Program Manager, Pharma

About this Role

Our pharmaceutical team is looking for a highly motivated and creative Pharma Program Manager who will manage efforts in driving pharma programs to completion and report to the VP, Pharma Program Management, This is an opportunity in an exciting area of growth for Varda, the role will shape Varda's product culture and will play a significant role in establishing the low Earth orbit economy.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with program leads to develop and track schedules and milestones, identifying critical path activities and dependencies.
• Support pharma programs and meetings: set agendas, document decisions, assign owners, and follow up on action items.
• Establish program objectives, define scope, and align with departmental strategy.
• Ensure project deliverables meet expectations for quality, cost, and schedule.
• Partner with technical leads to identify and manage program risks and issues, while also proposing mitigation strategies and maintaining a risk register with mitigation plans.
• Align with technical leads to allocate resources, control costs, and ensure efficient use of personnel and resources.
• Communication of project status via SmartSheet, reports, and dashboards.
• Serve as the operational liaison to CDMOs, CROs, and contract testing laboratories on scheduling, deliverables, and issue escalation.

Basic Qualifications

• 2+ years of program management experience, and 6+ years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.
• B.S. or M.S. in life sciences such as Chemistry, Biochemistry, or related fields.
• Effective communication (verbal and written), well organized, collaborative with peers.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• 10+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
• 3+ years of program management experience, PMP / PgMP certification.
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple programs.
• Excellent communication across a diverse group of stakeholders. Must be able to tailor messaging to each audience.
• Experience with program planning and coordination, aligning with organizational strategy.
• Cross-functional team influence. Without direct reports, this role must influence and drive task completion from multiple stakeholders.
• Strong critical thinking and troubleshooting experience to guide cross-functional teams toward achieving program objectives.
• Understanding and implementation of change management during program lifecycle.
• Extensive experience with MS Project and/or SmartSheet.

Pay Range

• Salary range: $125,000 - $170,000/per year
• This role is on-site in El Segundo, CA
• Leveling and base salary is determined by job-related skills, education level, experience level, and job performance
• You will be eligible for incentives in the form of stock options and/or long-term cash awards

Benefits

• Consider your benefits covered for launch.
• At Varda, we invest in benefits and perks that support your health, financial well-being, and life beyond work.
• Benefits vary by position, with packages designed specifically for our regular full-time employees and interns.

Regular Full-Time Positions: Health & Wellness

• Flexible PTO policy + 12 paid holidays
• 100% company-paid Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance plans for employees and dependents with FSA and employer-matched HSA options
• Voluntary accident, hospital, critical illness, and pet insurance
• $120/month wellness reimbursement for gym and fitness expenses
• 12 weeks of parental leave (with supplemental disability leave for CA mothers)
• Family building, pregnancy, parenting and menopause benefits via Maven Clinic
• Sponsored One Medical memberships for employees and their dependents

Financial & Retirement

• Substantial incentive equity in a fully funded space start-up
• 401(k) retirement plan with 6% employer match (immediately vested)
• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Relocation support for new hires, if needed

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Fully stocked kitchen with lunch provided daily and dinner provided twice weekly
• Company and team-bonding events, happy hours and mission-success celebrations
• Complimentary EV charging

Intern Positions: Health & Wellness

• Paid observed holidays

Financial

• $20/pay period cell phone reimbursement
• Up to $4,000 gross up in relocation support, if eligible
• Up to $850 commute credit through Lyft or car rental reimbursement, if eligible

Workplace Experience & Perks

• Complimentary EV charging

ITAR Requirements

Varda, like all employers, must ensure that its employees working in the United States are lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Additionally, our employees are exposed to and have access to certain export-controlled items. Because our employees are provided access to export-controlled items, our policy is to only hire "U.S. persons" who are permitted to have access to our technology without an export license.

"US person" means: U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., individual admitted to the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum).