Hybrid Project Manager – Senior Project Manager

at 5AM Ventures

• Job title: Project Manager – Senior Project Manager
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior
• Salary: $100,000 - $160,000 per year
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Tech skills: PMP
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Berkeley, United States

About the role

• Project Manager with a strong scientific background managing pre-clinical programs for small molecule drug discovery and development. Join a fast-paced, early-stage biotech impacting patients in renal disease.

Responsibilities

• Lead project team meetings – draft agendas, document key discussion points, actions, and decisions, and maintain program records for easy access by the team.
• Ensure projects are conducted in compliance with industry regulations and organizational quality standards.
• Drive development of program Gantt charts and summarize the critical path in timeline slides for team discussions and leadership meetings.
• Proactively identify risks and potential roadblocks in the project pipeline and develop mitigation and contingency strategies. Communicate plans to senior management and stakeholders.
• Coordinate across various internal functions, including medicinal chemistry and biology teams to drive projects forward, ensure all stakeholders understand their deliverables, and prioritize key workstreams.
• Ensure projects proceed according to agreed timelines and budget, flagging for stakeholders and leadership when a timeline or budget deviation is anticipated.
• Identify resource gaps for projects and highlight the impact to timelines/budget for stakeholders and senior management.
• Perform scenario planning to facilitate team decision making and prepare for multiple potential outcomes.
• Partner with scientific leads and legal team to negotiate and establish contracts with CROs, academic partners, and consultants.
• Provide operational support to program teams, including international and domestic shipping, PO generation, and managing SharePoint folder structure.
• Continuously seek ways to improve our workflows, internal project management processes, and tools.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chemistry, or a related field (Master’s degree or PhD preferred).
• PMP certification or equivalent project management training is a plus.
• 2+ years of experience in project management in the biotech, pharmaceutical, or related industry, with a focus on pre-clinical or small molecule drug development.
• Experience working in drug discovery and pre-clinical development stages (e.g., early-stage drug discovery, animal studies, ADME/Tox).
• Strong understanding of small molecule drug development processes, including pharmacokinetics, toxicity studies, formulation, and scale-up.
• Proven ability to manage cross-functional teams, multiple vendors and projects simultaneously.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, with an ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner.
• Solid problem-solving and critical thinking skills, with the ability to anticipate challenges and address them proactively.
• Proficiency with project management software, such as Smartsheet.
• Familiarity with pre-clinical data analysis and reporting tools is a plus.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits
• Performance bonuses
• Equity participation