Run MDE campaigns end-to-end as program manager: maintain campaign charters, Jira boards, timelines, meeting cadence, and post-campaign readouts across ML, Biology, and Bioinformatics
Own CRO sourcing: identify vendors with suitable platforms for each campaign, run structured evaluations on cost, turnaround time, and quality, and make clear, documented recommendations
Lead commercial negotiations with CROs for pricing, scope, TAT, T&C and coordinate contracting (CDA, T&C, MSA, SOWs, POs) with internal Legal and BD
Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for CRO partners once engagements are active; manage scope changes, data delivery, and issue escalation
Build and maintain a CRO landscape view - which vendors we have worked with, on what, with what outcomes, and which are candidates for future campaigns
Keep the program documented: charters, SOPs, vendor playbooks, workflow diagrams, decision logs, and status updates to leadership
Track program health metrics - cycle time, plan vs. actuals, CRO performance, data delivery against QC criteria - and surface bottlenecks early
Partner with Finance and BD on budget forecasting and spend tracking for external MDE work

PhD in Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Protein Engineering, Biophysics, Immunology, or a closely related field; or MS with equivalent industry experience
3+ years of program, project, or operations management experience in biotech, pharma services, or a closely related technical environment
Demonstrated experience sourcing, evaluating, and negotiating with CROs or specialty service vendors, including comparing quotes and negotiating pricing and TAT
Hands-on experience managing contracting workflows (CDA, MSA, SOW, PO) in partnership with Legal and BD teams
Strong written communication and documentation - you produce clear charters, status updates, and decision records that stakeholders actually read
Fluent with modern program tools/softwares: Jira (or equivalent), Confluence/Notion, Google Workspace, Slack
Enough scientific literacy to read an assay protocol or quote, understand what is being offered, and ask the right follow-up questions
Track record of running multiple complex workstreams in parallel and holding them to timelines without micromanaging the technical experts

Prior experience managing CRO relationships in protein production, biochemical/biophysical assays, NGS-based screens, or gene editing workflows
Experience running cross-functional programs that span ML/computational and wet-lab teams
Familiarity with LIMS or design-management systems (Benchling, PIMS, or equivalent) and with how experimental data flows into a data warehouse
Background or degree in life sciences, bioengineering, or a related field
Experience standing up new programs (processes, templates, cadences) from scratch, not just running existing ones

High-growth opportunity with meaningful impact on the future of protein design
Competitive compensation package with equity participation
Comprehensive benefits including health/dental/vision insurance
Generous PTO policy and commitment to work-life balance
Professional development opportunities in a cutting-edge field at the intersection of AI and biology

Senior Scientific Program Manager, ML - Guided Protein Design Evaluation

About the role