customer-focused, and results-oriented work environment.

• Coordinate surge staffing and resource planning during high-volume review periods.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Business Administration, Project Management, Education, Science, Health Sciences, ora related field.

• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience managing Federal peer review,grantsmanagement, or program administration activities.

• Minimum of 5 years of experience supervising project teams supporting Federal contracts.

• Demonstrated experience managing complex peer review programs involving multiple funding opportunities, large reviewer pools, and strict deadlines.

• Strong knowledge of Federal grant-making processes and peer review best practices.

• Experience developing project schedules, quality control plans, risk management plans, and performance reports.

• Excellent verbal, written, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills.

• Proficiencyin Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a related field.

• Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP), or similar professional certification.

• Experience supporting Federal agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education, Department of Justice, National Institutes of Health, Department of Labor, National Science Foundation, or other grant-making agencies.

• Experience managing virtual, hybrid, and in-person peer review panels.

• Demonstrated experience using Federal grants management and peer review systems,such as:

• JustGrants
• Peer Review Management System (PRMS)
• GrantSolutions
• ARM (Application Review Management System)
• PRIMO
• eRACommons
• Other Federal grant and peer review platforms

• Experience overseeing reviewer recruitment and management for large-scale discretionary grant competitions.

• Familiarity with Section 508 accessibility requirements and virtual collaboration platforms.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong leadership and organizational skills.

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

• Expertise inFederal peer review operations andgrantsmanagement processes.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

• Ability to build andmaintainpositive client relationships.

• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to quality.

• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion.

• Strong meeting facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.

• Ability to lead teams through complex operational challenges while maintaining exceptional customer service.

Work Environment

This position may support remote, hybrid, and on-site operations and may require occasional travel to support peer review meetings, client meetings, and project planning activities. The Project Director must be able to work effectively in high-volume, deadline-driven environments while maintaining exceptional standards of quality, responsiveness, and professionalism.

Manhattan Strategy Group (MSG) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Our hiring decisions are based solely on merit and qualifications, ensuring a fair and competitive selection process.