Senior Project Manager

Position Purpose

The Senior Project Manager (Research Manager) at the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) will oversee the execution and coordination of complex, multi‑stakeholder research programs, portfolios, and projects supported by federal grants, philanthropic funding, and corporate‑sponsored research agreements. Alongside scientific leadership (i.e., the PIs on the grants) and the IPD leadership team, you will ensure alignment across projects, monitor budgets at both project and program levels, and reallocate resources as needed to achieve overall program and portfolio success.

Working closely with research personnel—faculty investigators, graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and research staff—the Senior Project Manager ensures that programs and their constitutive projects are delivered on time, within scope, and in compliance with sponsor requirements.

The Senior Project Manager (Research Manager) role requires advanced leadership and strategic planning skills to manage interdependent projects within high‑priority programs and/or portfolios. This includes balancing competing timelines, budgets, and resources across multiple projects, while ensuring compliance with sponsor requirements and institutional policies. At the project level, the Senior Project Manager is responsible for reviewing project plans with scientists, tracking milestones and budgets, managing timelines and risks, and facilitating communication among internal and external stakeholders, including industry sponsors and granting agencies.

The Senior Project Manager must be able to drive momentum and build consensus, working at the interface of multidisciplinary teams. The Senior Project Manager will build detailed knowledge of the programs and projects within their portfolio, while also maintaining an understanding of other IPD programs and projects so that they have a complete view of research programs within the Institute.

The Senior Project Manager will work closely with the rest of the Project Management team and IPD leadership to prioritize project research needs when resources are constrained. Familiarity with computational protein design or a scientific curiosity and willingness to learn is essential, as is the ability to communicate effectively with scientific and operational stakeholders.

The Project Management Team at the Institute for Protein Design (IPD) works in close partnership with IPD scientists to advance cutting‑edge research across multiple scientific verticals by proactively managing the operational and administrative aspects of complex projects. By managing portfolios that span multiple projects and sponsors, Senior Project Managers ensure that the IPD delivers on its most critical commitments. Senior Project Managers serve as trusted advisors to leadership, providing insights on program performance, risk, and resource needs.

Senior Project Managers also serve as key liaisons between IPD scientists and external stakeholders, including federal agencies, philanthropic funders, and corporate sponsors. They support and mentor researchers in effective project communication, helping to translate scientific progress into clear, timely updates aligned with sponsor expectations, thereby sustaining strong sponsor relationships.

• Oversee and manage high‑priority programs and projects (60%)
• Oversee the development and execution of a portfolio of projects or programs at the IPD, ensuring strategic alignment and successful delivery of all components.
• Ensure alignment of projects across large programs and portfolios. This includes understanding sponsor goals and preferences so that projects and programs within one sponsor’s portfolio can be managed at the portfolio level and resourced appropriately.
• Work closely with the IPD Finance Team to monitor budgets at both project and portfolio levels.
• Work across the Project Management team, IPD member lab PIs, IPD Core R&D labs, and IP leadership to allocate resources to achieve overall program/portfolio success.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams including: IPD member lab…