Who We Are
DESCIPHER Consulting is committed to advancing science through customized project management solutions. We harness a unique mental library of knowledge and experiences in both scientific research and project management to provide the specific materials and services your team needs to successfully deliver on your research project objectives.
OUR story
After spending over 10 years in the science field as a graduate student, educator, researcher, and project manager, we noticed a trend: scientists spend decades rising through academic ranks to achieve a status worthy enough to be awarded funding for their own research.
And then what?
They’re required to spend much of their time focused on non-science related tasks and use their own best efforts to manage these complex, uncertain projects. These well-intentioned efforts take time and energy away from the real research and can lack the proven, standardized approaches used by project management professionals around the world.
The truth is, being a successful researcher and successfully managing research projects require very different skill sets and knowledge. Our goal is to bridge that gap by providing advising, services, and training for both scientists and research project managers as they initiate, plan, execute, and close their inherently uncertain projects.
Why Descipher?
The inherent uncertainty of research combined with the staggering amount of information in the 800-page project management body of knowledge (PMBOK) can make managing research projects both confusing and overwhelming.
We’re passionate about helping our clients decipher and implement the truly helpful skills, knowledge, and resources required to successfully manage their unique projects. According to Oxford Languages’ definition of ‘decipher’, we aim to help our clients “succeed in understanding, interpreting, or identifying (something)”.
Jessica Day, MSc, PMP
Jessica is the Principal and Senior Management Consultant for DESCIPHER Consulting. As a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), program strategist, and science communications specialist, she incorporates customized strategies to manage multimillion-dollar scientific research projects of high complexity and risk.
Jessica has a knack for recognizing issues and risks, identifying their root cause, and implementing customized solutions to reduce or eliminate their impact. She also finds satisfaction in increasing efficiency and impact through standardizing processes and introducing economies of repetition in the execution of research projects. Her instinctive ability to recognize how day-to-day decisions impact the 30,000-foot view of a project make her an essential member of research teams developing program strategy.
Thanks to Jessica’s in-depth experience in communications, marketing, and design for scientific research and education projects, she can create compelling, effective resources for varied audiences. These unique skills make her a valuable asset to project teams seeking development of both internal, proprietary resources as well as outward-facing products and services.
What People Are Saying
Jessica is successfully managing several large, multi-institutional projects as she has an innate talent to seamlessly organize and prioritize objectives, communicate goals and deliverables, and motivate individuals to maximize performance and productivity. Within a research setting, Jessica has demonstrated a unique ability to work with team members across different scientific disciplines, which is often a major and underestimated challenge. This is undoubtedly a skillset that Jessica has developed and mastered throughout her career in project management. During our time working together at Clemson, it is clear that she cares about her team members and understands how to bring out the best in those around her. I strongly recommend Jessica Day for any position related to project management that demands a leader who can succeed in simultaneously managing time, finances, and personnel. She has a very high ceiling in her field.
— Dr. richard boyles
Jessica possesses a rare combination of strategic vision and hands-on execution, always going above and beyond to ensure team success. She fosters a collaborative environment, bringing out the best in the team and driving results with enthusiasm and dedication.
— Bryce Powerman
Working with Jessica is an absolute delight. As a project manager she is diligent, organized and an effective communicator. Working on the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Crop Improvement, Jessica helps our team set goals, make a plan, organize tasks and ensures that all of the moving parts are coordinated. Jessica's perspective of the big picture, eye for detail and efficiency allows her to see gaps where the rest of us don't. On top of that, her positive attitude brings great motivation to all. Every team should have a Jessica Day!
— kelly merchAn
Jessica is brimming with new, creative and great ideas that increase our program’s impact. She is engaging, knowledgeable, very personable and a joy to be around. She is a tremendous asset and is instrumental in achieving our vision.
— Claudia Ludwig, M.ed
To develop a program like PF1010 ground up and sustaining it is not easy. Given how successful PF1010 has been is a testament to Jessica’s leadership skills in bringing a very diverse group of educators of different subjects, scientists from different disciplines, stakeholders from different domains of food, energy, and water systems, etc. together to work as a team. The journey is not complete and Jessica has taken it upon herself to constantly innovate new ways of sustaining these relationships. I would hire her again in a heartbeat!
— Dr. Nitin Baliga
We want to help you, too.
Book a 30-minute consultation and tell us about your project.