Senior Project Manager, Research & Development Job at Life Science Talent

Senior Project Manager, Research & Development

Life Science Talent

Location:
Denmark

Category:
IT - Software Development

Contract Type:
Not provided

Salary:

Not provided

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Job Description:

The hiring organisation is a pioneering Danish biotech company at the forefront of synthetic biology. Its mission is to develop novel therapeutic solutions for some of the world’s most pressing health challenges, including antimicrobial resistance. The company applies advanced technologies, including CRISPR-based approaches, to design innovative medical solutions with the potential to make a meaningful impact for patients globally. The environment is dynamic, agile and strongly science-driven. Highly specialised experts work closely together to translate cutting-edge research into tangible progress, while operating with the uncertainty and complexity that naturally come with breakthrough science. The company is looking for an experienced, hands-on Senior Project Manager to become a central coordination point within its research organisation. The role exists to drive progress across highly innovative and inherently uncertain research projects, bringing structure to complexity and enabling specialist teams to move faster and more effectively. This is an operational project leadership role, not a strategic leadership position. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving projects forward, securing alignment, facilitating problem-solving and ensuring that plans, timelines and resources remain visible and actionable. The role requires both strong project management capabilities and sufficient scientific depth to understand bacteriology and challenge technical discussions in a qualified way. A key part of the role is to build bridges between scientific disciplines and functions, including research, process development and production. The successful candidate must be able to earn respect from highly specialised scientists through natural authority, professional credibility and a pragmatic understanding of the science.

Job Responsibility:

Lead and drive the day-to-day progress of two or more research projects within microbiology, bacteriology and synthetic biology
Act as the central hub for project coordination, creating transparency and ensuring clear communication across the team and with adjacent functions such as process development and production
Maintain and continuously revise project plans based on new data, experimental results and changing scientific priorities
Manage shifting timelines, milestones and dependencies in a research environment where uncertainty is part of the work
Identify project blockers early, especially tight deadlines and resource constraints, and escalate or resolve them proactively
Facilitate effective problem-solving among highly specialised scientists and ensure constructive collaboration, particularly under pressure
Apply a mature project management toolbox pragmatically, introducing the right level of structure and process without slowing innovation
Challenge technical assumptions and discussions in a qualified manner by understanding the scientific details well enough to ask the right questions
Ensure a strong flow of information to leadership, including preparation of material and, when relevant, presentations for board meetings and external stakeholders
Help professionalise project leadership practices in the research organisation through leading by doing

Requirements:

Minimum of 5 years of practical project management experience from a biotech or pharmaceutical company, ideally in an R&D environment
Strong scientific background and hands-on understanding of microbiology and bacteriology
Documented experience leading complex, agile projects with a high degree of uncertainty
Ability to operate in cutting-edge research where outcomes are not always predictable and project plans must evolve quickly
Natural authority, professional weight and interpersonal maturity to gain respect from senior specialists
Strong listening skills combined with the ability to stand firm when project progress requires decisions, prioritisation or escalation
Ability to translate technical complexity into practical project actions and create alignment across different scientific and operational groups
A diplomatic and constructive style, with the ability to manage different personalities with both confidence and empathy
Experience with CRISPR, bacteriophages or antimicrobial resistance is advantageous, but not a requirement

Nice to have:

Experience with CRISPR, bacteriophages or antimicrobial resistance

Additional Information:

Job Posted:
May 05, 2026

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