Position: Project Manager

Department: Marketing

Position Type: Full-Time Employee

Location: Salt River, Cape Town, South Africa (onsite)

Experience: Bachelors and 5+ years or Masters and 3+ years of industry relevant experience in new product development, from a project management position

Watchmaker Genomics is inviting applications for the full-time position of Project Manager.

This position will sit in Marketing and is responsible for managing timelines and resources across new product development (NPD) programs and projects from early R&D through commercial launch. The individual will communicate project updates, risks, and constraints to cross-functional teams and senior leadership, ensuring transparency and alignment. They will lead multiple NPD project teams, developing and maintaining detailed timelines in collaboration with key stakeholders.

In addition, this role will champion best practices in NPD, providing ongoing training on NPD processes and project management tools to strengthen accountability and execution. The ideal candidate is a collaborative leader with experience managing cross-functional teams—including R&D, Product Management, Manufacturing, Operations, and Quality Assurance—within a Quality Management System (QMS) environment. Familiarity with next-generation sequencing and advanced genomics applications is strongly preferred.

The successful candidate will thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced working environment and contribute directly to our company culture and success. The position provides an opportunity to gain valuable experience in both product development and cross-functional management to complement a strong technical background.

Responsibilities

• Support cross-functional project teams from product concept and feasibility, through verification, validation and design transfer, to commercial launch and on-market support by developing and maintaining comprehensive project plans, coordination of internal resources, and tracking project performance
• Identify and manage inter dependencies and constraints between systems and processes, and effectively coordinate cross-functional execution
• Manage several product development and product care projects towards on-time, on-quality, and in-scope product launches
• Develop and maintain project schedule,business risks, and resources, with project/program and portfolio report outs & dashboards for the respective teams and leadership
• Develop, disseminate, and encourage use of best practices for project management
• Communicate project status and project and business risks effectively to the leadership team
• Help to identify and creatively address project problems, issues and risks, including facilitating trade-off decision discussions, ensuring all key stakeholders are identified and engaged
• Champion the New Product Development (NPD) process and ensure projects adhere to NPD requirements
• Contribute to the execution and management of NPD and design transfer activities and documentation
• Additional responsibilities as assigned

Skills and Requirements

Previous experience and/or training in project management within the life science industry is required. The candidate should have a degree in molecular biology, biochemistry or a related discipline, with at least five years of relevant industry experience (see education section below). Experience in the following areas is considered a plus: new product development (within an ISO 13485 compliant QMS), next-generation sequencing (NGS), sample preparation, PCR, synthetic biology, and recombinant protein production.

The following skills and experience are requirements for the position:

• Experience of new product development within an ISO 13485 compliant QMS
• Experience in being part of new product development core teams and projects from an R&D or product management perspective
• Demonstrated ability to manage highly technical product development and design transfer processes across functions
• Demonstrated ability to build, maintain and report out on portfolio overviews, including budget, project and business risks, resources and schedules
• Maintain a high level of professionalism in project team meetings
• The ability to multitask, perform consistently under pressure and work without supervision
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to work as an effective member of a cross-functional team
• Experience with standard molecular biology techniques such as PCR, cloning and next-generation sequencing
• Excellent organizational skills and outstanding attention to detail
• Good communication and personal task management skills and a high level of self-motivation
• Ability to determine project timelines and meet deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Education

• BS in molecular biology, biochemistry (or related discipline) plus a minimum of 5 years of relevant industry experience
• M.Sc in molecular biology, biochemistry (or related discipline) plus a minimum of 3 years of relevant industry experience
• Industry relevant experience in new product development, from a project management position
• Project Management Certificate or equivalent (preferred)

Application Requirements

To apply for the position, please submit the following in a PDF format on watchmakergenomics.com:

• Letter of motivation (upload where it says cover letter)
• Resume or Curriculum vitae, highlighting relevant qualifications and experience

Applications without a Letter of Motivation will not be considered. Local candidates preferred.

If selected to participate in the interview process, the names and contact information of three professional references who are able to assess your suitability for the position in terms of the specified requirements will be requested. We will also request a current payslip.

To ensure your application is considered, please submit it by Tuesday, 30 September 2025. Please note that this position may close earlier if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

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NO RECRUITMENT AGENCIES PLEASE

We are only accepting direct applications for this position. We are not working with external recruiters or agencies at this time. Unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from third-party recruiters will not be considered and will be deemed the property of Watchmaker Genomics

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WE ARE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY/AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER

Watchmaker Genomics is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and creating a culturally diverse environment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics as protected by applicable law.

All applicants will be asked if currently eligible to work in South Africa; and if now or in the future will require visa sponsorship to continue working in South Africa.

This position may be subject to pre-employment checks, including driving history check, drug screening and a background check for any convictions directly related to its duties and responsibilities. All pre-employment checks will comply with all applicable laws.