The Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) Project Manager (PM) will be responsible for project management, data collection, publicity, and reporting. The Project Manager will manage and provide updates on budgets, timelines, and project milestones to the EARTH leadership team (EARTH-LT). This individual will report to the ERC EARTH Director and will monitor and evaluate the performance of EARTH projects. The Project Manager will be responsible for coordinating and preparing the annual report and will work with the Administrative Director (AD) to organize the NSF annual site visit. The Project Manager will work with the Thrust and Project Leads to build clear roadmaps and project plans, drive project execution from scoping through delivery, clarify milestones, and ensure visibility and alignment with overall center goals. When projects reach completion, the Project Manager will work with the project leadership to prepare a final report. The Project Manager will also work with EARTH team members to write and submit proposals. The Project Manager will assist project teams with managing risks and bring issues to the EARTH-LT that require corrective actions. The Project Manager oversees the fulfillment of EARTH organizational goals and coordinates activities between multiple projects without directly managing them. The Project Manager will ensure that projects are adhering to the EARTH safety guidelines. The Project Manager will be a leader that the EARTH team members, particularly the students, can rely on for support and encouragement. An ideal candidate for this position is someone who is eager to make a difference in academia by strengthening faculty interactions and mentoring students.

About ERC:
Heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) are essential to the quality of life for all humans. HVACR systems are widespread throughout society, enabling transportation and preservation of fresh foods, storage of medicines, and cooling of buildings. However, most refrigerants used today are hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which have high global-warming potential (GWP), with 2000-4000 times the impact of CO2. Combined with high leak rates (direct effect -- 50-90% of refrigerants leak into the atmosphere) and high energy consumption (indirect effect -- 20-40% of U.S. residential and commercial building electricity usage comes from HVACR), HFCs account for 7.8% of total greenhouse-gas emissions.
To address this challenge, a new NSF Engineering Research Center (ERC): Environmentally Applied Refrigerant Technology Hub (EARTH) will create a "sustainable refrigerant lifecycle" to address technical, environmental, and societal challenges facing the HVACR industry. EARTH is a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary team from the University of Kansas, University of Notre Dame, University of Hawai'i, University of Maryland, University of South Dakota, and Lehigh University.