Senior Project Manager, Biologics R&D - Early Pipeline Programs

The role

You will support planning and coordination of biologics programs across Xaira's early pipeline, from discovery through lead selection and into IND-enabling studies as programs advance. You will build timelines, track deliverables, and work with scientific leads to keep projects moving.

What you will do

• Plan and coordinate biologics research programs from discovery through lead selection and into IND-enabling work
• Build and maintain project timelines covering critical path, milestones, dependencies and deliverables
• Partner with scientific leads and functional stakeholders on scope, priorities, resources and progress
• Help define project milestones and decisional experiments, including stage-transition criteria
• Compile project data, risks and trade-offs to support decision-making
• Schedule and run cross-functional meetings and follow up on action items
• Monitor interdependencies across functions and help resolve conflicts
• Coordinate outsourced workstreams with CROs and CDMOs, including deliverable tracking
• Track project status and risks and provide updates to internal stakeholders
• Develop scenario plans for critical path decisions

Required qualifications

• At least 6 years of industry experience, including hands-on biologics or drug discovery research with project or timeline management responsibilities
• Solid understanding of biologics discovery processes
• Strong analytical, planning and organizational skills
• Excellent communication, time management, collaboration and stakeholder management skills
• Experience with basic project tracking tools such as Smartsheet, Confluence or Google Workspace
• Working familiarity with project and program management principles, such as those of PMI
• Must be on-site in the SSF office

Nice to have

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD or equivalent) in life sciences or a related field
• 3+ years of project management or cross-functional project leadership in research settings
• Experience with lead selection governance or IND-enabling workstreams such as developability, nonclinical safety and early CMC
• Familiarity with downstream nonclinical, CMC and regulatory components
• PMP, CAPM or PMI-ACP certification
• Comfort managing projects in a fast-paced start-up environment
• Ability to lead without authority and influence diverse teams

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and benefits package
• Base salary, bonus and equity
• Open, flexible and friendly work environment
• Platform to develop long-term careers
• Summary of Benefits available to all applicants

Before you apply

• Must be on-site in the SSF office; remote candidates will not be considered
• Xaira does not accept agency resumes; unsolicited agency resumes are not paid for

About the company

Xaira Therapeutics is an AI-focused biotech startup developing generative AI models to design protein and antibody therapeutics and foundation models for biology and disease. It is headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle and London.