Senior Project Manager - Wellcome Synthetic Human Genome (SynHG) Programme

University of Oxford - Department of Chemistry; Oxford; On-site; GBP 49,000 - 58,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Oxford - Department of Chemistry is seeking a Senior Project Manager for the Wellcome SynHG Programme in Oxford, United Kingdom. The role focuses on planning, coordination and delivery across sites, with accountability for milestones, budgets and funder reporting.

You will liaise with senior academics and external partners, ensuring governance, risk management, and timely information flow to support decision-making and successful project outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience managing complex projects or programmes involving multiple stakeholders, institutions, and workstreams.
• Experience supporting large-scale research programmes, scientific collaborations, or externally funded projects.
• Experience of budget monitoring, risk management, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience working within a university, research institute, or scientific innovation environment.
• Experience in synthetic biology, engineering biology, or molecular biology is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Oversee programme planning, milestone tracking, governance processes and funder reporting to ensure delivery on time and within budget.
• Coordinate activities across multiple institutions and workstreams with senior academic leaders.
• Maintain programme plans, reporting frameworks, and governance committees; provide high‑quality analysis for decisions.

Skills

Project management

Stakeholder management

Budget monitoring

Governance & reporting

Education

Degree-level qualification

Job description

Senior Project Manager - Wellcome Synthetic Human Genome (SynHG) Programme

University of Oxford - Department of Chemistry

Oxford, United Kingdom

GBP 49,119 - 58,265 per year

About the role

The SynHG programme aims to develop the foundational and scalable tools, technology and methods needed to synthesise large sections of human genomes/chromosomes. Through programmable synthesis of genetic material the aim is to unlock a deeper understanding of life, leading to potential acceleration of the development of safe, targeted, cell-based therapies, and opening entire new fields of research in human health. The project aims to achieve reliable genome design and synthesis – engineering cells to have specific functions – which will be a major milestone in modern biology.

The Senior Project Manager will play a pivotal role in the planning, coordination, and delivery of the Wellcome SynHG programme across all sites. The successful candidate will work closely with Professor Chin and the programme's co-investigators: Professor Patrick Cai (University of Manchester), Professor Tom Ellis (Imperial College London), Dr Julian Sale (MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge), and Professor Joy Zhang (University of Kent), to oversee programme planning, milestone tracking, governance processes, budget monitoring, risk management, and funder reporting to ensure delivery of programme objectives on time and within budget.

The role will involve coordinating activities across multiple institutions and workstreams, maintaining programme plans and reporting frameworks, supporting governance committees and advisory boards, and providing high‑quality analysis and reporting to support decision‑making by programme leadership.

About you

Applicants should hold a degree‑level qualification, or possess equivalent professional experience, in project management, science, engineering, life sciences, or a related discipline.

You will have experience managing complex projects or programmes involving multiple stakeholders, institutions, and workstreams. Experience supporting large‑scale research programmes, scientific collaborations, or externally funded projects is highly desirable.

The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent organisational and communication skills, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment. You will be comfortable working with senior academic leaders, researchers, operational teams, and external partners, and will have experience of budget monitoring, risk management, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.

Experience of working within a university, research institute, or scientific innovation environment would be advantageous, as would familiarity with major research funders and multidisciplinary research programmes. Experience working in the field of synthetic biology, engineering biology, or molecular biology is highly desirable.

Deadline 13 November