Senior R&D Program Manager

Absci•Vancouver, WA

1d•$127,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

Absci is a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing novel therapeutics using generative AI. Our Integrated Drug Creation™ platform combines cutting-edge AI models with a synthetic biology data engine, enabling the rapid design of innovative therapeutics that address challenging therapeutic targets. Absci is a global company headquartered in Vancouver, WA, and maintains offices in New York City, Switzerland, and Serbia. Learn more at www.absci.com or follow us on LinkedIn ( @absci ), X ( @Abscibio ), and YouTube . Senior R&D Project Manager Vancouver, WA (onsite) Ready to drive execution on high-impact programs? We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly experienced Program Manager to join our Program & Portfolio Management team. You will leverage your background and understanding of stakeholder management and leadership in order to drive execution on our highly cross-functional pipeline programs and play a significant role in the success of our overall portfolio strategy. This position requires strategic thinking and a high level of collaboration across multiple levels of the organization, from individual contributors to executive leadership and across multi-disciplinary teams within Absci, including AI Research, Protein Engineering, High Throughput Screening, Disease Biology, and Purification & Analytics. A sense of urgency and drive is essential to thrive in our dynamic, high-performance culture. With your passion for driving initiatives and proven ability to work autonomously, you will be highly successful in the following areas:

Requirements

Senior Program Manager Bachelor’s degree in a science-related field with 8+ years of experience in a biotech-related field or equivalent technical work experience; or a Master’s degree with 6+ years; or a PhD with 3+ years.
Proven track record of successfully managing complex, cross-functional programs in drug discovery or related fields.
Proven experience with Change Management and Conflict Resolution with a proactive mindset
Excellent organizational and leadership skills with experience building and managing high-performing cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with ability to clearly articulate project goals, strategies, and results to stakeholders at all levels across the organization
Ability to think with a portfolio-level mentality, ensuring that individual program decisions align with the overall company goals
Working knowledge of project management software (MS Project, SmartSheet, etc.)
Familiar with complex workflows involving protein engineering, cloning, high-throughput screening, protein purification, and/or analytical chemistry
Willingness to mentor and support junior program managers and to foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Demonstrated commitment to Absci's core values

Nice To Haves

Project management training
In-depth or hands-on experience with SmartSheet or other project management software
In-depth experience with early stage discovery and drug development for biologics
Familiarity with late stage drug development including pre-clinical, CMC, and regulatory considerations for biologics

Responsibilities

Support corporate and portfolio strategy by safeguarding the success of highly cross-functional Drug Creation pipeline programs and communicating effectively with leadership about risks, costs, and opportunities.
Facilitate cross-functional strategy discussion to align objectives, scope and pressure-test plans, surface and mitigate risk, drive decision making to deliver milestones on or ahead of schedule, and escalate issues with clearly presented solutions that link directly to the key program objectives.
Define the program team's structure and culture to build high-performing cross-functional teams.
Facilitate and document program team meetings, cross-functional communication, and decision making, and ensure alignment with technical groups and leadership
Drive execution of cross-functional programs by planning, tracking, and holding stakeholders accountable for program tasks and deadlines.
Use project management software to forecast and track program costs and time to ensure milestones are achieved on time and within budget.
Identify, assess, prioritize & manage project-related risks, bottlenecks, and interdependencies to ensure milestones are achieved on time and within budget.
Work with stakeholders and scientific leadership to challenge assumptions, understand failure modes, and implement corrective actions while working to build a system where operational activities are increasingly automatic and seamless.
Simultaneously balance activities between multiple projects of various scopes.
Contribute to the development and refinement of company-wide best practices for program management