Director of PM

Key Responsibilities

Project Coordination and Planning

• Coordinate development and finalization of comprehensive project work plans, budgets, and timelines, leveraging critical path project management methodologies.
• Partner with the Project Lead to ensure effective execution of work plans, consistently meeting timeline and budget objectives.
• Provide regular, data-driven reporting on project status, highlighting key issues, upcoming milestones, and actual vs planned metrics for timelines and budgets.
• Oversee project-related team meetings: create agendas, prepare/distribute materials, thoroughly document decisions and follow-up actions, and ensure accountability.

Issue and Risk Management

• Identify and communicate critical project risks and issues quickly to senior leadership.
• Lead efforts to resolve project issues through collaboration with project team members, project leads, vendors, and investment leads (as appropriate).
• Implement mitigation strategies in partnership with cross-functional stakeholders and escalate issues as needed for resolution.

Collaboration & Decision Support

• Collaborate with the Project Lead and Investment Lead to support the compilation of thorough project data packages and related materials—including IP assessment, clinical and regulatory strategy, commercial assessment, and investment model—at each decision point.
• Collaborate with the Project Lead and Team to present robust project recommendations and data-driven cases to my clients investment team and other decision-making committees as necessary.
• Alliance management activities on collaborative drug discovery projects between the company and external academics, biotech or pharma

Vendor and CRO Management

• In partnership with vendor management, oversee project aspects of vendor and CRO engagement, including progress tracking and invoice alignment and approval.
• In partnership with vendor management and sourcing team ensure effective communication and project delivery by external partners, address alignment issues, and implement corrective actions to maintain timelines, quality and budget

Process Improvement & Team Collaboration

• When needed, lead or assist with projects outside the discovery/development portfolio, demonstrating flexibility and a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Work collaboratively within the Project Management Team to drive continuous improvement of PMO processes, tools, and metrics.

Documentation and Resource Oversight

• Manage the project server and all project-related documentation throughout the project life cycle, ensuring accuracy and completeness.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree (MS/PhD) in a life science, chemistry, or related field.
• At least 5 years’ experience in drug discovery/development project management in the pharmaceutical or biotech sector.
• Exceptional communication, leadership, organizational and documentation skills.
• Demonstrable expertise in project planning, budgeting, issue resolution, reporting, and process optimization.
• Proficiency in modern project management methodologies and platforms (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, SharePoint).
• Experience managing external vendors, CROs, collaborations, and complex cross-functional teams.
• Experience with both small molecule and biologic modalities is highly preferred.