Project Manager, Research & Development

Indigo is a company dedicated to harnessing nature to help farmers sustainably feed the planet. With a vision of creating a world where farming is an economically desirable and accessible profession, Indigo works alongside its growers to apply natural approaches, conserve resources for future generations, and grow healthy food for all. Utilizing beneficial plant microbes to improve crop health and productivity, Indigo’s portfolio is focused on cotton, wheat, barley, corn, soybeans, and rice. The company, founded by Flagship Pioneering, is headquartered in Boston, MA, with additional offices in Memphis, TN, Research Triangle Park, NC, Sydney, Australia, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and São Paulo, Brazil. www.indigoag.com

The role of the Project Manager, R&D is to support Indigo’s Project Management capabilities. Responsibilities include maintaining, tracking, and reporting on project status and working cross functionally to develop project plans and schedules. We are looking for a high energy candidate with a passion for project management. The Project Manager will work cross functionally with Product Management, R&D, and IP teams to achieve the best outcomes for Indigo and our partners.

Outcomes & Responsibilities:

• Support up to 5 early pipeline development projects.
  • Support up to 5 projects independently, with guidance from manager
  • Run workstream meetings and roll up major action items to Sr. Project Manager
  • Update schedules and project plans according to meeting outcomes
  • Prepare project summaries for effective reporting
• Take ownership of the Indigo research project portfolio
  • Host all associated workstream meetings
  • Manage project timelines and dashboards
  • Develop and deploy project schedules for all new research projects
  • Support the evaluation of research projects using the portfolio prioritization tool
• Establish rapport with key stakeholders to enable effective project management leadership
  • Meet with all stage gate owners and product managers
  • Demonstrate ability to communicate vertically and horizontally
  • Demonstrate active listening skills in order to effectively translate a stakeholders needs into project deliverables.
• Demonstrate a clear understanding of Indigo’s product pipeline
  • Shadow all processes and assays related to Focused Sourcing, Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3 including a planned trip with the focused sourcing team.
  • Participate in all S1-S2 kick off and gate meetings
  • Lead at least 1 stage related meeting
• Has a clear understanding of Indigo project management processes and tools
  • Utilize PM tools and processes for effective project management
  • Aid in institutionalization of PM tools and processes
  • Independently build project plans in Microsoft Project
  • Publish project plans to Project Web App with Issues and Risks identified with support from manager
  • Ensures all projects comply with project management framework
• Understands and embodies our mission & core values
  • Excited by Indigo’s mission; believes that Indigo can fundamentally change the agriculture industry; can clearly articulate passion for our mission and values
  • Optimistic and innovative; solution-oriented; shows no signs of cynicism
  • Will be widely viewed as someone who personifies our core values, is committed to them, and leans on them when making decisions. Specifically:
  • Demonstrates a track record of high integrity - doing the right thing, owning mistakes, conducting oneself honestly
  • Values, communicates and interacts with others with high levels of transparency and respect
  • Collaborates well across functions; creates an inspiring and collegial work environment

Competencies:

• Able to challenge senior scientists with tact and diplomacy; able to lead technical teams
• Excellent listening and communication skills to all levels and backgrounds at appropriate detail
• Interest and desire to be part of a fast-paced and dynamic team
• Interested in the science at Indigo
• Ability to work on multiple projects with changing priorities
• Highly organized and process-driven with strong attention to detail
• Able to stick to and hold others accountable for deadlines; willing to help others optimize their work
• Agile with the ability to deliver in a fast-paced environment
• Self-starter
• An advocate for scientific interests with Company goals and priorities in mind

Qualifications:

• Background in science or engineering
• 1-3 years’ experience preferred
• S. or M.S. in a science discipline
• Experience with MS Project or other similar tools a plus
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate meetings