Associate Project Manager

Actalent; United States; On-site; USD 47,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an Associate Project Manager to support strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations within a fast-growing life sciences organization. You will partner with leadership and collaborate across cross-functional teams to coordinate projects, improve processes, manage documentation, and drive operational excellence.

This is an early-career opportunity to expand experience in a cutting-edge scientific environment, gaining exposure to complex business initiatives, process

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, or related field.
• 2+ years of project coordination or project management experience.
• Experience managing project schedules, deliverables, milestones, and stakeholder communications.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proven experience creating process documentation, workflow maps, and tracking systems.
• Experience updating and maintaining SOPs and operational procedures.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
• High attention to detail and commitment to delivering quality results.

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update project plans to ensure initiatives remain on track, on time, and within scope.
• Manage timelines, milestones, deliverables, and dependencies across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate activities among cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment, accountability, and clear communication.
• Create and maintain workflow diagrams and process maps that document current and future-state operations.
• Update and manage Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and operational documentation.
• Design and maintain project tracking tools, dashboards, and reporting systems.
• Analyze project and operational data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights to leadership.
• Prepare status reports, risk assessments, and executive-level project updates.
• Support SKU setup and maintenance activities within internal systems and databases.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and support implementation of process enhancements.
• Track action items, project deliverables, and process improvement initiatives through completion.
• Provide day-to-day project and operational support to leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Manage competing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Maintain accurate project records, documentation, and reporting metrics.
• Build strong working relationships across scientific, operational, and business functions.

Skills

Project coordination

Project management

Organization

Documentation

Communication

Collaboration

Attention to detail

Experience with project schedules

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, or related field

Tools

Project management software

Databases

Reporting tools

Job description

Associate Project Manager

About the Role

We are seeking a highly organized and driven Associate Project Manager to support strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations within a fast-growing life sciences organization. In this role, you will partner directly with leadership and collaborate across multiple cross-functional teams to coordinate projects, improve processes, manage documentation, and drive operational excellence.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career project manager looking to expand their experience in a cutting-edge scientific environment. You will gain exposure to complex business initiatives, process improvement efforts, and leadership-driven projects while working alongside scientific and operational teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update project plans to ensure initiatives remain on track, on time, and within scope.
• Manage timelines, milestones, deliverables, and dependencies across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate activities among cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment, accountability, and clear communication.
• Create and maintain workflow diagrams and process maps that document current and future-state operations.
• Update and manage Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and operational documentation.
• Design and maintain project tracking tools, dashboards, and reporting systems.
• Analyze project and operational data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights to leadership.
• Prepare status reports, risk assessments, and executive-level project updates.
• Support SKU setup and maintenance activities within internal systems and databases.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and support implementation of process enhancements.
• Track action items, project deliverables, and process improvement initiatives through completion.
• Provide day-to-day project and operational support to leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Manage competing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Maintain accurate project records, documentation, and reporting metrics.
• Build strong working relationships across scientific, operational, and business functions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, or a related field.
• 2+ years of project coordination or project management experience.
• Experience managing project schedules, deliverables, milestones, and stakeholder communications.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proven experience creating process documentation, workflow maps, and tracking systems.
• Experience updating and maintaining SOPs and operational procedures.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
• High attention to detail and commitment to delivering quality results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or healthcare industry.
• Exposure to cell biology, molecular biology, gene editing, or genetic engineering concepts.
• Experience supporting process improvement or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience working with databases, reporting tools, and project management software.
• Familiarity with project management methodologies and best practices.
• Experience presenting project updates and recommendations to leadership teams.

What You'll Bring

• Strong project ownership and follow-through.
• A collaborative mindset and ability to build relationships across teams.
• A proactive approach to identifying challenges and implementing solutions.
• Adaptability and comfort working in an evolving business environment.
• Coachability and a desire to continuously learn and grow.

Work Environment

• 100% onsite position.
• Monday through Friday schedule.
• Typical hours are approximately 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Fast-paced, highly collaborative life sciences environment.
• Frequent interaction with scientific, operational, and business stakeholders.
• Opportunity to support strategic initiatives while developing a long-term career in project management within the life sciences industry.

Ideal Candidate: A motivated project professional with a passion for organization, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration who is looking to build a career at the intersection of project management and life sciences.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Carlsbad, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $34.00 - $36.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your jobclassification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may besubject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefitsavailable for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Carlsbad,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 10, 2026.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications withoutregard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability,sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protectedby law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification oradjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability,please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in thecity and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicantswith arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as acondition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this lawshall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process,including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applicationsand qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, youacknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.