Application Guide

How to Apply for Senior Project Manager

at Cdcfoundation

🏢 About Cdcfoundation

The CDC Foundation is a unique nonprofit that mobilizes philanthropic and private-sector resources to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's critical health protection work. Unlike typical nonprofits, it operates at the intersection of public health and private partnership, offering the opportunity to work on high-impact initiatives that directly support national health priorities. Working here means contributing to meaningful public health outcomes while navigating complex partnerships.

About This Role

This Senior Project Manager role involves overseeing up to 22 total employees (7 direct reports and 15 field staff) while managing complex jurisdictional partnerships across a specific U.S. region. You'll be responsible for program development, budgeting, and performance evaluation, making this role impactful because you'll directly shape public health programs that address real-world challenges through strategic oversight and troubleshooting.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might involve morning check-ins with direct reports managing field employees across the nation, followed by troubleshooting escalated issues from jurisdictional partners in your region. You'd spend afternoons on program development tasks, budget reviews, or collaborating with recruiters and project managers to ensure staffing targets are met, all while supporting programmatic leadership with performance evaluations.

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Interview Prep

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🎯 Who Cdcfoundation Is Looking For

  • Has a Master's in Public Health OR a bachelor's degree with 7+ years of hands-on public health experience, specifically in program implementation
  • Demonstrates 5+ years of leadership in public health or nonprofit settings with proven experience managing federal/non-federal budgets and cross-functional collaboration
  • Has 4+ years supervising multi-level teams, including remote team management experience, with a track record of resolving escalated project issues
  • Possesses experience in program development, auditing/evaluating program impact, and managing complex partnerships across different jurisdictions

📝 Tips for Applying to Cdcfoundation

1

Quantify your public health leadership experience—specify team sizes, budget amounts (especially federal/non-federal), and program impacts in your resume

2

Highlight specific experience with jurisdictional or multi-agency partnerships, as this role requires troubleshooting escalated issues across regions

3

Emphasize remote team management skills, given you'll oversee field employees across the nation

4

Tailor your application to show how you've collaborated with recruiters and project managers to meet staffing targets in past roles

5

Use public health terminology and reference CDC priorities to demonstrate alignment with the Foundation's mission

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience managing complex public health partnerships and troubleshooting escalated issues in multi-jurisdictional settings', 'Specific examples of program development, budgeting, and performance evaluation in public health or nonprofit contexts', "How you've successfully supervised remote teams and collaborated with recruiters/project managers to achieve staffing goals", "Why the CDC Foundation's unique public-private partnership model aligns with your career goals in public health leadership"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Review the CDC Foundation's current partnerships and initiatives (e.g., COVID-19 response, chronic disease programs) to understand their priorities
  • → Study the CDC's public health priorities and how the Foundation supports them through private-sector resources
  • → Look into the Foundation's regional or jurisdictional focus areas to anticipate partnership challenges
  • → Explore the Foundation's annual reports or impact statements to understand their program evaluation methods

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you managed a complex jurisdictional partnership and resolved an escalated issue in a public health program
2 How have you developed and managed federal/non-federal budgets for public health programs, and what metrics did you use to evaluate impact?
3 Walk us through your experience supervising remote teams and ensuring staffing targets were met in collaboration with recruiters
4 What strategies would you use to oversee 22 employees across different levels while supporting programmatic leadership?
5 How do you approach program auditing and performance evaluation in a public health context?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Applying with generic project management experience without highlighting public health-specific program work or federal/non-federal budgeting
  • Failing to demonstrate remote team management or multi-level supervision experience, which is critical for overseeing 22 employees
  • Not tailoring your application to the CDC Foundation's unique role as a bridge between public health and private partnerships

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Cdcfoundation!

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