Biomedical Engineering Masters Jobs in California

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Program Manager to provide strategic program leadership, structure, and execution oversight across critical product development initiatives supporting next-generation protein sequencing technologies. This role will serve as a key partner to executive leadership, functional leaders, and project teams, ensuring alignment, accountability, and execution excellence across a portfolio of high-priority programs.

The ideal candidate will have 15+ years of experience leading complex cross-functional product development programs within the life sciences, biotechnology, diagnostics, medical device, or related industries. This individual will bring expertise in governance, product development, design controls, risk management, commercialization readiness, and stakeholder engagement to help accelerate innovation while maintaining organizational alignment and operational discipline.

Success in this role requires a seasoned leader who can navigate ambiguity, drive executive decision-making, establish program structure, and maintain momentum across initiatives spanning research, product development, operations, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercialization functions.

WORK LOCATION:

Travel to client sites may be required up to 100%, based on project demands and client expectations.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

(This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary.) 

• Provide senior program management leadership across priority product development initiatives, aligning executive sponsors, functional leaders, project teams, and external stakeholders on scope, priorities, risks, tradeoffs, and key decisions.
• Lead and coordinate cross-functional programs supporting the development, validation, and commercialization of innovative products, including library preparation kits and related technologies.
• Drive initiatives from concept through commercialization by developing integrated plans, managing dependencies, tracking milestones, and ensuring alignment across workstreams.
• Advance programs by clarifying decision points, identifying execution risks, resolving obstacles, and maintaining momentum toward strategic objectives.
• Plan, facilitate, and drive outcomes from governance meetings, design reviews, milestone reviews, project team meetings, leadership check-ins, and stakeholder forums.
• Prepare executive-level communications, dashboards, status reports, and recommendations to support informed decision-making.
• Coordinate activities across research, product development, engineering, operations, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, supply chain, and commercial teams.
• Ensure timely completion of key program milestones, design control deliverables, and commercialization readiness activities.
• Establish and maintain program governance processes, risk management frameworks, escalation pathways, and accountability mechanisms.
• Identify, assess, and manage program risks, dependencies, assumptions, and resource constraints, facilitating tradeoff discussions as needed.
• Implement program management best practices, tools, and processes that improve visibility, alignment, predictability, and execution effectiveness.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership by providing strategic insights, execution guidance, and recommendations that support business objectives.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below are representative of the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities required.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering, or a related scientific discipline required.
• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, MBA, or equivalent) preferred.

Technical Experience

• 15+ years of progressive program management experience within biotechnology, life sciences, diagnostics, medical device, pharmaceutical, or related regulated industries.
• Demonstrated success leading complex cross-functional product development programs from concept through commercialization.
• Experience supporting the development and launch of scientific instruments, consumables, assays, reagents, kits, or platform-based technologies preferred.
• Strong understanding of stage-gate product development processes, design controls, risk management, product lifecycle management, and commercialization planning.
• Experience operating in fast-paced, innovation-driven organizations requiring strong organizational leadership and execution discipline.
• Experience working within regulated environments and partnering with quality, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercial functions.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Smartsheet, and project/program management tools.
• Experience developing executive dashboards, program reporting, governance materials, and milestone tracking frameworks.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• PMP certification preferred.
• Exceptional executive communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Proven ability to influence senior leaders and drive alignment among cross-functional stakeholders without direct authority.
• Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and decision-support capabilities.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and effectively prioritize competing business needs.
• Deep understanding of product development, design control requirements, commercialization processes, and organizational change management.
• Strong risk management and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to translate complex technical and scientific concepts into actionable business discussions and decisions.
• Demonstrated success building consensus, managing conflict, and driving accountability across diverse teams.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
• Comfortable operating at both strategic and tactical levels to ensure successful program outcomes.