Project Manager

at  Ascend Advanced Therapies

Join our project management team at Ascend Advanced Therapies, coordinating diverse projects to support advanced therapy development. Our portfolio includes internal technology development and QC lab expansion as well as contracted customer work in starting material and process development, manufacturing, and analytical services, ensuring pharmaceutical development meet cGMP compliance. As the principal point of contact and in close collaboration with our CSO, you will initially lead internal projects, and have opportunity to establish best working practices. You will maintain documentation (Gantt charts, RAID, dashboards), and coordinate meetings with stakeholders and SMEs, ensuring milestones are delivered on time without disrupting critical path activities. As our portfolio grows you will have opportunities to support our business development team in obtaining new external clients and to manage those client facing projects.
You will organise matrix teams across Ascend’s departments to develop and deliver projects, supporting product and data needs. Additionally, you will assist business development by preparing proposals, promoting our services, and generating new statements of work for existing clients seeking further development or pipeline expansion. Your primary responsibility will be maintaining productive matrix team relationships, ensuring their satisfaction through clear communication and collaboration with the wider Ascend team.
We’re looking for someone who can build and maintain strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, supporting high-performing cross-functional teams. You should be able to prioritise tasks to meet deadlines across multiple projects and enjoy solving problems and overcoming challenges. If you’re an open and honest communicator, keen to foster a positive company culture and take responsibility for driving results, we’d love to hear from you!

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum BSc or equivalent in Biological Sciences, Bioengineering, or a related discipline.
• PMP or equivalent certification is advantageous, but a demonstrated track record of successful delivery is essential.
• Experience managing development relationships and projects.
• Experience managing CDMO-client relationships an advantage.
• Working knowledge of US/EU regulatory requirements a nice to have.
• Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Fluency in English is a must, German language skills are a plus
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced, multi-disciplinary corporate environment.
• Understanding of critical path and rapid prioritisation capabilities

• Serve as the key contact for matrix teams and stakeholders from initial project scoping through to final handover in close collaboration with the CSO.
• Ensure seamless service continuity and promote integration across Ascend’s sites and departments.
• Implement and execute best project management practices for all activities.
• Establish, document, track, and communicate timelines, objectives, deliverables, and budgets.
• Coordinate and prioritise multiple parallel projects.
• Facilitate problem-solving, contingency planning, and decision-making.
• Align strategy with operational activities.
• Coordinate cross-functional communication and integration.
• Support business development by generating proposals and identifying opportunities to expand services for existing clients.
• Build productive relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Ensure timely design and execution of programmes to meet stakeholders needs.
• Perform other activities as assigned during the company’s growth.
• Establish planning, tracking and oversight of resource allocation to internal projects
• Regular reporting/trending of resource planning versus resource usage
• Quickly react to changes/issues in project execution and problem-solve with involved departments/SMEs to keep project on track