Project Manager (Scientific Lead)

Arzeda is seeking a Project Manager (Scientific Lead) to join our team. This role is crucial for overseeing and driving the success of internal and external technical projects and partnerships. You will leverage your technical expertise to drive project initiatives for early-stage R&D/discovery through commercial and bring your adept people-influencing skills to deliver revenue-generating projects to completion.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with stakeholders (internal and external) to plan enzyme-enabled projects, bringing them from proof-of-concept through to commercial de-risking at the pilot-scale, including defining project scopes, goals, deliverables, and timelines.
• Develop comprehensive project plans, including statements of work (SOW), work breakdown structures (WBS), budgets, and milestone schedules.
• Organize day-to-day activities for each project and act as the primary point of contact for project communications, ensuring alignment of project goals.
• Steer and mentor cross-functional scientific teams, providing scientific expertise and direction based on team feedback.
• Participate as content expert in business development meetings with potential commercialization partners.
• Monitor project progress against milestones, deliverables, and budget, proactively identifying risks and implementing mitigation strategies.
• Ensure projects adhere to timelines and budgets and communicate any deviations with stakeholders and propose solutions.
• Provide regular progress reports to project stakeholders.

Desired Qualifications:

• Master’s or PhD in a relevant scientific discipline with hands-on experience in experimental design, data analysis, and bench science with 2-5 years of industrial experience.
• Demonstrated success heading a scientific project, preferably for translational research/commercial development. Experience guiding a cross-functional scientific research technical team and leveraging scientific expertise, mentoring or directly managing those on the team, and serving as the decision maker for how to proceed on a project based on team feedback.
• Strong technical understanding of molecular biology and biochemical tools, enzyme or protein expression and assays, with an ability to analyze data critically.
• Familiarity with project management tools such as MS Project, Jira, Sapio (or similar), and willingness to quickly learn and utilize these tools effectively.
• Proven ability to present ideas, project plans, and results effectively, crucial for stakeholder engagement and project success.

Nice-to-Haves (but not required):

• Prior experience working with enzymes and proteins when used as either ingredients or as processing aids.
• Prior experience in ingredients for food, nutrition, or infant formula a huge plus.
• Previous experience in biocatalysis for food ingredients or chemical manufacturing.
• Prior experience managing industrial enzyme projects.
• Coding experience with Python.
• Experience navigating IP landscape and drafting patent documents.
• Active Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or Program Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Arzeda compensation and benefits include: 

• Comprehensive compensation package, to include equity
• Base Salary/Hourly Pay Rate: $125,000 - $175,000 (may vary based on level of experience, education and geography) 
• Paid time off; company-observed holidays to include a company paid holiday closure between Dec 25 and Jan 1; and paid medical/family leave
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance to include options for Health Savings Accounts
• 401(k) retirement savings plan
• Commuter benefits