Project Team Leader

Key responsibilities:

The regular duties of the Project Team Leader will include the following:

In collaboration with the Directors of Project and Product Management and Heads of Assay Services, Production, and Quality Control, the Project Team Leader will be responsible for all aspects of managing various client projects. Specifically, the Project Team Leader will:

General

• Be accountable for all aspects of delivery and service expectations of project materials
• Serve as primary liaison between assigned client contacts and MindWalk
• Manage client expectations and address concerns promptly and professionally
• Provide leadership, instruction, training, and guidance to technical team members to ensure that internal company quality standards are met and projects progress in a timely manner
• Attend and contribute to biweekly project management meetings with the Director of Project Management to deliver project status reports, identify risks and resolve issues
• In collaboration with Animal Care Program Manager, guide all aspects of animal use for client projects
• In collaboration with Shipper/Receiver and Purchasing Coordinator, direct procurement and manage relationships with any subcontractors/third party service providers used for client projects
• Maintain current, comprehensive knowledge of best laboratory safety and animal care practices
• Work efficiently in an electronic environment which includes MS Office suite, SharePoint, project management software, time-tracking software, enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms
• Act as a representative of the company in client-facing situations and function in a manner consistent with MindWalk’s core values
• Conduct themselves with a high level of professionalism and scientific integrity
• Understand that occasional and reasonable travel, both local and international, may be required from time-to-time to fulfill the duties of the role
• Maintain a company email account and keep files organized as per MindWalk’s file structure
• Train or assist in training new Project Team Leaders (as needed)
• Possess basic knowledge of client contracts including limited use licenses and material transfer agreements.
• Provide guidance and training on Inter Company project management for cross-sales activities
• Lead or participate in certain strategic projects, activities, or leadership directives aimed at further developing the MindWalk production site or global company
• Act with flexibility, agility, and composure to resolve unexpected issues or challenges as they arise

Managerial

• Plan and manage a wide range of client projects including but not limited to full antibody discovery campaigns, protein production, preclinical asset development initiatives, and more
• Understand, uphold and communicate the service expectations outlined in executed confidentiality agreements, service agreements, and work orders
• Alongside clients, assist in defining the scope, goals, and deliverables for new project starts
• Take end-to-end ownership of client projects – develop and share detailed work plans with realistic and measurable project timelines and deliverables that align with client expectations and budget
• Assign responsibilities to cross-functional team members and ensure resources are allocated efficiently to meet project requirements, and all deliverables meet defined quality standards
• Proactively address challenges, prioritize resources and remove roadblocks to project success
• Manage scope changes with appropriate documentation, communication and approvals
• Conduct target analysis and provide clients with custom immunization strategies (as needed)
• Ensure all project documentation (scientific and experimental data output) is accurate, complete, up-to-date and translated into client-friendly formats
• Prepare and lead project kick-off meetings with clients
• Initiate, build, organize, and proactively maintain projects in project management software to enable clear and ongoing communication with animal care unit and technical teams
• Collaborate with shipping/receiving staff and production management to ensure timely delivery of client materials to technical teams
• Communicate with vendors and subcontractors to ensure timely and successful turn-around of outsourced services and materials required in client projects
• Collaborate with cross-functional team members to provide project guidance, coaching and support (as necessary) and coordinate lab personnel appropriately for the pre-production, during and post-production processes to ensure high performance and clarity of expectations
• Provide clear and data-driven guidance at regular client meetings to assist decision making
• Understand and communicate company service capabilities and relative pricing to clients
• Collaborate with internal and external sales representatives to drive marketing, business development, and networking initiatives (as needed)
• Onboard new clients to the ERP system and generate all required files for new project starts
• In collaboration with the Director of Client Relations and/or Client Account Manager, generate and share quotes for company services
• Ensure that financial records including quotes, sales orders, purchase orders, and invoices are accurate, up-to-date, and associated with the correct client projects
• Track and ensure the accuracy of staff hours billed towards client projects under the Project Team Leader’s management
• In collaboration with the Director of Client Relations, assist in auditing and updating service line-item pricing on an annual basis
• Invoice clients as appropriate based on project progression and terms outlined in contracts and work orders
• In collaboration with the Director of Client Relations and site General Manager, conduct project progression, invoicing, and revenue recognition audits on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis
• Prospect for new business at networking events, trade shows, and conferences (as needed)

Financial

Such other duties as the company may assign to the Project Team Leader from time to time.

Requirements:

• BSc (MSc or PhD preferred) in any of general, molecular, or cell biology, biochemistry, immunology, microbiology, biomedical engineering, genetics, or bioinformatics
• > 2 years recent experience managing scientific projects, preferably in commercial settings
• Familiarity with antibody discovery, antibody characterization, antibody engineering methods, and the biologics market overall are an asset
• Strong data interpretation, scientific writing, and report generation skills strongly preferred
• Excellent experimental design, data management, data visualization, organization and communication skills are considered essential for this role
• Experience in generating high-level technical reports and successfully presenting scientific data to stakeholders is a must
• Experience working in a production environment is an asset
• A commensurate combination of education and experience may be considered