Candidate Program Manager (Belgium)

UCB; Anderlecht; Hybride; EUR 90 000 - 120 000; Plein temps

Avantages offerts par ce poste

Hybrid work model

Résumé du poste

UCB in Brussels (HQ) is seeking a Candidate Program Manager to lead drug development programs from late research through proof-of-concept, turning strategy into executable plans. You will coordinate timelines, resources, budgets and decisions, while mitigating risks and enabling governance across functions.

You will partner with a cross-functional team and senior leaders to shape critical decisions, accelerate asset progression, and deliver outcomes that maximize patient value in a hybrid work

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent; postgraduate qualification preferred.
• At least five years of program or project management experience.
• Pharma/biopharma industry experience preferred.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional teams and demanding timelines.
• Ability to facilitate collaboration and communicate clearly.

Responsabilités

• Drive delivery of one or more candidate programs from late research through PoC.
• Translate candidate strategy into an integrated roadmap with scope, timelines, resources, costs.
• Lead program planning, maintaining focus on critical path activities, decisions, dependencies and milestones.
• Proactively manage risks, issues, assumptions and performance metrics.
• Act as the single point of integration across scientific, clinical, regulatory, CMC, finance and operations.
• Enable governance with clear program insights, options and recommendations.
• Partner with Project Coordinators to ensure efficient execution while maintaining accountability.

Connaissances

Strong planning

Scheduling

Budgeting

Resource coordination

Performance reporting

Cross-functional collaboration

Agile delivery

Formation

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Postgraduate qualification preferred

Description du poste

Make your mark for patients

Make your mark for patients
We are looking for a Candidate Program Manager who is strategic, collaborative and delivery-focused to join our Integrated Program Management team in our UK office based in Slough or in our HQ in Belgium, Brussels.

About The Role

You will lead drug development programs from late research through proof-of-concept results, turning strategy into clear, executable plans. You will coordinate timelines, resources, budgets and decision points, anticipate risks, develop scenarios and help teams deliver agreed outcomes. Working in partnership with the program lead and a cross-functional team, you will provide transparent program information and support timely, objective decisions. You will also contribute to the wider program management community by sharing effective practices and supporting colleagues.

Who You'll Work With

The Candidate Program Management team sits at the heart of UCB's innovation engine, leading the programs that transform promising science into future medicines for patients. Candidate PMs operate at the intersection of strategy, science, and execution, partnering with senior leaders and cross-functional experts to shape critical decisions and accelerate the progression of assets through the development pipeline. This is a unique opportunity for someone who enjoys connecting people, solving complex challenges, and turning ambitious scientific strategies into executable plans. The role offers exposure to senior governance forums, cross-functional leadership teams, portfolio decision-making, and some of UCB's most strategically important programs

What You'll Do

• Drive the successful delivery of one or more candidate programs from late research through Proof of Concept, ensuring alignment with portfolio objectives and patient value.
• Translate candidate strategy into an integrated operational roadmap, including scope, timelines, resources, costs, and scenario planning.
• Lead program planning and execution, maintaining focus on critical path activities, key decisions, dependencies, and milestones.
• Proactively manage risks, issues, assumptions, and performance metrics, ensuring timely escalation and resolution of barriers.
• Act as the single point of integration across scientific, clinical, regulatory, CMC, finance, and operational stakeholders.
• Enable effective governance and decision-making by providing clear program insights, options, and recommendations.
• Partner with Project Coordinators and functional teams to ensure efficient execution while maintaining accountability for overall program outcomes.
  

Interested? For this role we're looking for the following education, experience and skills

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience; a postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline is preferred.
• At least five years of experience in program or project management, or a closely related function.
• Extensive industry experience, ideally within the pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical sector.
• Experience supporting cross-functional work across research, development and commercialization of a product.
• Proven ability to work with global, multicultural and diverse teams managing complex deliverables and demanding timelines.
• Strong planning, scheduling, budgeting, resource coordination and performance reporting skills.
• Ability to facilitate collaboration, communicate clearly, manage change and support constructive conflict resolution.
• A recognized program or project management qualification, or practical experience applying structured and agile delivery methods, is preferred.

About Us

UCB is a global biopharmaceutical company, focusing on neurology and immunology. We are over 9.000 people in all four corners of the globe, inspired by patients and driven by science.

Why work with us?

At UCB, we don’t just complete tasks, we create value. We aren’t afraid to push forward, collaborate, and innovate to make our mark for patients. We have a caring, supportive culture where everyone feels included, respected, and has equal opportunities to do their best work. We ‘go beyond’ to create value for our patients, and always with a human focus, whether that’s on our patients, our employees, or our planet. Working for us, you will discover a place where you can grow, and have the freedom to carve your own career path to achieve your full potential.

At UCB, we’ve embraced a hybrid-first approach to work, bringing teams together in local hubs to foster collaborative curiosity. Unless expressly stated in the description or precluded by the nature of the position, roles are hybrid with 40% of your time spent in the office.

UCB is an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions will be made without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable laws.

Should you require any adjustments to our process to assist you in demonstrating your strengths and capabilities contact us on [e-mail]. Please note should your enquiry not relate to adjustments; we will not be able to support you through this channel.