Senior Project Manager, Biologics R&D – Lead Program

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Project Manager, Biologics R&D to serve as project manager of record for our lead T-cell engager program, as it advances from late-stage research through development candidate nomination and IND-enabling studies. You will partner closely with the Program Team Lead, who owns program strategy and scientific direction, you will own program execution - the integrated plan, timelines, risk management, budget tracking, and the operational machinery that turns strategy into decisions and deliverables. The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience in biologics R&D, with the ability to own timelines, track deliverables, and partner closely with scientific leads to keep the program moving forward.

This is a role for an experienced antibody-biologics project manager who operates independently: you know the research-to-development transition firsthand, you can pressure-test functional timelines rather than transcribe them, and you drive teams to decision-ready data on schedule.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning and Execution

• Own day-to-day planning and execution of the program, ensuring execution of key activities from late-stage research through IND-enabling work across research, nonclinical, CMC, and regulatory workstreams.
• Build and maintain project timelines that capture critical path, major milestones, dependencies, and deliverables.
• Partner with scientific leads and functional stakeholders to align on scope, priorities, resources and progress, pressure-testing functional timelines and assumptions against standard durations and failure modes for biologics early development (e.g., developability, cell line development, GLP toxicology).

Milestone Management & Decision Support

• Collaborate with scientific teams to define key project milestones, decisional experiments and translate into actionable, resource-informed timelines.
• Frame and compile project data, timelines, risks, value-realization, and trade-offs to support informed decision-making, including development candidate nomination criteria and go/no-go decision packages, framed early and driven to on-time delivery against the baselined plan.
• Coordinate and facilitate planning and documentation of decisive experiments, and update project plans based on results and next steps.

Cross-Functional Project Coordination

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across research and development functions to ensure effective communication and documentation of decisions, alignment of priorities and timelines.
• Schedule and run cross-functional meetings, ensuring clear agendas, effective documentation, and follow-up on action items.
• Monitor interdependencies across functions and proactively identify, flag and resolve conflicts across workstreams.
• Coordinate outsourced workstreams with CROs and CDMOs (e.g., GLP toxicology, cell line and process development), including timeline integration, deliverable tracking, and issue escalation.

Operational Support & Project Monitoring

• Track project status, risks, and mitigation strategies; provide updates to internal stakeholders. Provide related insights and recommendations; own the program risk register and escalate proactively when risks threaten critical path.
• Coordinate with functional leads to understand resource needs and potential impacts to timelines.
• Contribute to scenario planning and contingency thinking for critical path activities
• Identify operational challenges and recommend improvements to enhance efficiency and coordination.

Resource Coordination & Timeline Scenarios

• Work closely with functional and team leads to understand resourcing needs, identify gaps and timeline impacts.
• Develop scenario plans for critical path development decisions to support contingency and investment planning to address potential delays, bottlenecks, or shifts in scope.
• Track program budget and spend against plan in partnership with functional leads and finance; flag variances and forecast impacts of scope or timeline changes.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, or equivalent) in life sciences or a related field strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 6+ years of industry experience in biologics R&D, including 3+ years of project or program management with ownership of integrated program plans.
• Proven track record of managing antibody or protein therapeutic projects & programs from research through development candidate nomination and IND-enabling studies; a completed IND filing is a strong plus.
• Working fluency in biologics R&D processes, including nonclinical, CMC (cell line development, process development, developability), and regulatory components, sufficient to build credible plans and pressure-test functional inputs.
• Experience managing outsourced work with CROs and/or CDMOs.
• Experience with T-cell engagers, bispecific antibodies, or other immuno-oncology biologics strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical, planning, and organizational skills; able to translate complex scientific ideas into clear plans.
• Excellent communication, time management collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with basic project tracking tools (Smartsheet, Confluence, Google Workspace, etc).
• Working familiarity with project and program management principles as defined by the Program Management Institute (PMI) or similar bodies.  PMP, CAPM, or PMI-ACP certifications are a plus, but note hands on experience matters more than the credential itself.
• Please note that this position will be required to be on-site in the SSF office. Remote candidates will not be considered.

Preferred Attributes

• Comfortable managing projects in a start-up environment which is fast-paced, cross-functional, and where processes are still being built.
• Demonstrated ability to lead without authority and influence diverse teams.
• Passion for science and dedication to improving patient outcomes through innovative biologics development.

 

Compensation

We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, seeking to provide an open, flexible, and friendly work environment to empower employees and provide them with a platform to develop their long-term careers. A Summary of Benefits is available for all applicants. We offer a competitive package that includes base salary, bonus, and equity.  The base pay range for this position is expected to be $148,000 - $185,000 annually; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on the market, job-related knowledge, skills and capabilities, and experience.

Xaira Therapeutics an equal-opportunity employer. We believe that our strength is in our differences. Our goal to build a diverse and inclusive team began on day one, and it will never end.

TO ALL RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: Xaira Therapeutics does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias or employees. Xaira Therapeutics is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.