Associate Director/Director, Program Management (Discovery Technology)

Who We Are:

Calico (Calico Life Sciences LLC) is an Alphabet-founded research and development company whose mission is to harness advanced technologies and model systems to increase our understanding of the biology that controls human aging. Calico will use that knowledge to devise interventions that enable people to lead longer and healthier lives. Calico’s highly innovative technology labs, its commitment to curiosity-driven discovery science, and, with academic and industry partners, its vibrant drug-development pipeline, together create an inspiring and exciting place to catalyze and enable medical breakthroughs.

Position Description:

Calico seeks an Associate Director/Director of Program Management to closely collaborate with the Head of Discovery Technology and Head of Research to facilitate our innovative programs. The Associate Director/Director will lead a team of project and program managers who are involved in the planning of upcoming projects, tracking ongoing activities, and developing processes and systems for forecasting, prioritization, and execution of research and technology programs. Projects may include internal cross-functional collaborations, external collaborations, or method/technology development. The Associate Director/Director will be expected to develop an understanding of existing and upcoming projects and will be responsible for identifying dependencies between projects and individuals involved to ensure alignment on expectations, deadlines, resourcing, and budgeting; and to facilitate clear communication among the relevant stakeholders. The successful candidate will be able to effectively balance a high-level strategic view across our portfolio with meticulous attention to detail of individual projects.

Position Responsibilities:

• Lead a team of project and program managers accountable for project management across the Technology and Research organizations. Oversee the development and management of project plans and integrated timelines for projects including but not limited to strategic initiatives, corporate goals, sponsored research collaborations, method/technology development, and other internal and external research efforts as needed
• Lead the development of processes and tools to enable planning, prioritization, and execution of projects across the Technology and Research organizations
• Lead multiple large scope, vaguely defined technology and research programs that may include external collaborators. Define and implement recommendations for program and project related decisions
• Maintain and oversee the Calico project portfolio across systems
• Responsible for tracking resource forecasts and utilization across the Technology organization
• Meet regularly with Technology group leads to assess the state of ongoing projects, identify current or projected problems, and proactively suggest solutions
• Direct or manage cross-functional Calico-wide initiatives
• Support the Head of Discovery Technology and Head of Research through the facilitation of Leadership Team meetings, resource forecasting, Corporate Goal management, and other leadership activities as needed
• Facilitate and document team meetings to enable cross-functional communication, decision-making, and alignment with internal and external stakeholders
• Responsible for creating collaborative partnerships and building and managing multiple teams including external collaborators
• May act as alliance manager for external partnerships of various complexities

Position Requirements:

• A minimum of a Bachelor's degree in a life science discipline, MS or PhD preferred
•  A minimum of 10-15 years of project management experience in a biotech/pharma and/or academic research environment
• 5-10 years of people management experience
• Understanding of basic cellular and organismal physiology and a broad understanding of experimental and computational aspects of high-dimensional biology (e.g., genomics, proteomics). In vivo experience is a plus
• A broad interest and excitement about fundamental and applied research at the intersection of aging, drug development, computation, and experimental methods
• Understanding of and demonstrated expertise with SDLC. Product ownership/management experience preferred
• Proficiency with project management software tools, methodologies, and best practices. Experience with Smartsheet, Google applications, LucidChart, and Jira required
• Experience facilitating and documenting team meetings to enable cross-functional communication, decision-making, and alignment with internal and external stakeholders while managing project scope, deliverables, risks, and resources
• Outstanding organization and planning skills to effectively manage competing priorities, resources, and activities within and across a diverse portfolio of projects and programs
• Strong interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive working relationships with cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to effectively communicate complex information, issues, and potential solutions across the organization, including leadership and external collaborators
• Ability to foster partnerships and effective collaboration within and across teams.
• Ability to design and implement large-scale process improvements
• Detail-oriented mindset with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Must be willing to work onsite at least three days per week

The estimated base salary range for this role is $204,000 - $245,000. Actual pay will be based on a number of factors including experience and qualifications. This position is also eligible for two annual cash bonuses.