Research Projects Manager (m/f/d)

planqc; Deutschland; On-site; USD 74,234 - 108,496; Full time

Job summary

planqc seeks a Research Project Manager to deliver large publicly funded research programmes. You will work with technical leads to ensure milestones, budgets and reporting are met across multiple partners and institutions.

You will coordinate dashboards, prepare interim and final reports, manage budgets with Finance, and maintain audit-ready documentation while driving process improvements in project administration.

Qualifications

• Background in either a technical field (e.g., physics, engineering, natural sciences) or business/management.
• Experience coordinating publicly funded R&D projects and reports.
• Strong written communication for structured reports.
• Excellent English (C1) and German (B2) language skills.

Responsibilities

• Tracking & Dashboard: collect status updates and maintain a central overview dashboard.
• Project Management: own operational management of large publicly funded programmes.
• Reporting: coordinate interim and final reports for funding institutions.
• Budget Tracking: manage budgets and cost reporting with Finance.
• Compliance & Contracts: maintain audit-ready documentation and assist with procurement.
• Consortium Meetings: plan and organize meetings across partner organisations.
• Point of Contact: liaise with funding institutions and consortium partners.
• Stakeholder Management: coordinate collaboration across universities, institutes, and industry.
• Process Improvement: improve templates and tools for project administration.

Skills

Background & Experience

Organisation & Numbers

Funded R&D

Writing

Languages

Education

Degree in a technical field or business/management

Job description

Your mission

Atplanqc, we build scalable quantum computers based on neutral atoms and actively shape the ecosystem that enables their development. As we grow, ourpublicly funded research projects are becoming larger, more international, and increasingly complex.

This role is about thebiggest projectsplanqchas to offer–large, publicly funded programmes to build quantum computers, each worthtens of millions of euros. These aremainly projectsfunded byGerman entities such as the BMFTR and the DLR, as well asEuropean sources like Horizon Europe. With around a dozen projects running in parallel, it is easy to lose track of the many deadlines, deliverables, budgets, and reporting obligations.

As Research Project manager, you are responsible for the operational delivery of some of planqc´s largest publicly funded research programmes. Working alongside the technical project leads, you ensure that complex, multi-partner projects remain on track, from planning and consortium coordination to reporting, budget risks, and stakeholder communication.

Your responsibilities

• Tracking & Dashboard:Youcollect status updates and track progress across all projects,maintaininga central overview dashboardthat gives employees, C-level, and investors transparency on our portfolio – and proactively reminding people of upcoming deadlines, deliverables, and obligations
• Project Management:owntheoperational managementof largepublicly fundedresearchprogrammes, ensuringmilestones,deliverable,budgetsand reportingobligations are metthroughoutthe projectl ifecycle.
• Reporting:You coordinate the extensive report writing–in particular interimand final reports for funding institutions – making sure they get done on time, with input gathered from the technical staff
• Budget Tracking:You handle budget tracking and cost reporting across the projects, in close coordination with Finance
• Compliance & Contracts:You keep projects audit-ready bymaintainingcomplete,accuratedocumentation throughout the project lifecycle, and support contract administration (with Legal) and procurement whererequired
• Consortium Meetings:You plan and organise the periodic consortium meetings that some projects require across all partner organisations (e.g. every six months), including documentation and follow-up actions
• Point of Contact:Whenneeded,you act as a point of contact for funding institutions, project sponsors, and consortium partners on administrative matters
• Stakeholder Management:Coordinatecollaborationacrossuniversities,researchinstitutes,industrialpartners,andfundingorganisation
• Organiseconsortiummeetings,steeringworkshops,and followup on agreedactions tokeep all partneraligned.
• Process Improvement:Youtakeownershipofcontinuouslyimprovingthe processes, templates, and digital tools around project administration, reporting, and budget tracking

What you bring

• Background & Experience:A background in either a technical field (e.g.physics,engineering,natural sciences) or business/management (e.g. business administration, economics, project management).At least a degree plus 2 years of relevant professional experience (or more experience without a degree).
• Organisation & Numbers:Strong organisational skills, a structured, methodical way of working, and comfort working with numbers and budgets
• Funded R&D:Experience coordinating publicly funded R&D projects, including application platforms and interim/final reports
• Writing:Excellent written communication skills, particularly for structured reports
• Languages:English at a minimum of C1 level and German at a minimum ofB2level

Nice to have

• Grant Accounting & Audits:Deep grant-accountingexpertise(e.g. BMFTR/DLR cost claims, Horizon Europe financial reporting) and experience with project audits and audit-readiness
• International Context:Experienceininterdisciplinaryand/or internationalproject contexts
• Deep Tech:A background in quantum technologies or another deep-tech environment

What characterizes you

• Structure & Overview:You bring structure and visibility to complex, cross-functional projects and keep an overview even when many projects run in parallel
• Reliability:You work independently, reliably, and with attention to detail
• Communication:Youcommunicate clearly

Why join planqc