Project Management Expert in Basel

We are seeking an experienced Project Management Expert (100%) to strengthen the planning and delivery of complex translational projects and strategic initiatives across the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering.

The role is the first position in BIIE’s newly established Global Translation and Partnership Management (GTPM), which monitors and coordinates the institute’s translational projects as they progress through its readiness gates.

Reporting to the Director of Administrative Operations and working closely with the Clinical Operations Unit, the successful candidate will be the institute’s go-to resource for project management.

Working with scientific and operational leadership, project teams, core services and external partners, the role will translate research, development and clinical activities into coherent, executable plans with clear objectives, deliverables, milestones, dependencies and responsibilities, and ensure that activities and decisions remain aligned with program objectives.

Beyond providing hands-on project management support, the successful candidate will help shape how the GTPM works and, over time, strengthen project and program management capabilities across the institute.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Management & Organisational Development
• Establish fit-for-purpose project management approaches, tools and reporting that enable transparency, collaboration and effective delivery without unnecessary administrative complexity.
• Build the GTPM's working practices, interfaces and project records as the institute grows, including joint planning and reporting with the Clinical Operations Unit.
• Prepare project status, risk, scenario and decision materials for project teams and institute leadership including materials for readiness-gate reviews.
• Coach and support project contributors and emerging project leaders in effective project management practices.
• Capture learnings and develop scalable ways of working that can strengthen project and program management capabilities across BIIE as the institute grows.
• Contribute flexibly to broader strategic and operational initiatives where project leadership and structured problem solving can add value.
• Planning & Delivery Support
• Support scientific staff in turning objectives into integrated project strategies, plans, milestones, deliverables and decision points in partnership with project teams.
• Develop scenarios and value-building pathways and proactively identify project risks, dependencies and mitigation strategies.
• Coordinate the development of target product profiles with partners in the countries of intended use and keep project plans aligned to them.
• Work with responsible subject-matter experts and external partners to identify and resolve operational bottlenecks affecting project delivery.
• Establish transparency on progress, critical paths, responsibilities and upcoming decisions across multiple workstreams.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Establish clarity around roles, responsibilities, interfaces and decision pathways.
• Identify gaps, conflicting expectations and cross-functional dependencies and facilitate their resolution with the relevant experts.
• Enable effective decision-making by translating complex information, risks and alternatives into clear recommendations and next steps.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Life Sciences or a related field, with the scientific background required to work effectively with multidisciplinary research and clinical teams.
• Significant program and/or project management experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic research or another complex life-science R&D environment.
• Demonstrated experience translating complex objectives into project strategies, milestones, scenarios and executable plans.
• Strong project planning, risk management, cross-functional leadership and stakeholder-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and build alignment across multidisciplinary matrix teams.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills and the ability to challenge assumptions constructively.
• Pragmatic, collaborative and hands-on working style, comfortable moving between strategic questions and operational challenges.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and facilitation skills.
• Experience with target product profiles, stage-gate governance or product development for global health settings is an advantage.
• Formal project management certification (e. g., PMP®) is an advantage.
• Fluent English; additional languages and experience in international or multicultural environments are an advantage.