At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and manage complex therapeutic programs in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
- Company: Join Lila Sciences, a pioneering company at the intersection of AI and drug discovery.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, comprehensive health benefits, and flexible time off.
- Other info: Dynamic startup culture focused on scientific innovation and personal growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in life sciences while working with cutting-edge technology and talented teams.
- Qualifications: 8+ years in pharma/biotech with strong project management skills and experience in drug development.
Your Impact at LILA
Lila Sciences is looking for an Associate Director / Director, Program Management, Life Sciences — a senior operator who will drive the planning, execution, and delivery of therapeutic programs on Lila's platform. This person will provide direct project management leadership to the internal science, engineering, and automation teams developing molecules for our partners, owning timelines, resourcing, and progress tracking across complex, multidisciplinary programs. They will also serve as a senior operational interface with our pharmaceutical and biotech partners, ensuring that deliverables, governance, and communication are running smoothly. These programs carry significant scientific complexity and commercial stakes. This role requires someone who can drive execution across fast-moving, technically demanding programs from the inside while maintaining the partner-facing judgment and presence to keep external stakeholders informed and aligned.
What You'll Be Building
- Own end-to-end project management for active therapeutic programs, including timeline development, resource coordination, milestone tracking, and dependency management across product, science, machine learning and automation teams.
- Drive day-to-day execution discipline; ensuring that internal teams have clear priorities, deliverables, and decision points, and that blockers are identified and resolved quickly.
- Manage resource allocation discussions and trade-off decisions across a complex set of priorities (e.g., balancing experiments between AI model training and near‑term partnership deliverables).
- Establish and maintain program-level reporting, including status updates, milestone tracking, and resource utilization views for internal leadership and external deliverables.
- Proactively identify, communicate, and manage program risks, escalating appropriately and ensuring transparency with scientific and executive leadership.
- Structure and facilitate effective internal program meetings, decision forums, and reviews; ensuring the right information reaches the right people at the right time.
Partner‑Facing Delivery
- Serve as the primary operational interface with partner organizations, coordinating joint governance, managing deliverable timelines, and driving alignment on milestones and expectations.
- Translate internal program status into clear, structured updates for external partners, ensuring transparency without overexposing internal complexity.
- Support alliance obligations including joint steering committees, milestone reporting, and deliverable handoffs.
- Partner closely with scientific and product leadership to ensure that program plans reflect both Lila's platform capabilities and partner‑specific program goals and business objectives.
Process & Scale
- Lead the development of scalable project management practices, templates, and tools as Lila's partnership portfolio grows.
- Help build repeatable operating models for how Lila plans, tracks, and delivers partner programs.
What You'll Need to Succeed
- 8+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry in roles associated with drug discovery or development, project management, or operations.
- 5+ years in program management, project management, or a similar cross‑functional coordination role with direct responsibility for timelines, resourcing, and tracking.
- Demonstrated ability to independently drive execution across complex, multidisciplinary programs with significant scientific and commercial stakes.
- Strong understanding of drug discovery and development processes; ability to engage credibly with scientific stakeholders and communicate at a high level across therapeutic and technical domains.
- Experience managing programs with external partners, including milestone management, governance, and stakeholder communication.
- Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to distill complex scientific and operational information for diverse audiences including executive leadership and external partners.
- Proven ability to influence without authority and drive alignment across cross‑functional teams.
Bonus Points For
- Experience working at or partnering with AI‑native or platform‑based drug discovery companies.
- Experience managing external collaborations in a discovery or preclinical setting (alliance management, CRO/CDMO oversight, or joint research programs).
- Familiarity with project management tools and methodologies (e.g., critical path analysis, scenario planning, resource management, portfolio reporting).
- Familiarity with the rapid evolution of LLMs and AI‑driven science platforms and a perspective on how this will impact partnership models in drug discovery.
Compensation
We offer competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early‑stage equity. Your final offer will reflect your background, expertise, and expected impact.
U.S. Benefits
Full‑time U.S. employees receive a comprehensive benefits program including medical, dental, and vision coverage; employer‑paid life and disability insurance; flexible time off with generous company wide holidays; paid parental leave; an educational assistance program; commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office based employees; and a company subsidized lunch program.
