(Associate) Director, Project Management

Socket.dev; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 115,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual bonus

401(k) plan

Health, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off

Job summary

Centessa Pharmaceuticals seeks an Associate Director, Program Management for Orexin Development Programs in the United States. The role combines project management with drug development to guide early Orexin programs through IND-enabled activities into early clinical development.

You will partner with the Global Team Leader, maintain cross-functional program plans and dashboards, manage budgets, and support regulatory submissions. Occasional travel is expected.

Qualifications

• BS with 8+ years in pharma/biotech R&D or MS/MBA with 6+ years in pharma/biotech R&D, including 4+ years as PM.
• Experience managing projects through IND-enabling activities, pre-IND meetings, IND submissions, and Phase 1 development.
• Experience in drug development and registration globally.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and influence without formal authority.
• Expert knowledge of project management principles and proficiency in project management software.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the GTL to project manage a cross-functional development team and sub-teams.
• Lead development and maintenance of a cross-functional program Gantt chart with dependencies.
• Identify interdependencies, critical path and risks; support scenario planning and risk management.
• Develop and maintain dashboards to communicate status and progress.
• Manage cross-functional meetings, agendas, materials, and minutes.
• Develop and maintain issue logs and risks registers; ensure timely resolution and mitigation of risks.
• Work with Finance to develop budgets and manage program spend within approved budgets.
• Manage select external vendors and integrate deliverables into the program plan.
• Support governance and executive presentations.
• Prepare documents for regulatory submissions to health authorities.
• Contribute to best practices, processes and procedures.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication skills

Risk management

Smartsheet

PMP certification

Education

Bachelor's degree + 8+ years pharma/biotech R&D

MS/MBA + 6+ years pharma/biotech R&D

Tools

Smartsheet

Job description

Description of Role

Centessa is seeking a (Associate) Director, Program Management – Orexin Development Programs. This individual will leverage both project management and drug development experience to manage one or more early-stage global Orexin development programs. This position will report to the Executive Director, Global Team Leader.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the GTL (Global Team Leader) to project manage a cross-functional matrix development team, and select sub-teams
• Lead the development of and continuously maintain detailed and fully cross-functionally integrated program Gantt chart, incorporating all relevant dependencies, and provide fit-for-purpose summary views for team use and executive management reviews
• Identify and manage interdependencies, critical path and at-risk activities to support program level scenario planning and risk management strategies
• Develop and maintain relevant dashboards to communicate status and track progress
• Manage cross-functional team meetings including scheduling, preparing agendas, presentation materials, and minutes that ensure proper follow up of action items
• Develop and maintain issue logs and risks registers, and ensure team proactively resolve issues in a timely manner and that risks are mitigated as appropriate
• Work with cross-functional team and Finance to develop and update budgets, and manage program spend within approved budget
• Manage select external vendors (timelines, budgets, MSA/SOW documents, etc.) and integrate deliverables into program Gantt
• Support development of Governance and Executive presentations
• Provide support for the planning and preparation of documents to a quality standard required for Regulatory/Health Authority submissions
• Contribute to establishment and refinement of best practices, processes and procedures

Qualifications

• BS plus 8+ years’ experience in pharmaceutical/biotech R&D environment, or MS/MBA plus 6+ years in pharmaceutical/biotech R&D environment, including 4+ years as PM or equivalent
• Experience managing project teams through IND-enabling activities, pre-IND mtgs, IND submissions, and Phase 1 development.
• Proven expertise in drug development and registration, including early and late-stage clinical, nonclinical, CMC development, and regulatory interactions, submissions/reviews globally
• Highly motivated, proactive, detail-oriented and organized self-starter with strong communication, collaboration, interpersonal skills, and influence to accomplish work without formal authority and to ensure optimal team performance
• Excellent analytical skills and expert in facilitating team decision making; competent in the application of decision analysis methodologies and related tools
• Expert knowledge of project management principles and practices with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced dynamic environment (PMP certification is highly desired), and expert in project management software, e.g., Smartsheet

Work Location

The (Associate) Director, Project Management role is based in the US, with occasional travel.

Compensation

The annual base salary range for the Associate Director level position is $115,000 -$170,000.

The annual base salary range for the Director level position is $130,000 - $210,000

Individual compensation within this range will be determined based on a variety of factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge and location.

In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus. Centessa also offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a 401(k) plan, company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, generous paid time off, and a health and wellness program.

POSITION: Full-Time, Exempt

EEOC Statement: Centessa Pharmaceuticals, a wholly owned subdisary of Eli Lilly and Company believes in a diverse environment and is committed to equal employment opportunity for all its employees and qualified applicants. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. We will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Please note: We will not assign referral rights for any unsolicited resumes from recruitment agencies.