Senior Manager Research Operations

Company Overview

Cerevel Therapeutics is dedicated to unraveling the mysteries of the brain to treat neuroscience diseases. We are tackling neuroscience diseases with a differentiated approach that combines expertise in neurocircuitry with a focus on receptor selectivity. Our portfolio of pre-commercial neuroscience assets targets a broad range of central nervous system (CNS) disorders, including schizophrenia, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease and substance use disorder.  

Headquartered in the Greater Boston area, we are bold thinkers, deep experts, resilient pathfinders, and transparent partners who push the boundaries of scientific understanding to unlock breakthrough CNS therapies that have real impact on people’s lives.

Cerevel aspires to develop and nurture a culture characterized by trust, respect, courage, curiosity, and compassion, with a relentless focus on mission and results.  Our patient-centricity guides our purpose, how we treat each other and what we work on every day.  The successful candidate will bring their own unique thinking and approach to Cerevel while sharing our core values and convictions.

Role Summary

This role in Research Operations will provide project management support for the functional area, Technical Operations/CMC. We are seeking a highly motivated, collaborative, results-oriented individual with creativity, resourcefulness, and flexibility to excel in a growing company.

The candidate will be responsible for mentoring, managing, and developing a project management team to support all phases of drug development for Technical Operations/CMC. They will also directly manage projects for the Technical Operations/CMC sub-teams that support the company’s pipeline from research to commercialization. They will work with internal stakeholders to plan for, develop, and advocate for project management resources. The candidate will coordinate across functions and departments to identify risks and gaps to develop a plan to support the company’s goals.

The candidate will work closely with the head of Research Operations to develop and drive the strategy for Research Operations and lead initiatives to support the CSO organization to ensure company goals are met.

The candidate will apply practical working knowledge and application of project management techniques and concepts to the drug development / pharmaceutical industry. They will drive decision making to ensure efficient program execution and broader portfolio value. They will be accountable for the cross-functional planning and execution of one or more programs including definition of the operational strategy, management of timelines, cost, quality, and risk assessment and mitigation. Understand and independently act on information or issues that have potential down-stream impact on other functions and teams.

Must understand the drug discovery and development process and associated cross-functional dependencies.

• Act as a thought partner with the Head of Research Operations to guide the strategic direction of Research Operations
• Lead cross-organizational initiatives to support the CSO organization and company initiatives
• Direct management of project management team to support functional area and supporting groups
• Develop strategic plan for project management implementation and oversight for the company pipeline for the functional area
• Partner closely with functional/program leads to develop and maintain project plans to identify/communicate interdependencies as well as critical path activities for the project
• Oversee and manage all activities at CROs for functionally relevant studies across programs
• Manage activities across multiple projects to ensure that goals are clear, resource needs are identified, and progress updates are uniformly presented and on time
• Assist in the annual budget and study planning for the functional area
• Manage outsourcing and maintain strong relationships with CROs
• Establish project management best practices in the planning, initiation, execution, and tracking of project activities, timelines, and related budget
• Ensure alignment across functions by working in partnership with key stakeholders, escalates issues and communicates decisions to all cross-functional team members and stakeholders
• Work collaboratively with senior management and consultants to plan critical-path activities, establish program goals, budgets, and timelines
• Proactively plan and facilitate meetings, providing meeting materials and timely meeting minutes

• 10+ years of experience in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company or contract research organization (CRO)
• 7+ years of experience in functional area (Process Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Formulation Development, and/or Quality Assurance)
• Should be able to anticipate and plan for the organizations’ needs as it grows and communicate needs in a persuasive and logical manner
• Leadership skills including situational leadership, the ability to lead a team of experts and influence with and without authority, conducting oneself in accordance with Cerevel’s culture and core values
• Must have a proactive mindset with strong leadership, facilitation, teamwork, influence management, organizational skills, and ability to work independently
• Excellent interpersonal skills required, along with an ability to develop important relationships with key stakeholders and work collaboratively, skilled in conflict management/negotiation
• Highly proficient in utilizing project management best practices, project planning, and facilitative decision-making. Skilled in goal setting, prioritization, and time management
• Ability to identify opportunities to improve processes and implement practical solutions that aim to increase efficiency and communication while delivering impactful results in a timely manner
• Excellent written and oral communication and information management skills; ability to interact with a diverse group of individuals
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task, prioritize effectively and creativity, flexibility in a changing environment and ability to delegate and communicate effectively
• Drive team member accountability and engagement through production of key meeting outputs, such as management of timelines, meeting agendas and summaries, and ensure that project information is organized and readily accessible
• Ability to travel

• Experience managing and supervising direct reports
• Familiarity with managing contracting work with CDMOs including master service and quality agreements
• Experience in NDA activities
• Strong regulatory and GMP acumen
• Experience with Smartsheet and MS-Project

• BA/BS in a scientific discipline is required; PhD/MS is desirable
• Project Management Certification (PMP or equivalent) preferred

Cerevel is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. 

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