Associate Director, Technical PMO in Oxford

Oxford Nanopore has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology for faster, information-rich, accessible and affordable molecular analysis. The technology is used to understand and characterise the biology of humans, animals, plants, bacteria, viruses, and diseases such as cancer. By enabling biological insights, we strive to improve life on Earth and beyond.

We are seeking an experienced Biopharmaceutical Project Manager to oversee biopharma development projects from initiation to commercialisation. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in project management within the Biopharma sector and a proven track record of leading complex projects. In this role, the individual is expected to take full project management ownership of Biopharma projects, including scheduling, resource/material planning, progress reporting and exception management while working within the Biopharma product development lifecycle.

Responsibilities

• Project Planning & Management
  • Define project scope, objectives, and deliverables in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders
  • Develop detailed project plans, including timelines, resources, and budget
  • Coordinate internal resources and third parties/vendors for the flawless execution of projects
  • Ensure resource availability and allocation
• Execution & Monitoring
  • Manage project progress and adapt work as required
  • Monitor and track project performance using appropriate tools and techniques
  • Perform risk management to minimise project risks
  • Create and maintain comprehensive project documentation
• Team Leadership & Collaboration
  • Lead and motivate project team members on a proactive basis
  • Communicate effectively with project stakeholders, including team members, management, clients, and vendors
  • Facilitate team meetings, provide updates, and ensure project goals are achieved
• Budget & Resource Management
  • Track project performance, specifically to analyse the successful completion of short- and long-term goals
  • Manage changes to project scope, schedule, and costs using appropriate verification techniques
  • Measure project performance using appropriate systems, tools, and techniques
• Quality Assurance
  • Ensure that all projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget
  • Ensure resource availability and allocation
  • Conduct project retrospectives and create a recommendations report to identify successful and unsuccessful project elements

Key Requirements

• Proven leadership of complex, cross-functional technical programmes, coordinating multiple interdependent projects across R&D, engineering, product, operations, and regulatory/quality functions, with accountability for scope, schedule, budget, and risk.
• Experience establishing and operating PMO governance, including portfolio planning, prioritisation frameworks, stage-gate or lifecycle models, reporting standards, and executive-level dashboards to support strategic decision-making.
• Strong technical project management background, with the ability to translate scientific or engineering complexity into executable plans, manage technical risk and dependencies, and challenge assumptions credibly with senior technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated stakeholder and executive management capability, influencing at Director/VP level, facilitating trade-off discussions, resolving conflict, and driving alignment between business strategy and technical delivery.
• Track record of building capability and driving continuous improvement, including mentoring project managers, embedding best practices, improving delivery predictability, and scaling PMO processes in a fast-moving or evolving organisation.