Project Manager / Alliance Manager

Vybrant HR is hiring on behalf of an unnamed client for a Project Manager/Alliance Manager. The role owns timelines and delivery for development projects while serving as the day-to-day partner for pharma and biotech clients, coordinating internal teams and external governance.

Responsibilities:

• Building and maintaining integrated project plans, timelines, and Gantt charts covering scope, milestones, dependencies, resources, and critical path
• Driving cross-functional teams (discovery biology, computational biology, data science, and software engineering) to hit milestones and deliverable dates
• Managing early discovery programs from target identification and validation through hit-to-lead, lead optimization, and candidate nomination into IND-enabling preclinical studies
• Coordinating data science and computational biology workstreams (e.g., target identification, omics analysis, AI/ML models, data pipelines) and tying their outputs to program decisions
• Establishing and driving software product development timelines and keeping teams informed of client priorities so releases line up with client milestone commitments
• Running regular internal project team meetings; set agendas, track action items, and follow up until they close
• Identifying risks and issues early, building mitigation and contingency plans, and escalating decisions to leadership when needed
• Managing scope, change requests, and their impact on timeline, resources, and budget
• Tracking project budgets and resource use in partnership with Finance; flag variances before they become problems
• Ensuring client deliverables (study reports, data packages, analysis results, software releases, technical transfers) are complete, reviewed and on time
• Producing clear status reports and dashboards for internal leadership
• Maintaining project documentation in line with company SOPs, quality standards and, where applicable, GxP and computer system validation requirements
• Improving project management processes, templates and tools across the organization
• Serving as the main point of contact for client and partner teams; building trusted relationships at working and senior levels, from bench scientists to R&D and IT leadership
• Scheduling and coordinating client meetings, including agendas, pre-reads, attendee lists, and logistics
• Preparing and distributing accurate meeting minutes, decisions, and action items promptly after each meeting, and tracking actions to closure
• Supporting and participating in alliance governance, including Joint Research Committees (JRC), Joint Steering Committees (JSC) and related working groups: prepare materials, track decisions, and maintain governance records
• Knowing the key terms of each agreement (deliverables, milestones, reporting and governance obligations) and help ensure the company meets them
• Translating client scientific and business questions into clear internal actions, including discovery experiments, computational analyses, and software requirements
• Monitoring relationship health, surfacing concerns early, and leading resolution of conflicts or misalignment
• Communicating project status, risks, and changes to clients transparently and on a regular cadence
• Partnering with Business Development on contract amendments, scope expansions, renewals, and new opportunities with existing clients
• Capturing lessons learned and client feedback to strengthen future partnerships

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences, chemistry, computational biology, computer science, engineering, or a related field
• 5–10 years of project management experience, with a proven record of building timelines and driving cross-functional teams to deliver on time
• 5–10 years of experience managing relationships with pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology clients or partners, in an alliance, account, or client-facing project role
• Direct client-facing experience: running meetings, writing minutes, managing client expectations, and supporting joint governance
• Proven ability to build and maintain both internal and external relationships, including with senior stakeholders
• Familiarity with early drug discovery and preclinical development (e.g., target validation, hit-to-lead, lead optimization, IND-enabling studies), enough to plan the work and discuss it credibly with scientists
• Exposure to data science and computational biology (e.g., bioinformatics, omics, cheminformatics, AI/ML) and how their outputs feed program decisions
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to write clear, concise minutes, status reports and presentations
• Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Confluence) and Microsoft Office / Google Workspace
• Location: Remote (US-based only)
• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, PharmD, or MBA)
• PMP or equivalent project management certification; Agile/Scrum certification (e.g., CSM, PMI-ACP); alliance management certification (e.g., ASAP CA-AM / CSAP)
• Direct experience supporting JRC/JSC or other joint governance committees
• Hands-on experience managing discovery programs from target to lead and through preclinical development
• Familiarity with enterprise software development and implementation, including requirements gathering, configuration, integration, validation, rollout, and user adoption
• Experience with co-development, licensing, research collaboration, or software licensing agreements
• Knowledge of GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, and computer system validation for software used in regulated environments
• Background in a CRO, CDMO, AI-driven drug discovery company or life sciences SaaS provider