IBRI is poised to transform life sciences—and for millions of people, even life itself.

The Opportunity:

The Director/Senior Director of Project Management serves as an important member of the Project/Grant Management/Governance team at the IBRI.  Their overarching responsibility is to build and maintain a comprehensive (processes, tools, technologies) Project Management Office (PMO) tailored to IBRI’s Research and Innovation goals. Building on the strong foundation of project management strategies, processes and tools, they will work across all research areas to ensure project delivery excellence. They will partner with scientists, business development, philanthropy and across the IBRI scientific ecosystem to deliver a sustainable portfolio of research and translational projects to achieve the IBRI’s mission. 

This role is responsible for full lifecycle management of the IBRI project portfolio, including project intake from all sources of scientific, government or business development, portfolio entry, project delivery and completion Proposals span a range of funding sources, including private companies, federal and state agencies, health organizations, and private foundations. 

This leadership role provides strategic guidance and hands-on support to deliver IBRI’s project/portfolio aligned with scientific priorities and institutional goals. The VP/Senior Director ensures all projects follow the IBRI Project Management system, and that IBRI executive management is well informed about project and portfolio project. The position requires strong cross-functional collaboration to streamline processes, mitigate risk, and enhance funding success. These responsibilities require a combination of scientific knowledge, project management skills, and relationship management.

Responsibilities:

Project Management Leadership

• Lead and manage the IBRI project management system

• Ensure that IBRI projects progress according to plan and that key deliverables and milestones are achieved on schedule. This includes developing Target Data Packages, Target Product Profiles, tracking the project progress, identifying and addressing issues or delays, and adjusting plans, as necessary. 

• Sustain and improve a comprehensive IBRI project management strategy, processes and tools to ensure optimal support for scientists, as well as to optimize outcomes the IBRI.

• Coordinate between Institute management, scientists, and finance to ensure all elements of the budgets and workplans are developed, implemented and communicated appropriately. 

• Collaborate with Finance, Project Management, Business Development, Philanthropy, and other internal and external stakeholders to inform key business planning activities.

• Act as point of contact with CROs/consultants working on behalf of project teams, including monitoring of the CRO/consultant performance and addressing issues that arise, and ensuring that the quality of work meets the project's standards.

Portfolio Management

• Lead and manage the IBRI portfolio management system.

• Lead and manage the IBRI Project/Governance system, which includes regularly reporting progress to IBRI executive leadership.

• In-depth understanding of the science and business behind the progression of all projects in the portfolio, 

• Lead strategic alignment discussions regarding project progression to optimize the translational aspects of the IBRI portfolio.

• Collaboratively ensure routine and comprehensive portfolio reporting to IBRI Executive Management.

Pre-project Portfolio Management

• Lead the full project entry process, including identifying and clarifying project opportunities with internal and external collaborators, guiding proposal development, and ensuring timely governance Review.

• Collaborate closely with scientific staff and principal investigators to align proposals with research objectives and funding requirements.

• Partner with internal stakeholders (Finance, Project Management, leadership) to develop accurate plans and budgets and confirm resource availability.

• Ensure all governance packages are complete and accurate to enable optimal decision-making.

Process Improvement

• Identify and implement opportunities to continuously improve IBRI’s project and governance management systems, tools and technologies.

• Collaborate with all IBRI scientific and functional leaders to streamline workflows and enable best project management practices.

Teamwork & Collaboration

• Ability to work in a team-based collaborative environment toward our strategic and organizational goals.

• Collaborates cross-functionally to drive our innovation and inclusion in our discovery of positive patient outcomes.

Integrity

• Adherence to facility and lab safety policies and standards, and take ownership of your wellbeing, as well as those you work with.

• Commitment to ethical and honest principles to ensure we uphold the credibility of our findings and our organization.

• Follow IBRI values, policies, procedures, and expectations, as well as any laws and/or rules pertaining to our work.

Qualifications:

• M.S. or Ph.D. degree required.

• Minimum 7 years project management experience, preferably in a pharmaceutical or biotech life sciences company

• Strong leadership and networking skills.

• Excellent organization, communication, and interpersonal skills.

• Ability to develop and implement strategic plans for project and governance management.

Compensation:

Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits offered commensurate with experience

About Us:

The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) is a first-in-class translational medicine institute dedicated to advancing life sciences in the race to eliminate disease and improve human health and life.

By connecting early-stage biotech companies with cutting-edge life science discoveries —and backed by the mission and resources of industry leaders, investors, and philanthropic partners—IBRI is successfully evolving a new, independent model to conquer disease, uniting previously fragmented forces in the quest for cures.

Carefully curating and supporting early-stage companies with investment, talent, and space, IBRI strategically accelerates drug discovery. Our work benefits from the relatively low cost of living and doing business here, allowing more resources to be directed toward science.

Fueled by the same entrepreneurial creativity as the groundbreaking scientific work we support, IBRI’s labs advance research across the frontiers of diabetes, metabolic disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and rare pediatric diseases. Our ambitious public–private vision cultivates talent while efficiently bridging the gap between research-driven inquiry and profit-driven drug development.

At IBRI, cures are launched on a clear pathway to clinical trials, enabled by the combined resources and experience of our academic and industry partners, without the typical pressure to deliver rapid results for commercialization. IBRI labs pursue breakthroughs that might never happen elsewhere. Breakthroughs are happening here. Our novel financing model ensures that when discoveries are ready for clinical trials, the intellectual property is sold back to industry or spun off, creating a direct stream of revenue.

By every measure, the IBRI model demonstrates a novel approach that delivers rewards. Scientific bench work is nurtured, drug discovery is advanced, workforce development is continuous, investors see returns, and donors see impact. Most importantly, IBRI’s structure and portfolio of accomplishments matter to the patients whose lives are improved—or even saved—by this forward-looking approach to life sciences.

IBRI is driven to bring next-generation therapies to market with an understanding of the complex pressures that often bind innovation to economics. After more than a decade, the evidence is clear: IBRI is poised to transform life sciences—and for millions of people, even life itself.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The IBRI provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and does not discriminate based on age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

JOB CODE: 1000053