Associate Technical Project Manager
About The Position
Prolific Machines is seeking a Technical Project Manager to manage critical customer and internal programs involving its optogenetic biotechnology platform. Projects may include R&D efforts to build new capabilities and platforms, cell line development and scale-up of customer molecules integrated into optogenetic cell lines, and enabling pharmaceutical partners to build optogenetic capabilities at their sites. The role leads technical planning, coordination, and results reporting across a broad technical organization. It works with technical leads in R&D, Technical Operations, Hardware, Product, and Business Development to support cross-team collaboration and communication, and coordinates with senior leadership on project outcomes. The position reports to the Head of the Project Management Office and is based on-site in Emeryville, California.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in a life science or engineering field and 3 or more years of relevant experience, or a master's degree and 2 or more years of relevant experience, in biotechnology, biopharmaceuticals, or a similar industry.
- Experience coordinating projects, timelines, or cross-functional work, in a formal project management role or as part of a lab, technical, or operations team.
- Familiarity with project management tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project, Asana, or similar, and strong spreadsheet skills.
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with clear and concise verbal and written communication skills.
- Scientific background and comfort learning new technical areas.
- Able to follow through, ask questions, and raise issues early.
- Able to adapt to changing priorities in a dynamic startup environment.
- Eager to learn, seek feedback, and grow a career in project management.
Nice To Haves
- Hands-on or adjacent experience with cell engineering, cell line development, or process development and scale-up.
Responsibilities
- Support internal and client-facing projects by building and maintaining project schedules, trackers, and risk and decision logs.
- Coordinate assigned projects or workstreams day to day, including scheduling and running meetings, capturing decisions and action items, and following up to completion.
- Gather inputs from technical leads to support senior project managers and leadership with resource planning, scope alignment, and schedule coordination.
- Prepare project reporting, including monthly updates, dashboards, and milestone and data summaries.
- Flag risks, delays, and dependencies early and help teams address them.
- Contribute to project standards, templates, and improvement initiatives with project management colleagues.
- Coordinate cross-functionally with R&D, cell line development, process development, analytics, hardware, business development, and product development teams on technology transfers and technical support.
- Coordinate with client and customer teams, including technical leads and business development representatives, with support from senior PMO members.
- Coordinate with third parties, suppliers, and partners on capital equipment and materials that support internal teams.
Benefits
- Generous equity package in an early-stage company.
- Retirement plan with company contribution.
- Flexible paid time off with healthy time-off minimums.
- Company-covered medical, dental, and vision insurance.
- Life and disability insurance.
- Career coaching.
- Mental health support.
- Free team lunches every day and snacks.
- Companywide social events.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
