Industry Partnerships Project Manager

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

3d•$71,301 - $95,543•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Colorado (CU) Anschutz School of Medicine (SOM) Office of Research is seeking a highly skilled Project Manager to support strategic, sponsor-funded collaborations within the Office of Clinical Trials. This role serves as a project manager and industry partnership lead, functioning as the central operational and relationship hub for a designated external partner (e.g., pharmaceutical or biotechnology sponsor). The position is responsible for tracking and coordinating complex, sponsor-supported clinical research activities while ensuring a high-quality, responsive, and solutions-oriented experience for external stakeholders. The nature of this work is fast-paced, highly visible, detail- and service-oriented, and requires independent management of large, complex projects, strong judgment, and the ability to represent CU Anschutz professionally in interactions with industry partners. This position will report to the Research Office Manager. This position is contingent upon anticipated external sponsor funding associated with strategic industry partnerships.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public health, healthcare administration, project management, or related field.
Five years of progressively responsible experience in project management; client or stakeholder management; clinical research, healthcare, or related operational environments.
Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship. We are unable to provide work visa sponsorship or employment authorization for this position now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business, health administration, or related field.
Experience supporting industry-sponsored clinical trials or research partnerships.
Experience working in academic medical centers or healthcare systems.
Experience with clinical trial budgeting, contracting, or sponsor management processes.
Project Management Professional (PMP), Prosci, or comparable certification.
Experience in consulting, industry liaison, or executive support roles.
Understands clinical trial lifecycle, contracting, and sponsor expectations preferred.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management tools. Experience with reporting tools, dashboards, client relationship management, and data systems preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end project management for industry-sponsored initiatives, including development and maintenance of project plans, timelines, and deliverables.
Track progress across multiple concurrent projects and clinical trials, identifying risks, dependencies, and mitigation strategies.
Ensure alignment of project execution with sponsor expectations, contractual obligations, and institutional workflows.
Serve as the primary point of contact and relationship manager for assigned external partner(s), ensuring a high-quality, responsive, and solutions-oriented experience.
Build strong, trust-based relationships with sponsor representatives, serving as a knowledgeable and reliable liaison.
Manage partner communications, expectations, and issue resolution in a proactive and professional manner.
Develop and deliver executive-level communications, including sponsor updates, briefings, and presentations tailored to industry audiences.
Serve as a navigator for sponsor-initiated projects, coordinating intake, routing, and follow-up to appropriate institutional partners.
Ensure seamless handoffs across study teams, research administration, and sponsor stakeholders.
Act as a central coordination hub for sponsors across departments, research teams, hospitals, and external partners.
Facilitate alignment among investigators, operational teams, finance, contracting, and sponsor stakeholders.
Support governance structures by coordinating meetings, preparing materials, tracking action items, and ensuring follow-through.
Develop and maintain operational reports, dashboards, and tracking tools to monitor sponsor-related activity and performance.
Support development and refinement of workflows, SOPs, and operating models for sponsor-facing processes.
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, scalability, and overall partnership value.
Maintain organized records (agreements, budgets, reporting files) and support preparation of routine financial and status summaries.
Ensure timely completion of deliverables and compliance with internal and external reporting expectations.
Provide administrative support for tracking invoices, payments, and basic financial reconciliation in collaboration with finance teams.