Discovery and Preclinical Project Manager- CDI- M/F

pierrefabre; Occitanie; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentives

Profit-sharing

Shareholding

Health insurance

Public transport benefit

Job summary

Pierre Fabre Laboratories in France is seeking an experienced Preclinical Project Manager to advance therapeutic programs from discovery through preclinical development.

You will lead cross-functional teams, apply scientific judgment, plan strategically, manage budgets, and drive project governance in an international R&D setting, with teleworking up to two days per week.

Qualifications

• Advanced scientific degree required (MSc or PhD).
• Fluent in English, written and spoken.
• 5+ years in drug discovery or preclinical development.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Strong planning, budgeting, and risk management skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive preclinical programs from target validation to IND-enabling activities.
• Develop integrated project plans with timelines, resources, budgets, milestones.
• Lead cross-functional teams across discovery, pharmacology, DMPK, toxicology, CMC, translational, clinical, regulatory.
• Monitor delivery, identify risks, resolve issues, adapt plans.
• Prepare governance updates and recommendations for R&D leadership.
• Foster team collaboration and accountability across projects.

Skills

English fluency

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Strategic planning

Budget management

Communication

Risk management

Education

MSc/PhD in life sciences

Job description

Who we are ?

We are Pierre Fabre Laboratories, a global leader combining pharmaceutical expertise with dermo-cosmetics to support consumers and patients at every stage of their care journey.

Our portfolio includes several medical franchises and international brands such as Eau Thermale Avène, Ducray, A-Derma, Klorane, René Furterer, and Pierre Fabre Oral Care.

By joining us, you become part of a meaningful company where the human dimension is essential. You become a participant in the "We Care Movement," a movement that values excellence and innovation within passionate teams. Together, we push the boundaries of science to unite health and beauty for the benefit of all, because Every time we care for a single person, we make the whole world better.

Present in 120 countries with a team of over 10,000 employees, we are proud to create a scientific and human impact, today and tomorrow! If caring is at the heart of your values, join Pierre Fabre Laboratories and become a key player in the "We Care Movement".

Your mission

We are seeking an experienced and scientifically driven Preclinical Project Manager to help advance innovative therapeutic programs from discovery through preclinical development.

This role is designed for a collaborative leader who combines strong scientific judgment, strategic planning, and operational excellence to drive cross-functional teams toward high-quality, decision-ready outcomes.

Your role within a pioneering company in full expansion

Key responsibilities

• Drive preclinical programs from target validation through IND-enabling activities, ensuring alignment with portfolio strategy and project objectives.
• Develop and manage integrated project plans, including timelines, resources, budget, milestones, dependencies, risks, and critical path activities.
• Lead cross-functional execution by bringing together experts across discovery, pharmacology, DMPK, toxicology, CMC, translational, clinical, regulatory, and external partner teams.
• Monitor project delivery and performance, proactively identifying risks, resolving issues, and adapting plans based on emerging data and business priorities.
• Support governance and decision-making through the preparation of high-quality project updates, milestone reviews, and recommendations for R&D leadership and governance boards.
• Build high-performing project teams by clarifying roles and responsibilities, facilitating effective collaboration, and fostering a culture of accountability and excellence. Identifies and solves conflict at project team level.
• Drive continuous improvement of project management practices, governance processes, and portfolio execution across R&D.

This position is compatible with teleworking up to 2 days a week according to company rules.

Benefits

• Incentives
• profit-sharing
• Pierre Fabre shareholding with matching contribution
• health and provident insurance
• 16 days of holidays (RTT) in addition to 25 days of personal holidays
• public transport participation…

Who you are ?

Your skills at the service of innovative projects

• You hold an advanced scientific degree, such as an MSc or PhD in life sciences, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related discipline.
• You are fully fluent in English, both written and spoken, and comfortable working in an international, scientific environment where English is the primary working language.
• You bring at least five years of experience in drug discovery and/or preclinical development, ideally gained as a core project team representative in a pharmaceutical, biotech, or translational research environment.
• You have a solid understanding of the scientific principles and development pathways that underpin drug discovery and clinical development, including both small molecules and biologics.
• You have demonstrated the ability to lead, coordinate, or manage complex discovery and preclinical development projects, aligning scientific objectives with timelines, resources, risks, and decision points.
• You are a structured and solution-oriented professional with strong analytical skills, able to anticipate challenges, develop pragmatic mitigation plans, and keep projects progressing on critical timelines.
• You combine excellent planning, tracking, and prioritization capabilities with the ability to manage several projects or workstreams simultaneously in a dynamic R&D environment.
• You ideally bring hands-on experience in project management practices, including project planning, resource coordination, timeline oversight, and contribution to the preparation, monitoring, and refinement of project budgets.
• You bring strategic thinking, sound judgement, and a strong capacity for contingency planning, ensuring that project teams can adapt rapidly as new data emerge.
• You communicate with clarity and influence, engaging stakeholders at different levels of the organization and creating the conditions for project team members to contribute at their best.
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