Technical Project Manager, R&D

About Nautilus

At Nautilus, we have a big and important mission: to improve the health of millions by unleashing the potential of the proteome to accelerate drug development and enable a new world of precision and personalized medicine. We are developing a single‑molecule protein analysis platform of unprecedented sensitivity, scale, and ease of use that we believe will democratize access to the proteome – one of the most dynamic and valuable sources of biological insight.

To accomplish this, we are pursuing hard scientific problems with an entrepreneurial mindset and creating a world‑class team of builders, innovators, and dreamers across a wide range of disciplines.

This position is a critical part of successfully delivering a comprehensive proteomics platform to our customers. The role is responsible for managing multiple projects varying in size and complexity for the development of the Nautilus platform. It involves working closely with cross‑functional teams in R&D, along with Product Management and Manufacturing, and interfacing with R&D leadership and scientists to develop and manage product development schedules from early phases through to commercial product release.

The project manager will be a skilled team leader who pays excellent attention to details, has experience managing cross‑functional projects, and who is comfortable getting into the technical details while engaging with diverse team members and leading them towards a commercial product solution. The individual will work independently, with minimal supervision, developing strategies, detailed project goals and plans, and communicating effectively with all levels of the organization.

• Lead technical team to a successful first commercial launch
• Lead medium to large scale projects for the development of the Nautilus platform including new assays, consumables, software, and hardware. Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while understanding their dependencies.
• Define project scope, objectives, and quarterly goals in alignment with high‑level company and program goals. Measure and report project status using standard project management dashboards, tools, and techniques.
• Develop project plans, milestones, and deliverables from initial product conception to product release. Experience in synthesizing a diverse set of ideas into a cohesive plan that team leads will own.
• Create and manage detailed project schedules. Work with team leads to adopt schedule management strategies.
• Collaborate with technical leads and subject matter experts to translate technical risks and experimental outlines into actionable plans with measurable metrics. Help connect technical areas and dependencies between teams.
• Identify and mitigate project risks and issues to remove obstacles and ensure milestone delivery on tight timelines.
• Facilitate prioritization and trade‑off decisions with teams and stakeholders.
• Effectively communicate and present project status to senior management and stakeholders.
• Aid in identifying key technical resource gaps; work with functional managers to address resourcing issues.
• Utilize common Project Management tools and techniques (such as Smartsheets, Jira, and Excel) to develop appropriate processes with teams.
• Prepare agendas, lead meetings, and distribute meeting minutes and action items.

• This position is onsite in San Carlos, CA. This role is expected to work onsite 5 days a week during normal business hours.
• 5 – 10 % travel may be required.
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in Project Management with a focus on Product Development at a Biotechnology or Life Science organization is required.
• Experience taking a product from concept to successful commercial launch.
• Technical expertise in a cross‑functional project integrating life sciences, software, hardware, assay, and consumables.
• Experience at an early stage start‑up.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or science field is required. Master’s or PhD strongly preferred.
• PMP Certification, SAFe or equivalent Agile Certifications required.