Associate Project Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Associate Project ManagerAbout the Role

We are seeking a highly organized and driven Associate Project Manager to support strategic initiatives and day-to-day operations within a fast-growing life sciences organization. In this role, you will partner directly with leadership and collaborate across multiple cross-functional teams to coordinate projects, improve processes, manage documentation, and drive operational excellence.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career project manager looking to expand their experience in a cutting-edge scientific environment. You will gain exposure to complex business initiatives, process improvement efforts, and leadership-driven projects while working alongside scientific and operational teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and update project plans to ensure initiatives remain on track, on time, and within scope.
• Manage timelines, milestones, deliverables, and dependencies across multiple concurrent projects.
• Coordinate activities among cross-functional stakeholders to ensure alignment, accountability, and clear communication.
• Create and maintain workflow diagrams and process maps that document current and future-state operations.
• Update and manage Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and operational documentation.
• Design and maintain project tracking tools, dashboards, and reporting systems.
• Analyze project and operational data, identify trends, and provide actionable insights to leadership.
• Prepare status reports, risk assessments, and executive-level project updates.
• Support SKU setup and maintenance activities within internal systems and databases.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency and support implementation of process enhancements.
• Track action items, project deliverables, and process improvement initiatives through completion.
• Provide day-to-day project and operational support to leadership and cross-functional teams.
• Manage competing priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Maintain accurate project records, documentation, and reporting metrics.
• Build strong working relationships across scientific, operational, and business functions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, or a related field.
• 2+ years of project coordination or project management experience.
• Experience managing project schedules, deliverables, milestones, and stakeholder communications.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Proven experience creating process documentation, workflow maps, and tracking systems.
• Experience updating and maintaining SOPs and operational procedures.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data interpretation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams.
• High attention to detail and commitment to delivering quality results.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in the life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or healthcare industry.
• Exposure to cell biology, molecular biology, gene editing, or genetic engineering concepts.
• Experience supporting process improvement or operational excellence initiatives.
• Experience working with databases, reporting tools, and project management software.
• Familiarity with project management methodologies and best practices.
• Experience presenting project updates and recommendations to leadership teams.

What You'll Bring

• Strong project ownership and follow-through.
• A collaborative mindset and ability to build relationships across teams.
• A proactive approach to identifying challenges and implementing solutions.
• Adaptability and comfort working in an evolving business environment.
• Coachability and a desire to continuously learn and grow.

Work Environment

• 100% onsite position.
• Monday through Friday schedule.
• Typical hours are approximately 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
• Fast-paced, highly collaborative life sciences environment.
• Frequent interaction with scientific, operational, and business stakeholders.
• Opportunity to support strategic initiatives while developing a long-term career in project management within the life sciences industry.

Ideal Candidate: A motivated project professional with a passion for organization, process improvement, and cross-functional collaboration who is looking to build a career at the intersection of project management and life sciences.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Carlsbad, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $34.00 - $36.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Carlsbad,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Aug 10, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on ziprecruiter.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.