What is a Program Manager?

Rational Risk Takers, Real-World Builders

Seize the opportunity to transform health outcomes. Become an ARPA-H Program Manager.

At ARPA-H, we’re tackling the biggest, hardest problems in human health, led by Program Managers (PMs) who identify root-cause bottlenecks, find the “why now” unlock that makes progress tractable, and drive teams to real-world outcomes. In the time a PM will work with us, they’ll have the opportunity to propel a health breakthrough, with people around them to help shape the problem and resources to fund the best ideas for solutions – and then get them into the hands of people that need them. If you have a bold program concept and a clear reason it can succeed now, we encourage you to apply.

What Makes a Successful PM?

A successful Program Manager combines imagination, drive, and proven expertise to create revolutionary ideas and breakthrough technologies.  

While they come from across the innovation ecosystem, they share a track record of translating technical capability toward bio/health impact and recruiting exceptional performers to execute. 

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Learning Velocity

As a PM, you are not expected to know everything, but you must be able to learn new technical areas quickly and develop sound judgment as you go. Deep expertise can be a helpful signal of that ability, but the core requirement is demonstrated learning speed and adaptability. You will also need to understand the strengths and limitations of domain expertise, since you’ll likely be managing dozens of experts. 

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Ambition and Risk Appetite

To be a successful PM, you will not let obstacles, hurdles, naysayers, or hiccups keep you from getting to the goal. You take ownership of outcomes and stay focused on the highest-leverage path to impact. This doesn’t mean you won’t change course when evidence demands it, but it does mean you show up every day determined to make measurable progress toward the goal. 

We look for rational risk takers: people who take ambitious bets, learn quickly, and adjust course based on evidence. 

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First Principles Thinking

As an ARPA-H PM, you are rarely satisfied with the status quo or answer questions like “because that’s how it is” or “that’s what everyone does.” Instead, you’re a “What if?” and “Why not?” kind of person. The hardest problems are rarely as straightforward as they can seem, and curiosity is needed to not take things at face value but unearth the real bottleneck, and what changed recently that makes it solvable now. 

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Team Building across Disciplines

You are rarely comfortable being constrained to a single field or discipline. Many of the best innovations draw from disparate fields and ideas. You should have clear evidence that you can build teams and break down silos. 

ARPA-H programs require building multiple performer teams; not relying on a single lab, company, or approach. 

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Technical Honesty

Metrics and milestones are key so you must be a rigorous, evidence-based thinker. This means being able to answer the ARPA-(H)eilmeier Questions, coach your performers through obstacles and, frankly, to recognize progress, success, and failure.  

PMs succeed by defining clear milestones and decision points, so progress is measurable and guided by evidence. It’s easy to become attached to projects and become a salesperson for your ideas. But the real value is in breakthroughs, not theater, so you do everything you can to stay transparent and objective, especially with yourself. 

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No Fear of Failure

To be clear, nobody wants to fail, especially if they care about something. Which is why many people and organizations won’t even try. What about you? Are you willing to put forward bold ideas that you believe in, but which might not work out? To open yourself up to constructive, and often public, criticism? 

Strong PMs adapt quickly when evidence changes and can make hard calls when something isn’t working. 

When You Become a Program Manager, You Join a Team

Once accepted to come on board, you will not be alone. ARPA-H has a suite of services to support you: training, market intelligence, research, systems access, human support, contracts. PMs don’t have a lab (ARPA-H has no labs), but are “full contact” managers of the projects they pursue. This job is about leading brilliant people who are piloting solutions against clear program goals and helping them do great things. 

At ARPA-H, we’re invested in your success, which includes understanding that not every project will be successful! With each failure, we investigate, we learn, we adapt, and we drive toward a better solution. 

For me, joining ARPA-H is almost a dream come true. ARPA-H is an environment full of dynamic and motivated people, with the means and the drive to effect change and make a lasting impact on the health of millions of Americans.

Ileana

Ileana Hancu, Ph.D.

PM FAQs

Timeline & Employment Questions

PMs joining as government employees serve an initial three-year term-limited appointment, which may be extended up to a six-year maximum, to design, launch, and run all aspects of their “high-uncertainty, high-reward” programs. Because there is no synchronization of when PMs join and leave, hiring is conducted on a rolling basis. ARPA-H is always looking for excellent candidates.

ARPA-H PM appointments are term-limited under the agency’s authorizing statute, which states that “The Director shall appoint program managers for 3-year terms (and may reappoint such program managers for 1 additional consecutive 3-year term) for the programs carried out by ARPA–H.” 42 USC 290c(j)(1). 

We are actively engaging with prospective PMs across the country, representing a wide variety of backgrounds, ideas, location, and expertise. If someone has an idea, they can apply via this webpage. Submissions require a 1-page CV, a 1-page program concept pitch addressing the Heilmeier Questions, and up to two additional program ideas. 

If you know someone who you think would be a great PM, please encourage them to review the information on this webpage and apply. If they have questions, they may send their contact information and inquiry to careers@arpa-h.gov. 