International Benefits
Full‑time employees outside the U.S. receive a comprehensive benefits program tailored to their region. USD salary ranges apply only to U.S.-based positions; international salaries are set to local market. Expected Base Salary Range: $148,000 — $224,000 USD.
About LILA
Lila Sciences is building Scientific Superintelligence™ to solve humankind's greatest challenges. We believe science is the most inspiring frontier for AI. Rather than hard‑coding expert knowledge into tools, LILA builds systems that can learn for themselves. LILA combines advanced AI models with proprietary AI Science Factory™ instruments into an operating system for science that executes the entire scientific method autonomously, accelerating discovery at unprecedented speed, scale, and impact across medicine, materials, and energy. Learn more at www.lila.ai. Guided by our core values of truth, trust, curiosity, grit, and velocity, we move with startup speed while tackling problems of historic importance. If this sounds like an environment you'd love to work in, even if you don't meet every qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply.
We're All In
Lila Sciences is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. Information you provide during your application process will be handled in accordance with our Candidate Privacy Policy.
Associate Director / Director, Customer Program Management, Life Sciences in Cambridge employer: Lilasciences
At Lila Sciences, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a collaborative and innovative work culture. As a Senior Principal or Principal Software Engineer in our AI Lab Execution System team, you will have the opportunity to lead cutting-edge projects that directly impact scientific discovery while enjoying comprehensive benefits, flexible time off, and a commitment to employee growth through mentorship and educational assistance. Join us in a dynamic environment where your contributions will shape the future of AI in science, all while working alongside passionate professionals dedicated to solving humanity's greatest challenges.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Associate Director / Director, Customer Program Management, Life Sciences in Cambridge
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We think you need these skills to ace Associate Director / Director, Customer Program Management, Life Sciences in Cambridge
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Relevant Experience:When applying for a role in the pharmaceutical industry, it's crucial to highlight any relevant experience you have. Whether that's internships, lab work, or even related coursework, make sure to weave this into your CV and cover letter. We want to see how your background aligns with the role you're applying for at Lilasciences!
Emphasise Your Understanding of Regulations:The pharmaceutical industry is heavily regulated, so it's important to indicate your familiarity with industry standards and regulations. In your cover letter, mention any training or certifications you've received that are relevant, or discuss projects where you’ve navigated compliance. This will show Lilasciences that you're not just a fit for the job but also a safety-conscious candidate!
Tailor Your CV to Be Result-Driven:Craft your CV to highlight quantifiable achievements, especially if you have previous roles in pharmaceuticals or related fields. Use metrics to demonstrate your impact, such as improved processing times or successful project completions while working on trials. This analytical approach will resonate well with hiring managers at Lilasciences!
Convey Your Passion for the Industry:In your cover letter, express why you are passionate about working in the pharmaceutical sector. Whether it’s your desire to contribute to groundbreaking drug research or improve patient outcomes, let it shine through! At Lilasciences, we value candidates who are truly enthusiastic about their work—you might just stand out from the crowd.
How to prepare for a job interview at Lilasciences
✨Understand the Science
Make sure you brush up on key pharmaceutical concepts and recent developments in the industry. You might get asked some technical questions during the interview at Lilasciences that show your grasp of drug development processes or regulatory requirements, so be ready to discuss them clearly.
✨Showcase Relevant Experience
If you have any hands-on experience or internships in a laboratory setting, be sure to highlight these in your responses. Think about the projects you worked on, the methodologies you used, and the impact you made. It's all about telling a story that connects your background to the role you're applying for.
✨Know Their Products
Take some time to familiarise yourself with Lilasciences’s product range and recent breakthroughs. Understanding their portfolio not only shows your enthusiasm for the role but also allows you to ask insightful questions that demonstrate your interest in actively contributing to their projects.
✨Be Ready for Regulatory Scenarios
In a full-time pharmaceutical role, understanding the regulatory landscape is crucial. Prepare for situational questions that may test your problem-solving skills concerning compliance and safety standards. You could be asked how you'd handle a hypothetical issue regarding a drug’s market release, so think through your approach.
