Research Pipeline Project Director

Role Summary

Lead end-to-end planning and delivery for assigned research pipeline projects, coordinating cross-functional teams to advance scientific priorities and remove barriers. Partner with project leaders, scientists, clinical teams, portfolio leaders and external collaborators to shape plans and drive delivery. This hybrid role requires on-site presence at US Upper Providence, PA or UK Stevenage site.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end planning and delivery for assigned research pipeline projects, with clear owners, milestones and measurable outcomes.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to resolve risks, dependencies and resource constraints quickly.
• Create and maintain programme governance, reporting and meeting cadences to keep stakeholders aligned.
• Prepare decision-ready materials for portfolio reviews and senior leadership, including clear options and recommendations.
• Drive improvements to ways of working, tools and metrics to increase team efficiency and transparency.
• Support handover of projects from research into later development or operational teams, ensuring knowledge transfer and acceptance criteria are met.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in a scientific, engineering, or business discipline.
• Required: 10+ years of project or programme management experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or related life sciences industry.
• Required: Experience of preclinical projects and early pharmaceutical development.
• Required: Experience delivering complex, cross-functional projects in a matrix organisation.
• Required: Experience engaging with stakeholders and influencing at all levels.
• Required: Experience with risk management, project controls and tracking tools.
• Preferred: Advanced degree in science, medicine, engineering, or business (e.g., MSc, PhD, MBA).
• Preferred: Formal project management certification (PMP, Prince2 or equivalent).
• Preferred: Experience supporting due diligence, portfolio prioritisation or transition planning.
• Preferred: Familiarity with development of clinical assets.
• Preferred: Experience designing KPIs and performance frameworks for programmes.
• Preferred: Comfort using digital tools for programme tracking and collaboration.
• Preferred: Clear and concise communication skills, able to present progress, risks and decisions to varied audiences.