Senior Manager / Associate Director, Project Management

Fate Therapeutics is looking for a Senior Manager or Associate Director of Project Management to join the Global Business Operations team. This is a key position working closely with the Development and Technical Operations departments to manage the full lifecycle of complex projects. The role serves as a key liaison between operational execution, program development strategy, and portfolio direction across the company’s clinical stage programs. This is a full-time, exempt position and located at our corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA while reporting to the Vice President, Global Operations.

Manage the full lifecycle of complex CMC, clinical and product development projects.

Develop and maintain detailed project plans that define scope, timelines, budgets, resource allocation, and risk management strategies.

Translate pre-clinical, process development, analytical and clinical development program strategies into clear executable project plans and communicate them effectively across teams and senior management.  

Use project management tools to develop timelines, monitor progress, track key performance indicators, analyze data, and ensure accurate reporting from inception through commercial realization.

Lead and motivate cross-functional project teams, ensuring clear communication, collaboration, and accountability.

Provide regular governance updates to senior management on project status, risks, and financial performance in compliance with company FP&A policies.

Communicate program strategy decisions and rationale to team members and other key stakeholders to ensure alignment and informed decision making 

Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks and issues, developing contingency plans as needed

Facilitate project meetings, including kick-off meetings, core team meetings, status updates, and milestone reviews.

Contribute to continuous improvement of project management practices, fostering knowledge sharing and best practices across teams.

Ensure compliance with all relevant regulatory requirements (e.g., FDA, EMA) and internal company policies.

Partner with functional and executive leadership to prioritize projects and initiatives across the portfolio, balancing timelines, and resource capacity.

Maintain forward-looking portfolio roadmaps that integrate development programs, publications, conferences, and key external milestones.

Foster a culture of continuous improvement and knowledge sharing within project teams. Navigate ambiguity and support creative problem solving.

BS or MS degree preferably in a technical or scientific field or business administration, with 7+ years related industry/consulting experience, including management responsibilities in a cross-functional environment. 

A blend of CMC/clinical, operational, strategic matrix leadership experience is preferred.  

Knowledgeable in industry regulations and best practice in CMC and/or clinical development.  

Experience leading complex cross-functional and technical projects with process development, quality, regulatory, manufacturing, and clinical groups.

Relevant experience in pharmaceutical/biotechnology regulated manufacturing environment.

Demonstrated experience applying project management methodologies.

Proficiency in Microsoft applications and project management software (e.g., MS Project, Jira, Asana).

Proven track record in leading a project forward through development milestones and/or approval by mapping out deliverables and ensuring activities progress and stay on course.  

Knowledgeable in current and possible future trends, technology, policies, practices and information of the relevant competitive landscape and global health authority requirements for drug approval. 

Position is onsite at our corporate headquarters in San Diego, CA.

Travel may be required (up to 10%).

The salary offer will be based on a variety of factors, including level, experience, qualifications, internal equity, and location.

Fate offers a competitive employment package that includes an annual bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package.

The anticipated salary range for this role is $155,000 - $185,000.

The preceding job description indicates the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. Additional and incidental duties related to the primary duties may be required from time to time.

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

To learn about how Fate collects and uses job application information, please visit Fate's online Privacy Notice.

Fate Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company dedicated to bringing a pipeline of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cellular immunotherapies to patients. Using its proprietary iPSC product platform, the Company has established a leadership position in creating multiplexed-engineered master iPSC lines and in the manufacture and clinical development of off-the-shelf, iPSC-derived cell products. The Company’s pipeline includes iPSC-derived T-cell and natural killer (NK) cell product candidates, which are selectively designed, incorporate novel synthetic controls of cell function, and are intended to deliver multiple therapeutic mechanisms to patients. Fate Therapeutics is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information, please visit www.fatetherapeutics.com.

⚠️ Recruitment Fraud Alert

Recently, we have been made aware of unauthorized individuals falsely presenting themselves as Fate Therapeutics employees or recruiters as part of online scams or phishing attempts. Impersonators may use the Fate Therapeutics name and logo, as well as employee names and job titles, to gain a job seeker’s personal or banking information or to request payment as a condition of being considered for a position at the company. Fate Therapeutics and its employees are not involved in these scams.

Here are a few things to be aware of to help identify recruitment fraud:

- Our Talent Acquisition team only corresponds from our @fatetherapeutics.com domain.

- At no stage in our hiring process will we require payment or ask you to make deposits in your bank account.

- We will only ask for personal information when applying for a position via our Careers page or thereafter.

- At no stage during our hiring process will we ask you to click a link to begin a one-way video interview.

- We do not use Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, or other third-party messaging platforms to recruit candidates or conduct interviews.

Please exercise caution. If something feels off about your interactions, we encourage you to contact us at careers@fatetherapeutics.com to confirm the authenticity of the message. Your security is important to us, and we appreciate your vigilance.