Project Manager - Life Sciences - UK

About Merrick

Merrick UK serves the United Kingdom and European Union as part of Merrick & Company. Merrick UK provides access to the full matrix of expertise across the wider Merrick & Company group. Our services enable the leading-edge science and technology requirements of our clients to be delivered within some of the world’s most unique and secure environments, spanning high-performance and aerospace facilities, infrastructure, processing, and life sciences. Merrick’s Life Sciences offering extends well beyond a traditional design practice. Our team includes architects, engineers, designers, commissioning and validation specialists, regulatory compliance experts, laboratorians, veterinarians, biosafety and biosecurity professionals, public health specialists, and a diverse range of scientists. This fully integrated, end-to-end approach allows Merrick to provide unrivalled guidance at every stage of the project lifecycle. It is essential that our design, operations, and scientific teams work collaboratively to ensure our solutions remain focused on the operational outcomes of life sciences facilities.

Typical annual salary range for this position is £60,000–£80,000, plus a competitive benefits package. Salary offered will depend on relevant skills, experience, and knowledge. Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

About the Opportunity

Merrick is looking to appoint an experienced NEC4 Project Manager to join our team. The successful candidate will lead interactions with both existing and new clients, oversee project programmes, optimise resource planning, and manage project costs across multiple concurrent projects. This role will include direct support to Merrick’s client organisations, ensuring effective contract administration and successful project delivery.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assessing client needs
• Developing opportunities
• Preparing detailed fee proposals
• Leading the technical delivery of projects and internal project teams

The Project Manager will support a multidisciplinary team of architects, engineers, sub-contractors, and subject matter experts engaged in biocontainment laboratory and pharmaceutical facility design, operations, and commissioning/validation activities. This is a full-time, home-based position, with travel within the UK and occasional international travel (up to approximately 50%) for client and market engagement.

What You’ll Do

A significant element of this role involves engaging directly with Merrick’s clients to deliver project work, resolve issues, and coordinate activities across high-profile assignments. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong client-facing abilities and confidence liaising with contacts at varying levels of technical expertise. They should be adept at managing multiple workstreams simultaneously with a focus on resource optimisation, cost management, and effective collaboration across geographically dispersed teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Project Management: Act as the primary point of contact for clients and maintain oversight of all assigned projects alongside the Project Director. Communicate resource requirements across the project portfolio.
• Programme & Schedule Management: Develop and maintain detailed project programmes using Microsoft Project and Primavera P6, ensuring timely delivery of key milestones.
• Resource Planning: Efficiently plan and allocate resources across multiple projects, maximising utilisation and avoiding conflicts.
• Cost Management: Monitor and manage project costs, ensuring adherence to budgets and financial targets. Provide regular cost updates and forecasts to key stakeholders.
• Pharmaceutical Projects: Demonstrated experience delivering ACDP 2/3/4 and SAPO 2/3/4 containment projects as a project manager.
• Pharmaceutical Facilities: Work with pharmaceutical clients to develop solutions for R&D and manufacturing environments, with a clear understanding of implications for validation, security of supply, GDP, and GMP.
• Risk Management: Identify risks associated with schedule, resources, and cost, and implement effective mitigation strategies.
• Client Liaison: Engage closely with clients to understand requirements and ensure expectations are met throughout the project lifecycle.
• Reporting: Prepare comprehensive progress reports including programme updates, resource allocations, and cost performance for both internal and client review.
• Collaboration: Work collaboratively with project managers, technical teams, and internal and external stakeholders to ensure project objectives are consistently achieved.

Required Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience managing scope, programme, resources, and budgets on large-scale projects (>£2M consulting fees).
• Strong proficiency in Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project.
• 3+ years of experience in GMP pharmaceutical cleanroom manufacturing environments.
• Practical experience with clean utilities (WFI, Clean Steam, CIP/SIP, Autoclaves).
• Proven capability in change management, stakeholder engagement, and detailed programme management.
• Successful track record in client-facing roles.
• Extensive experience leading multidisciplinary teams and managing varied project types (design and professional services).
• Excellent verbal, written, and presentation communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex topics clearly.
• Demonstrated leadership, critical thinking, and the ability to define clear team priorities.
• Strong background in Quality Management Systems, including CAPA execution and root cause analysis.
• Understanding of pharmaceutical validation phases.
• Ability to obtain relevant UK Government security vetting (e.g., SC or DV).

Desired Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Project Management, or a related discipline.
• Experience in site-based project management within architectural or engineering services.
• Recognised project management certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2 Practitioner).
• Experience with the design, performance, quality, and compliance processes of:

• Aseptic manufacturing
• Pharmaceutical research, development, and manufacturing facilities
• Radiopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing
• Biocontainment, biosafety, and biosecurity fields, including emerging technologies and related government, academic, or industrial programmes

Additional Information

Apply online only. No e-mail, hard copy or third-party resumes accepted. At Merrick, every resume is carefully reviewed by our team of experienced human recruiters—never by AI. We are committed to a fully human-centered hiring process, ensuring each candidate receives thoughtful, personalized attention at every stage. Merrick & Company offers a competitive compensation and benefits package which includes health insurance, dental and vision coverage, 401(k), and paid time off (PTO). Merrick is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability/vets. Employment with Merrick is contingent upon completion of a pre-employment background check, MVR check, and drug screen.