Project Manager - Drug Innovation Group

The Drug Innovation Group (DIG) is a medicinal chemistry group at University of Ghana (UG). DIG staff and laboratories are situated in the Frank Tortor Building at the Department of Chemistry. DIG is part of a fully integrated malaria drug discovery project under the ethos of the Grand Challenges African Drug Discovery Accelerator (GC-ADDA) program comprising eight (8) African institutions with many international partners funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and LifeArc. DIG is seeking to appoint a Project Manager on a 3-year fixed contract.

Job Summary

The main purpose of this position is to support interdisciplinary translational research teams by helping DIG/GC-ADDA teams to develop project plans and support effective implementation of cross-functional discovery activities in alignment with DIG/GC-ADDA overall research priorities.

Additionally, this position will assist teams to work effectively together with internal and external communication of key research activities/programs at DIG/GC-ADDA.

The position will also support DIG/GC-ADDA in the planning and execution of other research-related activities (face-to-face meeting, funder/stakeholder engagements, shipping of samples across participating institutions etc.).

Responsibilities

Project management and planning:

• Together with the project teams, be responsible for the generation and maintenance of the integrated project goals and platform goals for all DIG/GC-ADDA scientific activities.
• Coordinate project review meetings, including the annual scientific management and advisory board meeting (SMAB) and the quarterly Research Management Team (RMT) meetings.

Research Operations:

• Planning scientific exchange visits.
• Program planning for symposiums, advisory board meetings and face-to-face meetings with collaborators.
• Assessing daily challenges/bottlenecks in DIG/GC-ADDA workflows.
• Champion and maintain use of DIG/GC-ADDA SharePoint and CDD Vaults for knowledge management.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Milestone/progress tracking of key projects.
• Coordination of monthly scientific reports.
• Assessment of effectiveness of solutions/processes.
• Facilitation of project close out sessions to capture learning.

Qualification Required & Experience

• Research based Masters in a scientific discipline.
• 3 years project management experience in translational research environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to liaise effectively between both scientific and non-scientific staff.
• Excellent communication (oral and written), computer, organizational and time management skills.
• Highly motivated and team player with ability to work independently when required.

Advantages

• Knowledge of scientific disciplines aligned to drug discovery (chemistry/pharmacology/biology etc.) would be an advantage.
• Advanced planning and tracking skills, ability to use proper tools in project management and capable of managing programs with respect to priorities.

Location: Accra