Preclinical Program Manager

CHDI Management•Princeton, NJ

4d•$80,000 - $120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

CHDI Foundation, Inc. is seeking a highly motivated and organized Program Manager to join its preclinical Program Management Office and support various preclinical teams. The role coordinates and manages translational and preclinical studies, working closely with Ph.D.-level scientists and internal finance and legal colleagues, as well as external collaborators. The position offers growth opportunities, exposure to a nonprofit orphan-disease drug discovery model, and an entrepreneurial, high-impact work environment. The Program Manager supports the execution and post-execution management of contracts with collaborators, including fee-for-service companies, academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnology companies. The role monitors study progress, budgets, deliverables, invoices, and documentation; coordinates access to and registration of study materials and data; identifies and helps resolve operational, financial, and contractual issues; and contributes to project tracking and fiscal-year forecasting. The position is based in Princeton, New Jersey, and requires working in the office two days per week. Applicants not clearly local to Princeton will not be considered. Vaccination against COVID-19 is a prerequisite for employment at CHDI Management.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in life sciences or chemical sciences.
Contract management experience and hands-on experience coordinating studies with collaborating sites.
Experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
Self-motivated and resourceful.
Strong organizational and multitasking skills.
Superior written and oral communication skills.
High proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

Nice To Haves

Experience in licensing, technology transfer, and alliance management in industry or academia.

Responsibilities

Work with CHDI Science Directors to understand project goals and deliverables and enable execution of legal contracts with collaborators, including fee-for-service companies, academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies, and biotechnology companies.
Work with CHDI finance and legal officers to execute contracts in compliance with Foundation policies.
Work with scientists and the financial officer to evaluate and optimize proposed budgets for new projects.
Use existing tracking tools to monitor executed contracts against their specified terms.
Identify and promptly communicate potential issues and delays to scientists, the legal department, and the financial officer, and propose solutions.
Liaise with collaborative counterparts to help ensure studies comply with contracts and deliverables are provided on time and within allocated funds.
Coordinate with materials and data repository managers to ensure materials and data are available before contracts are executed, and that collaborator-generated materials and data are registered, tracked, and deposited in CHDI databases.
Participate in and host internal and external meetings as needed, prepare minutes, follow up on action items, and advise on operational, financial, and legal matters.
Complete post-execution contract management requirements, including invoicing, audit reports, material shipments, amendments, and contract close-outs.
Review periodic invoices for consistency with contract financial terms and CHDI policy, flag discrepancies, and resolve issues with collaborators and/or the CHDI financial officer in time for monthly deadlines.
Review academic financial audit reports, reconcile discrepancies, and work with principal investigators and grant analysts at academic institutions to resolve budgetary discrepancies.
File scientific reports and project management documents in CHDI’s document management system and distribute them internally to relevant individuals.
Prepare and summarize contract budget information to support annual fiscal-year forecasting.
As required, work with scientific team leads to track team Goals, Strategies, and Objectives in existing tools and ensure project status and resources are updated.
Participate in monthly Program Managers’ team meetings and host selected meetings according to the established schedule.
Propose tools and strategies to streamline and optimize the tracking of studies and expenditures.