Project Manager - III

Oceanside, CA

Kite is seeking a highly motivated individual to join us as a Sr. Project Manager to work in the exciting area of cancer immunotherapy at the Oceanside viral vector manufacturing site (MVP01). This position will work with other project managers to drive support programs, projects, goals and initiatives at the site in a dynamic and fast paced organization. This role requires effective partnerships with all departments at the site (Supply Chain, MSAT, Automation, F&E, Mfg., Finance) and select partnerships within Technical Operations and other Global Functions. The position will report to
Business Strategy & Operations.


Business Strategy & Operations provides various types of support to the site Project, Resource, and Portfolio Management, Operational Excellence, Business Continuity Management, Risk Management, Knowledge Management, Site Strategy, and Site Communications. As a member of the department, besides having a core area of expertise as a Project Manager, you will also be able to learn and contribute in other areas to bring benefit to the site.

Job Responsibilities:

This position will also play a critical role in the execution of the Kite MVP01 project portfolio. In order to provide project management support for projects in the site portfolio, the following capabilities are expected:
Collaborates with stakeholders to define project scope, timeline, resources, and objectives
Manages changes to project scope, schedule, and budget
Leads and manages project team meetings in collaboration with project owner. Prepares agenda, minutes, and action items.
Identifies project risks with team and functional areas; implements corrective action
Provides project status trackers/dashboards and ensuring to ensure all stakeholders and senior leaders are fully informed and knowledgeable of project activities and their status
Maintains a standard set of department practices, processes, and templates for managing projects consistently and efficiently
Support change management and continuous improvement efforts across programs, identifying and addressing gaps and opportunities
Identifies and escalates project related issues, as appropriate

Basic Qualifications:

Bachelors and 8+ years of relevant experience in portfolio management (experience in pharma/biotech and/or cell therapy manufacturing is a plus)
Masters Degree and 6+ years of relevant experience in portfolio management (experience in pharma/biotech and/or cell therapy manufacturing is a plus)
High School Diploma and 12+ years of relevant experience in portfolio management (experience in pharma/biotech and/or cell therapy manufacturing is a plus)

Preferred Qualifications:

Proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook and visualization tools (e.g. Smartsheet, SpotFire, Tableau, Power BI); MS Project experience a plus
Ability to engage internal and external stakeholders effectively, facilitate discussions, influence effectively and develop relationships; problem solve, drive efforts and projects and delegate appropriate tasks to collaborators and follow-up as needed to meet deadlines
Self-motivated, proactive and responsive, highly organized, results-oriented and attentive to detail
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) or Project Management Professional (PMP) certificate
Demonstrated experience in managing multiple projects