Position Summary
CIRM is seeking a highly organized and experienced Program Manager for Program Development and Operations to support the planning, development, and effective operation of CIRM's scientific programs.
Reporting to the Chief Science Officer (CSO), the Program Manager works across CIRM's Programs organization to coordinate program development, improve operational consistency, track major activities and decision points, and identify issues that require attention or resolution. The position works closely with Program Leads, Project Managers and partner functions, including Review, Grants Management, Legal, Finance, Communications, and IT/Software Development.
The Program Manager provides operational management and direction within established processes and, in coordination with the CSO identifies where new or improved processes are needed and supports their development and implementation. The position maintains an integrated view across program areas, identifies gaps and dependencies, brings issues forward early, and helps ensure decisions are translated into clear actions and follow-through.
This role requires someone who can work across multiple teams, make sense of complex and sometimes competing priorities, and bring structure and clarity without adding unnecessary process.
Job Functions
Program Development and Funding Cycle Coordination
- Coordinate the development and implementation of new and revised funding programs, working across Program teams, Review, Grants Management, Legal, Communications, and other functions.
- Maintain visibility across major funding-cycle activities and decision points, including concept development, eligibility, application review, programmatic recommendations, governance review, launch, and implementation.
- Coordinate timelines, dependencies, responsibilities, and required inputs across functions. Identify gaps or potential delays early and work with responsible teams to resolve them.
- Support the development of Program concepts, Program Announcements (PAs), Request for Applications (RFAs), amendments, implementation plans, and related materials, while ensuring primary content ownership remains with the appropriate Program and functional teams.
- Coordinate operational readiness for Executive Team, Science Subcommittee, Board, and other governance review of Programs activities, ensuring materials, recommendations, timelines, and required decisions are clear and appropriately coordinated.
- Track significant decisions through implementation and coordinate resulting actions, timelines, and operational changes.
- In coordination with Program Manager (Strategy and Operations) responsible for tracking outcomes of CIRM funding, aggregating to CSO and incorporating it back into funding cycles where needed.
Cross-Program Operations
- Maintain an integrated view of major priorities, timelines, dependencies, and operational risks across Discovery and Education, Preclinical Development, Clinical Development and other Programs activities as they relate to funding cycles.
- Work with Program Leads and PMs to identify operational gaps, clarify responsibilities, improve coordination, and support timely execution.
- Identify issues that require CSO attention and provide summaries of the issue, implications, recommended next steps, and decisions needed.
- At the direction of the CSO and in coordination with Program Leads, develop and implement operational expectations and common practices across Programs.
- Identify operational risks, cross-functional dependencies, unclear ownership, and process gaps related to funding cycles; work with responsible teams to identify options and resolve issues, and bring significant or unresolved matters to the CSO early with recommended next steps.
- Track agreed actions and decisions through implementation, particularly where responsibilities cross Programs or organizational functions.
Operational Planning and Process Improvement
- Assess how funding cycle efforts are being carried out across Programs and identify practical opportunities to improve consistency, efficiency, accountability, and visibility.
- Develop and maintain appropriate operating tools for funding cycles, including integrated plans, dashboards (excluding Review cycle trackers), decision and action trackers, templates, SOPs, and common workflows.
- Help distinguish between funding cycle processes that should be standardized across Programs and those that appropriately remain specific to individual program areas.
- Support implementation of agreed funding cycle process changes and assess whether they are working as intended.
Organizational Visibility and Planning
- Provide the CSO with regular, concise visibility into the operational status of funding cycles, including major milestones, emerging risks, cross-team issues, upcoming decisions, and areas requiring attention.
- Support workload and capacity planning across Programs and identify areas where responsibilities, resources, or PM support may need adjustment.
- Support onboarding of new Program Leads and PMs by helping establish clear operating practices, responsibilities, tools, and cross-functional relationships.
- Partner with portfolio management and data functions to use portfolio information to support operational planning, while avoiding duplication of portfolio analysis responsibilities.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as life sciences, healthcare, business, public administration, or a related discipline. Advanced degree preferred.
- At least five years of progressively responsible experience in program management, operations, research administration, healthcare, life sciences, government, or a related environment.
- Demonstrated experience coordinating complex work across multiple teams or functions.
- At least 2 years in management consulting or strategy and operations consulting, with demonstrated ability to assess complex organizational problems, develop practical recommendations, and support implementation.
- Experience developing and improving operational processes, workflows, or program management systems.
- Strong project and program management skills, including planning, risk identification, dependency management, and follow-through.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex information for senior decision-makers.
Desired Skills/Abilities
- Experience in biomedical research, biotechnology, healthcare, regenerative medicine, scientific funding, or research administration.
- Experience working in a matrixed organization where responsibilities and dependencies span multiple functions.
- Experience coordinating program development, funding cycles, governance processes, or similar complex organizational workflows.
- Experience developing dashboards, SOPs, operational frameworks, and other tools that improve organizational visibility and consistency.
- Familiarity with project management platforms such as Monday.com or similar tools.
Working Conditions
- Hybrid environment, required to work two days in the South San Francisco office and three days remotely. In-person attendance of organizational meetings and board, subcommittee, and working group meetings as required.
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be willing to work in a high-rise building.
- Ability to operate standard office equipment.
- Be available to work outside of normal business hours.
- Require occasional travel for work-related events.
Supervision Received
The Program Manager, Program Development and Operations reports directly to the Chief Science Officer.
Supervision Exercised
None
Compensation
This position is expected to pay $121,946 - $165,462 annually, which fits within the full salary range of $121,946 - $230,736 annually, for the Program Manager job classification. It is uncommon for an individual to be offered a salary close to the upper end of the full range for a position. Salary for this position will reflect the final candidate's qualifications, experience, skills, knowledge, relevant education, and certifications, in addition to being aligned with the internal leadership peer group.
Benefits
https://benefits.calhr.ca.gov/state-employees/
Required Application Documents
Applicants must submit a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.
Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the interview process should inform the interview scheduler at the time of scheduling.
For general questions regarding this position or inquiries specifically related to reasonable accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), please contact [redacted].
