← All roles

Program Launch Manager

Convergent Research
Apply on company site
Hybrid (East Coast, US)$111k - $159kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Programs launch and operations role focused on turning scientific ideas into functioning organizations within Convergent Research's FRO lifecycle, coordinating launches and founder programs, and improving launch systems.

Responsibilities

  • Lead FRO launches. You’ll own the day-to-day coordination of one or more FRO launches, bringing together Convergent’s legal, finance, people, compliance, procurement, IT, fundraising, communications, and leadership teams. You’ll build and manage launch plans from proposal approval and funding commitment through entity formation, operational activation, team onboarding, and early FRO execution. You’ll run launch meetings, track decisions and dependencies, surface risks early, resolve blockers, and help coordinate launches across both U.S. and international contexts.
  • Run founder programs. You’ll own the operational delivery of FRO Founder Residencies, open calls, Launchpad programs, and other partner-led initiatives—from planning and participant onboarding through programming, selection, and closeout. You’ll coordinate program design, participant experience, and internal operational work while providing thoughtful, high-touch support to founders and teams.
  • Be a trusted partner to FRO founders. You’ll serve as a consistent and responsive point of contact for founders and FRO leaders during launch and early operations. You’ll help them understand Convergent’s operating model, systems, decision rights, governance expectations, and available support. You’ll advocate for their needs while also helping them navigate the realities of building a new organization.
  • Listen and learn. You’ll create structured feedback loops with FRO teams to understand what is working, where friction exists, and what they need from Convergent. Then you’ll make sure those lessons actually go somewhere—sharing insights with internal teams and helping turn recurring pain points into improvements.
  • Help FROs become operationally independent. Convergent provides significant support during launch, but the goal is not for that support to last forever. You’ll track operational readiness, coordinate handoffs, and help teams move from temporary Convergent support toward durable internal ownership.
  • Make the launch system better. You’ll maintain and improve Convergent’s FRO Launch Playbook, templates, checklists, documentation, and operating rhythms. You’ll turn lessons from individual launches into repeatable processes, clearer systems, and useful metrics for future FROs. Where appropriate, you’ll use automation and AI to keep information, documentation, and tracking accurate and up to date.
  • Pitch in where needed. We’re still building the system while using it. Occasionally that means an unusual project, a new partner initiative, or something nobody has done before. You’ll be comfortable jumping in, figuring out what needs to happen, and helping make it happen.

Qualifications

  • 5+ years of experience in project management, operations, program management, account management, implementation, consulting, or a related field.
  • Demonstrated experience coordinating complex, cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders.
  • Experience working directly with founders, executives, clients, partners, or other senior stakeholders.
  • Strong written, verbal, organizational, and follow-through skills.
  • Experience building or improving processes, playbooks, templates, or operating systems.
  • Comfort working independently in a distributed, rapidly changing environment.

Skills

Required:Project managementOperational rigorStakeholder managementCommunication

Benefits

  • A rare chance to build institutional architecture for frontier science and work with experts from different fields
  • Competitive Salary: $111,000 - $159,000 with SF-market-informed midpoint guidance
  • Up to a 6% 401k match
  • Top-tier medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and dependents
  • Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability, and voluntary options
  • 19 holidays (including a full week off at year end)
  • 3 weeks PTO with tenure increases, plus sick and parental leave
  • Generous fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement
  • Education and professional development benefits
  • Wellness allowance for fitness and wellbeing
  • Quarterly offsite team retreats and opportunities to meet in person
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Convergent Research

A mission control for frontier technology

A mission control for frontier technology

scientific infrastructurefrontier technologyresearchpublic goodstechnology development
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at Convergent Research