Associate Director Project Management

Associate Director, Project Management

Location: Menlo Park, CA (Onsite, 4 days/week)

Employment Type: Full-time, Exempt

Reports to: Director, Translational Research & Development

Position Summary

SPARK NS seeks an Associate Director, Project Management to elevate our project management practice and drive the success of our strategic partnerships with the scientific community. You will oversee and develop a growing team of scientific Project Managers, earning the trust of senior scientific leadership and executive leaders, ensuring operational excellence, timely achievement of milestones, and a collaborative, high-EQ culture across a portfolio of approximately 13 projects and growing.

Your leadership will empower PhD-level Project Managers to anticipate and address risks, resolve operational challenges, and continuously improve the Project Manager skills. By supporting your team to deliver on critical project milestones, you will play a key role in advancing SPARK NS’s mission—helping innovative translational neuroscience move efficiently from lab to clinic.

This position reports to the Director of Translational Research & Development, who provides scientific leadership and makes all scientific and strategic project decisions. We welcome candidates with substantial industry experience, typically 10–20 years. An advanced degree is preferred given the team’s scientific background, but not required. We seek an experienced executor who thrives in complex scientific collaborations, mentors and demonstrates with empathy, and inspires a growth mindset in others.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Development:

• Oversee, mentor, and develop a team of scientific Project Managers, fostering a high-performance, accountable, and growth-oriented culture that keeps PMs energized and aligned through two-year program cohorts. Conduct regular feedback, coaching, and performance reviews to support professional development.

Operational Excellence:

• Ensure the effective execution of project management processes across a portfolio of 13 and growing translational neuroscience projects. Monitor project timelines, deliverables, and resource allocation to ensure milestones are met and issues/risks are proactively managed.

Process Improvement:

• Lead the ongoing development, standardization, and refinement of project management methodologies, tools, and best practices. Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency, consistency, and project outcomes.

Risk & Issue Management:

• Guide Project Managers in identifying, assessing, and mitigating operational risks and issues. Serve as the first point of escalation for project-related challenges, ensuring timely and effective resolution or escalation to the Director of TRD as needed.

Stakeholder Collaboration:

• Facilitate effective communication and collaboration among Project Managers and with scientific leadership, ensuring alignment on project goals, deliverables, and timelines. Support the Director of TRD by coordinating internal project management activities and ensuring that information, updates, and operational needs are clearly communicated within the team.

Resource Planning & Allocation:

• Oversee resource planning for the project management function, ensuring appropriate staffing and workload distribution to meet organizational needs. Support the Director of TRD in forecasting and prioritizing resource requirements.

Recruitment, Onboarding & Training:

• Lead hiring efforts for the project management team. Design and deliver onboarding and training programs to ensure new team members are equipped for success and aligned with SPARK NS values and standards.

Portfolio Reporting & Analytics:

• Oversee the collection, analysis, and reporting of project portfolio metrics (e.g., milestone achievement, resource utilization, risk status) using Smartsheet and other tools. Provide regular insight-driven updates to the Director of TRD and executive leadership, shaping decisions through narrative, data, and judgment rather than reporting status alone.

Culture & Engagement:

• Champion a collaborative, inclusive, and high-EQ work environment. Model SPARK NS values and foster team engagement, resilience, and adaptability in a dynamic, mission-driven setting.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, business, or related field required; advanced degree (MBA, PhD, PharmD) preferred.
• Proven ability to influence executives and stakeholders in complex scientific or translational environments; comfortable challenging assumptions and surfacing difficult truths with diplomacy.
• 10–20 years of industry experience in biotech, pharma, or scientific project management, with a strong record of execution and delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to positively lead, mentor, and inspire project managers and cross-functional teams over multi-year programs or portfolios, not just individual projects.
• Experience supporting complex scientific projects and partnerships.
• High emotional intelligence, with a track record of fostering collaboration, resilience, and trust.
• Growth mindset: open to feedback, adaptable to change, and committed to continuous learning.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Highly detail-oriented, adaptable, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in Smartsheet for project tracking, reporting, and team coordination.

Additional Information

• This role does not provide scientific direction or oversee external contract research organizations (CROs).
• Scientific leadership and project-level decision-making reside with the Director of TRD.
• Occasional domestic and international travel may be required.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive base salary: $XX-$XX based on qualifications and experience.
• 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• SPARK NS believes in compensating talent fairly while reinvesting in our mission.

Join Us in Making a Difference

SPARK NS is an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment. Applicants from all backgrounds and experiences are encouraged to apply.