R&D Project and Partnership, Manager / Senior Manager (CH, UK, Spain)

We are seeking to hire two Project Management professionals to support our SBI and STI projects.

Overall Purpose:

The R&D Partnership and Project Manager (PM) will be responsible for ensuring the project management excellence and end-to-end execution of one of GARDP’s strategic development project. Working closely with the Project/Programme Leader (PL), R&D team members, external partners, and senior management, s/he will drive the proper implementation and delivery of the comprehensive cross-functional drug/treatment development plan across its full life cycle, including manufacturing and regulatory components.

The PM provides cross‑functional coordination and operational leadership, ensuring that development plans are coherent, resourced, risk‑managed, and executed in line with GARDP governance, donor requirements, and portfolio priorities. The responsibilities will encompass to proactively monitor and manage the assigned project, ensuring the project goals and timelines are achieved within quality requirements and target budgets, and to maintain an efficient information and communication flow between internal and external stakeholders. By maintaining a clear visibility between project‑level execution and portfolio‑level objectives, the PM plays a key role in enabling consolidated reporting and informed decision‑making.

In addition to project management, the role includes active partnership management and leadership of selected technical workstreams, as delegated by the Project Leader and aligned with the PM’s expertise.

As a team-player and effective communicator, the R&D Project Manager must be able to drive momentum and build consensus, at the interface of multi-disciplinary and cross-functional teams. Strong organizational skills and ability to develop and manage successful collaborations with external and internal stakeholders is a key driver of success.

Key responsibilities:

Project Management

·       Responsible to plan, integrate and manage the execution of the comprehensive cross-functional Project Plan to deliver the agreed milestones, deliverables, and outcomes against set performance and objectives, within scope and agreed timelines.

·       Support the Project Leader in the definition of project scope and objectives working closely with relevant project stakeholders. Manage project scope, including identifying, implementing and managing changes to achieve project goals.

·       Develop detailed task lists and work effort assessment and short and long-term resources/capacities need plans based on input from all key players and team members. Coordinate with Functional Leads on resources/skills requirements for the project.

·       Manage the project budget, procurement plan, and actuals monitoring to ensure a clear visibility on project funding needs, its execution within the agreed budget, and compliance to GARDP and donors’ policies and requirements.

·       Manage the monitoring of the project contractual framework and liaise with the operational contract owners to ensure the contracts execution and control are on track and in compliance with GARDP and donors’ policies and requirements.

·       Act as a key operational interface with external stakeholders, ensuring alignment on scope, deliverables, timelines, and governance.

·       Identify, measure, and escalate risks and potential roadblocks and relational issues. Proactively implement and track mitigation measures and resolution plans.

·       Monitor, analyse and report on the progress and performance of the project, both internally and externally in alignment with GARDP governance and reporting framework (i.e., manage and support the development of R&D governance meetings presentations and reports for the project and contribute to reporting to GARDP’s donors). Responsible of the documentation of the project and maintenance of effective communication channels to provide accurate information to the R&D leadership team.

·       Plan, manage, and facilitate regular cross-functional Core & Extended Project team meetings, act as the key point of contact for the non-R&D department (Legal, Procurement, Finance, Communications) and vendors/service providers involved in the project.

·       Support the development of the Project strategy and plan in close collaboration with the R&D Project Leader and Associate Project Leader and propose tactical decision, staffing and budget decision to the Project Leader.

  Workstream leadership

·       Within the assigned project, lead or co‑lead specific technical, regulatory, or operational workstreams as agreed with the Project Leader. Ensure workstream plans are integrated into the overall project plan, with clear deliverables, timelines, risks, and interfaces to other functions.

·       Coordinate internal experts and external partners contributing to the workstream, ensuring timely progress and issue resolution.

 Partnership management

·       Responsible for ensuring the partnership management excellence of R&D and/or co-development collaborations associated to the project. Contribute to the definition and revision of the co-development strategy and plan in close collaboration with the Project or Programme Leader and Business Development.

·       Lead the collaborative work with the partner(s) with the goal to fulfil on a timely and efficient manner the collaboration/partnership requirements and objectives.

·       Support the Project Leader in managing partnership governance structures, including joint steering committees, technical working groups, and escalation pathways.

·       Monitor partner performance against contractual and collaborative commitments; proactively address risks, misalignments, or execution challenges.

·       Foster effective, trust‑based collaboration across diverse partners, cultures, and organizational models, while safeguarding GARDP’s objectives and obligations.

Contribution to the PPM function

·       Within the Project & Portfolio Management team, contribute to the development of internal tools, systems, processes, and best practices related to project management.

·       Share lessons learned and support harmonization of ways of working across the R&D project portfolio.

Reporting line

S/he reports to the Head of R&D Portfolio and Operations Strategy

The role is deployed within a specific programme under the leadership of an Associate Director or Project Leader

Interactions

·       Close collaboration with the Project Leader, Associate Project Leader and the Project Team members

·       Regular interactions with the Project & Portfolio Management team members

·       Regular interactions with GARDP R&D and non-R&D team members

·       External partners and consultants

Job Requirements

Skills and Attributes

·       Results driven and goal oriented with the ability to anticipate potential problems and resolve before cost and schedule are impacted

·       Self-starter with the ability to make sound decisions about scheduling, managing priorities and to work independently

·       Strong ability to use initiative, prioritize, multi-task, and work well under pressure to meet deadlines

·       Clear and systematic thinking that demonstrates good judgment, problem-solving competencies and analytical skills

·       Strong communication skills in multicultural, multi-lingual environments including strong oral and written English communication, facilitation, and presentation skills

·       Ability to organize and present technical overviews to cross functional departments, and upper management

·       Strong people management skills, including demonstrated ability to manage a cross-functional team, and gravitas to influence at all levels as well as without formal authority

·       Quality oriented, well organized and structured, comfortable with managing process

·       Has autonomy for taking actions and decisions

·       Good conflict management skills

·       Energetic, flexible, resourceful self-starter

R&D Technical Skills

·       Experience in drug product development, good knowledge of clinical and pre-clinical development and regulatory requirements and processes with the ability to translate this into meaningful plans that can be used to set expectations and track project delivery

·       Able to combine a strategic perspective, understanding the technical, regulatory and other objectives and constraints of disease areas and project teams, with a high level of focus on operational detail and the feasibility of project plans

·       Working knowledge of the applicable clinical trial regulations and Good Clinical Practice and cGMP regulations

Education and Experience

·       Doctoral degree in medical sciences, biology, chemistry, pharmacy, or related scientific discipline, with 3+ years in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry, or

·       MSc in medical sciences, biology, chemistry, pharmacy, or related scientific discipline, with 5+ years in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry

·       At least 3 to 5 years performing project management role within biotech/drug development industry or healthcare environment

·       Professional training in project management, PMP/Prince II certification a plus

·       Antibiotic development experience a plus

Other Requirements

·       Fluency in English

·       Excellent knowledge of Microsoft Suite and experience in use of diverse PM tools and document management systems (e.g. MS Project, SharePoint, Teams)