Project Director

Job Summary:

The Project Director (PD), a member of the Product Department’s research and development function, is responsible for the overall management of projects from acquisition through product completion. During the acquisition process, the PD plays a central role in author selection, content mapping, and executive committee (EC) approval. During the development process, the PD plans and adheres to a development cycle/budget and establishes/maintains realistic development schedules. Directly manages Cross Functional Teams (CFT) in collaboration with staff in Sales, Marketing, Production, and Technology on product acquisition, product development, scholarly marketing, and other related activities. As a psychologist, serves as the primary PAR content specialist/project manager for the development of psychological test products.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Serves as a direct supervisor for various support positions on the R&D team in the Product Department as assigned by Director of Product (DP). Provides monitoring and coaching to these positions. When necessary, offers corrective feedback regarding job performance.

Essential Functions of this position include, but are not limited to:

1. Works closely with the DP and Vice President and Chief Product Officer (CPO) on strategic planning, new business development, and product acquisition. Helps identify internal or external authors, contracts with relevant experts, writes detailed development plans including item development, sampling plan, preliminary budgets and schedules, and submits these plans to the Executive Committee (EC) for approval. Also works with DP and CPO to identify new business opportunities and evaluates how they fit with PAR’s business model.

1. Conducts initial reviews of new and existing product ideas and presents a summary of findings to the DP for evaluation. Generate discoveries and competitive analyses to gain insights about existing PAR products. If the product is deemed to meet minimum standards set forth by the R&D team in the Product Department, prepares the necessary paperwork for a formal presentation to the EC. These reviews include merit of the project, degree of match to PAR product line, projected milestones, proposed budget with direct and indirect costs, and integration of market analysis.

1. Directly manages the development of new print and digital products. Directly manages and is the primary stakeholder for the cross functional team (CFT). Works with external authors, internal PAR staff, including the CFT, to maximize the psychometric quality and financial profitability of assigned projects. Translates product features into customer benefits and works with marketing to develop messaging and positioning. Performs psychometric test development procedures such as recruitment of expert panels, item creation, pilot testing, sample planning, and statistical analyses. Consults with psychometrician on data analyses plans. Works closely with the Data Collection Coordinator (DCC) and the Research Assistants (RAs) to monitor data collection. Supervises the RAs’ work involving scoring, inputting, and cleaning research data. Reviews psychometric work submitted by authors for accuracy and appropriateness. Collaborates with external and internal PAR staff (e.g., CFT) to complete technical manual for assigned projects. Works in close collaboration with the digital team in developing requirements for digital projects.

1. In conjunction with other stakeholders, manages the development schedules and budgets of print and digital projects. Works closely with the DP to closely monitor ongoing budgets and schedules and brings any anticipated deviation from the original schedule or budget to the DP’s attention. If it appears that a schedule or budget may be exceeded, seeks to reduce overall development time and cost so that the initial schedule or budget may be maintained.

1. In conjunction with Sales and Marketing, develops scholarly marketing content (e.g., white papers), training, conference presentations, bibliographies, and peer reviewed journal articles. Represents PAR at various local, regional, and national conventions. Maintains content expertise in clinical psychology, test development, research methodology and statistics through various means, including ongoing literature review, convention attendance, and continuing education workshops.

1. Engages in strategic planning through developing product roadmaps to make recommendations for immediate and future development, exploring large datasets to translate data into insights that have clear and actionable implications for product development, and collaborating with Sales/Marketing/Product (SMP)-CFT to develop long-term plans and goals that align with the organization’s product development strategy.

1. Conducts market research, including the development of topics and questions with the SMP-CFT, collaborating with Marketing on identifying target audience and parameters, analyzing data, and developing a summary report. Presents the findings and recommendations to SMP-CFT and the executive leadership team, as determined.

1. Performs other similar or related duties as required or assigned.

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Leadership
• Organization and attention to detail
• Project planning, scheduling, and budgeting
• Judgment and decision-making
• Guiding and directing direct reports
• Time management
• Technical expertise (e.g., SPSS, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Teams, Adobe, Monday.com)
• Data analysis
• Critical thinking and problem solving
• Negotiation
• Risk management
• Subject matter expertise
• Meeting facilitation
• Strong presentation skills
• Team player

Education and Experience:

PhD in Psychology and a specific area of specialization (e.g., Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology, etc.); knowledge/experience in test development methods; measurement expertise; working knowledge of APA publication guidelines; and strong writing/editing, organizational, and interpersonal skills.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Ability to travel to conferences, author meetings, and PAR office (if remote) several times per year, as requested by DP or CPO.