No, there are a few ways to join ARPA-H as a Program Manager:  

  • Federal Hire – Join as a full-time federal employee. 
  • Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) Detail – If you're at a university, research center, state or local government, tribal government, or other eligible organization, you may be detailed to ARPA-H through an IPA detail agreement. 
  • Federal Detail – If you're already a federal employee at another agency, you may be detailed to ARPA-H. PMs may be hired as term-limited federal government employees or through an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) detail agreement from a university, research center, state or local government, tribal government, or other eligible organization.  

These hiring frameworks cater to a range of professional needs, ensuring alignment of organizational goals and individual career pathways. If selected for the PM role, ARPA-H leadership will discuss these mechanisms and determine which is the best fit for the candidate. 

No, ARPA-H has access to space across the country, and our team will work with you to find a suitable workplace. There is also an expectation that PMs who work outside of Washington, D.C. will travel to ARPA-H headquarters throughout the year for business meetings and engagements with industry and academia.

As a condition of employment, PMs must clear a Public Trust background investigation, which is different than a security clearance. If a candidate currently maintains a clearance higher than Public Trust, we will work with them to ensure they do not lose their clearance as their program needs may require. 

ARPA-H doesn't own or operate its own research labs. Rather, it oversees research that takes place at various facilities around the country.

PMs must have a Ph.D., M.D., or Master’s in a scientific or engineering field (policy, epidemiology, and non-technical fields do not qualify).

ARPA-H has special hiring authorities. PM salaries are not restricted to the federal government’s General Schedule (GS) pay-scale.

ARPA-H welcomes applications from individuals across the country who will bring bold ideas with the potential to become transformative health solutions. We seek experts with advanced degrees from a wide range of fields — including biomedical science, medicine, social and behavioral sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, economics, engineering, public health, and more — who can offer unique perspectives to ARPA-H programs and help identify specific problems to address health burdens and inequities. Strong candidates may come from many technical domains, but they must demonstrate credible bio/health translation (not health-adjacent operations, policy, or business-only work). 

A full-time commitment to ARPA-H is required for all PMs. The maintenance of existing projects, labs, grants, or other activities at the PM’s institution must be negotiated between the PM, the institution, and ARPA-H. 

While serving as a PM is a full-time commitment, it is possible for a PM to maintain their clinical credentials while working at ARPA-H. This often can be achieved through teaching or other service a few days per month. Candidates should speak with their credentialing body and/or the institution where they hold privileges to determine available options. Outside activity approval may be required. 

PMs must be U.S. citizens.

Whether you can participate in deciding on a proposal from your former employer will depend on the timing of the submission by your former employer, your financial interest in your former employer’s entity, and any other relevant facts. An ARPA-H Ethics Official will help in making these determinations.

PMs are required to complete a Financial Disclosure Report at hiring and yearly during their tenure. This allows the PM to report any stakes in private or publicly traded entities. An ethics official will review that report and determine if any reported holding(s) will result in a conflict under the applicable law.

When you come to the end of your term, an ARPA-H Ethics Official will meet with you to discuss any post-employment restrictions that may apply to you. 

Qualities of a Program Manager

In addition to the attributes described on this ARPA-H “What is a Program Manager” webpage, PMs must have vision and a passion for solving seemingly intractable problems that limit the health potential of people in the U.S. We view PMs as “rational risk-takers” — individuals who persevere despite obstacles, naysayers, or setbacks. PMs understand that success often requires navigating failure, and they know how to learn quickly and accept constructive, often public, criticism for their bold ideas. While our PMs and programs innovate rapidly, we always exercise caution when it comes to people’s health. PMs combine ambition with discipline: bold goals, clear “why now,” measurable milestones, and sound judgment under uncertainty. 

Program Development & Execution

A PM champions a core idea to improve health, frames the challenge, and awards projects to new multidisciplinary teams, with measurement and evaluation conducted throughout the process to ensure the best solutions advance. PMs coach program performers through obstacles and efficiently define and recognize progress, success, and failure.

The PM will develop and communicate a new program concept using the ARPA-H Heilmeier Questions framework originally developed by former DARPA Director George Heilmeier. PMs are given time to refine the concept through technical and market analysis, ensuring input from relevant academic, commercial, nonprofit, and government experts. The PM will then present the program concept to the ARPA-H Director’s Office for approval. The ARPA-(H)eilmeier questions provide high-level guidance to ARPA-H PMs on what information to include in their pitch and a framework for communicating program goals to ARPA-H leadership. 

The PM will serve as the driving force behind ARPA-H funded awards. The PM advises the agreements officer in selecting and negotiating contractual agreements and milestones. Once awarded, the PM actively manages the program through hands-on oversight of the work via regular technical reviews and site visits to meet with the research teams. The PM will advise, adjust, re-scope, extend, or cancel projects based on performance throughout the contract, and be responsible for reporting on the program status to ARPA-H leadership. PMs are responsible for advocating for the program and teams/performers both internally and externally.

Yes, PMs will be expected to launch more than one program during their tenure. It is also customary for PMs to hand off programs to new PMs because the length of the program and the tenure of the PM will not overlap completely.

PMs will define program goals/metrics and track performer’s ability to meet those goals. ARPA-H will measure the success of its programs through the transition of program developments and deliverables that accelerate cost-effective, equitable, and efficacious solutions that will improve the health potential of the population.

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