Northern California HERC

Fixed Term Position: 1 Year with option for renewal based on RegLab discretion ONLY CONSIDERING INTERNAL CANDIDATES.

NOTE: This position has been deemed critical/has specific funding, has been approved by the Law School for posting, and is exempt from the hiring freeze.

The Regulation, Evaluation, and Governance Lab (RegLab) at Stanford University is looking for a Research Program Manager to coordinate and accelerate the lab's growing portfolio of academic research. This role will collaborate closely with teams of research fellows and data scientists on projects related to machine learning and the public sector to produce frontier research. We are looking for someone with a proven track record of academic publication, strong project management skills, and ability to translate technical topics for non-technical audiences. This position will report to the Faculty Director of the RegLab.

About us: Stanford RegLab is a social impact lab that partners with government and nonprofits to use machine learning and data science to modernize the public sector. We are an interdisciplinary team of lawyers, data scientists, social scientists, and engineers who are passionate about building high impact demonstration projects for the future of governance. Some of our partners include the EPA, IRS, DOL, and Santa Clara County Public Health.

You will be successful in this role if you have a growth mindset underpinning your approach to work. In addition, successful candidates will:

* Have a strong understanding of the academic research lifecycle, from data collection through peer-reviewed publication, and can anticipate what's needed at each stage to keep projects moving.

* Translate technical research into language that resonates with non-academic audiences.

* Be a strong writer and editor who can provide substantive feedback on academic manuscripts across disciplines, and you're comfortable juggling multiple papers at different stages simultaneously.

* Be able to collect and synthesize programmatic data into clear progress reports and actionable recommendations for leadership.

* Independently manage the day-to-day operations of a research project-- identifying bottlenecks, reallocating resources, and making judgment calls without waiting for direction.

* Mentor and direct early-career researchers, building their academic writing skills and confidence while keeping them on track through structured coaching and hands-on workshops.

CORE DUTIES:

* Independently administers RegLab's academic writing and research development program, a new lab-wide function serving up to 40 concurrent research projects. Operating under general supervision of the faculty director, the role identifies project level priorities and executes tasks to move projects from research analysis phase to journal submission

* Collects and analyzes project data to formulate and evaluate steps to accelerate research journal submission

* Analyze and interpret policies; develop, revise and implement procedures for program or function.

* The role will develop and implement standardized procedures for RegLab's academic writing program, including onboarding curriculum for incoming Research Fellow cohorts, submission protocols for journal review processes, and workflow guidelines for the Revise and Resubmit stage.

* The role serves as RegLab's in-house subject matter expert on academic writing and journal publication, functioning as the primary point of contact for Research Fellows and Data Scientists navigating the submission process. The role provides direct training and guidance to junior researchers, and represents the academic writing program to internal stakeholders including Research Directors and the faculty director. The role may also interface with external parties such as journal editors and grant funders on behalf of the lab.

* Organize and/or participate in outreach activities that may include developing communications and training, planning/promoting events and/or conferences.

* The role develops and delivers hands-on workshops and tutorials on academic writing, interdisciplinary research methods, and the journal submission process for Research Fellow cohorts. The role also leads outreach efforts to recruit prospective Research Fellows by identifying appropriate channels (e.g., student job boards, faculty networks aligned with RegLab's research areas) and developing materials that communicate the lab's academic writing program and fellowship experience.

* May participate in development of budgets, monitor, and approve expenditures. May perform limited forecasting and provide recommendations that determine the budget.

* The role coordinates with Research Fellows and Data Scientists across multiple simultaneous projects, directing junior researchers to perform specific tasks (e.g., literature reviews, data gathering, manuscript revisions) based on project phase and individual skill development needs. This direction is exercised in coordination with Research Directors and does not include formal supervisory authority.