Project Manager, China Center, Foreign Policy

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The Project Manager in the Brookings China Center plays a central role in the execution of a major new project on the United States and China that will be led by the China Center and will include participation by experts across Brookings. The Project Manager will be responsible for supporting the planning and managing the execution of all research products, events, and internal administration. This is a complex role which includes soliciting and managing inputs from research groups across Brookings and from outside the institution, and managing and executing convenings, travel, budgets and spending, contracts and invoices, and internal and external communications. The Project Manager collaborates with a broad range of research teams and functional offices and contributes to impact by maintaining high brand standards, upholding institutional policies, and managing important internal and external relationships.

Project Management(60%)

• Serves as primary liaison and manager of the Project’s research groups; organizing regular meetings, coordinating participation in planning, and ensuring consistency and alignment across the Project.

• Manages the day-to-day operations of the Project, which includes but is not limited to managing efforts for research and publication, events, outreach, budget and grant management, scheduling, and other Project-related activities as needed.
• Creates and manages implementation plans that foster the Project’s operations, growth, and impact. Enforces deadlines as necessary. Contributes to strategic planning and leads in setting operational processes and Project implementation.
• In coordination with Development and Finance teams, the Project Manager is the primary Project contact for fundraising efforts and products, including developing proposals and reporting on allocated labor costs, contracts, and Project strategy and outcomes.
• Manages spending, monitors appropriate use of funds, and arranges, executes, and tracks contracts.
• Coordinates logistics, timelines, and administrative support for scholars participating in the Project, including scholars across Brookings, visiting fellows, outside authors, and other contributors.
• As appropriate, coordinates and/or supervises contributions to the Project of Research Assistants, Interns, and other staff.
• Oversees Project-related travel logistics (international and domestic), which may include study tours, fieldwork, stakeholder engagement trips, and product dissemination travel, often in coordination with other institutional travel.
• Maintains strict confidentiality and exercises sound judgment when handling proprietary, financial, and other high-level information related to research content, internal strategy, partnerships, personnel, and funding.
• The Project Manager works in close coordination with the China Center, Foreign Policy management team, and other Brookings offices to remain aware of institutional priorities and guidelines and ensure follow-through and compliance.

Communications & Outreach (20%)

• Serves as the Project’s primary point of contact with research teams and functional offices around Brookings, as well as with external contributors.
• Contributes to the publication process for the Project’s products, ensuring that products adhere to Brookings’ research independence and quality review policies.
• Coordinates among the China Center, contributing scholars, and Communications staff to ensure that publications and other products are distributed to relevant and interested parties in a timely and efficient manner.
• Works with Communications and Development teams to schedule media interviews, stakeholder briefings, events, funder stewardship calls, and other dissemination efforts.
• Helps to manage internal and external communications ensuring consistency in thematic research pillars and products; articulates major outcomes of the research and the stakes of the U.S. relationship with China.

Research & Event Administration(20%)

• Supports scholars and Project director in all aspects of Project research, including coordinating with participating scholars and ensuring that Project timelines and deliverables are met.
• Organizes, implements, and oversees planning and execution of public and private events related to the Project, ensuring impact and compliance with institutional policies.
• In collaboration with Finance staff and research center staff, manages budgets and expenses for events. Ensures financial obligations comply with approved budgets.
• In collaboration with Finance staff, negotiates, and facilitates contracts with offsite event venues, hotels, caterers/restaurants, transportation companies, audio visual vendors, speakers, and all other vendors.
• Manages meeting space reservations, facilities needs, catering, AV and Zoom/Teams, and other logistics; anticipating and addressing any problems, logistical and otherwise, that may arise.
• Drafts event invitations, invites and prepares event speakers, and manages run of show for in-person and virtual events; works with program and central communications to live stream or swiftly post the event recording to the website.
• Manages all travel and logistical arrangements for potential speakers, including transportation, accommodations and per diem.