Project Manager
Project Management is a major component of the Life Science and Technology industries and it offers a rich and varied career path. A good Project Manager often starts their career in a more administrative co-ordination role, before gradually progressing to undertake more and more responsibility for project mangement, planning and controlling projects from start to finish (often referred to as “cradle to grave”), being the main point of contact for project-related queries and delegating duties to others within the project team.
The role of Project Manager is wide ranging and will typically include such tasks including working with key stakeholders to develop a detailed project plan containing the project scopes, objectives, milestones and costs. The Project Manager will then use appropriate verification techniques to measure project performance and report and escalate any issues arising to management. The ability to manage the relationship with the client, in-house operational departments and all stakeholders via frequent communication and coordination is a key requirement for a project manager, as is performing risk management to minimise project risks.
Project Managers working within the pharmaceutical industry are responsible for coordinating internal resources and third parties/vendors to ensure that all projects are delivered on time, on budget and to international quality standards (ICH GCP) by providing the management of internal and external teams in accordance to company SOPs. Project management roles can be found within Pharma companies themselves or within 3rd party service providers (such as a CRO) and the emphasis and core duties will vary accordingly. Project Management is also very prevalent within IT settings, whether to set up new technology infrastructure, roll out new upgrade versions of software across multiple sites, migrate data, and much more.
Related job titles include: Project Management Assistant, Project Coordinator, Project Support Associate, Senior Project Manager
Key Skills and Experience required to become a Project Manager
A degree in a Life Science or other relevant subject
A recognised project management accreditation (e.g. PRINCE2)
Project management software (e.g. Microsoft Project, SharePoint, SmartSheet)
Excellent organisation, time management and communication skills
Ability to multi-task
Salary Levels
Once you have gained commercial experience in more of a coordination role, which typically may have a salary in the region of £18k - £22k, Project Management can be a lucrative career path and can also lead to opportunities for flexible / remote working. Depending on the industry sector, a Project Manager could earn anything from £25k to £45k. People who move into consultancy-based Project Management can earn decent daily rates, usually in the range between £250 and £450 per day.
Basel is a city on the Rhine River in northwest Switzerland close to the borders with France and Germany. The official language of Basel is German although, with 35% of the inhabitants being foreign nationals, English is also widely spoken. The University of Basel, founded in 1460, is Switzerland's oldest university and it houses some of Erasmus’s works. Erasmus’s tomb is to be found in the city’s 12th century Romanesque-Gothic cathedral. There are almost 40 museums in Basel as well as many beautiful medieval buildings around the Marktplatz.
Basel is home to large pharmaceutical and chemical industries with companies such as Novartis, Syngenta, Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Hoffmann-La Roche, and Actelion being headquartered in the city. Like other Swiss cities, Basel is also a centre for banking and both the Bank for International Settlements and UBS are located in the city. The Basel Area is one of the most sought-after life sciences locations in the world, and is clearly Europe’s top life sciences hub. Roche and Novartis, two out of three global pharma market leaders have their global headquarters here.
Basel can also rightly claim the longest history in life sciences. From the beginnings with its industrial silk ribbon dye mills in the mid-century 1800s up to the biotech revolution, the region’s life sciences ecosystem has repeatedly evolved and reinvented itself in the course of the industry’s larger developments. This success story is still going strong and will continue.
The Basel Area is home to over 700 life sciences companies that are making a substantial contribution to a dynamic business environment. The life sciences industry is the growth engine of the Basel Area – homegrown and here to stay. The Basel Area is also a hotspot for promising startups, such as docdok.health AG, Versameb AG, Polyneuron Pharmaceuticals AG, T3 Pharmaceuticals AG and Cellestia Biotech AG.
The Basel Area is also a world champion in gross value. The $66 billion USD exports of pharma products per year are impressive.
Famous people from Basel include: Roger Federer, champion tennis player and Ursula Andress, actress.
Switzerland is a great place to further your career in life sciences. If you are a looking for pharmaceutical jobs in Basel, scientific careers in Basel or want to discuss cell therapy, gene therapy, ATMP, medical device, technology, biotech or pharmaceutical job opportunities in Basel, give our Next Phase team a call. The Swiss area is continuing to expand as a centre for jobs in science, process development, technology, software development, project management, informatics, quality, reg affairs and supply chain.
At Next Phase we help people find new jobs in life sciences across the UK, Europe and USA. This page lists some of the job opportunities in Switzerland, and if you give us a call we can also talk to you about other scientific jobs, pharmaceutical career opportunities and the latest updates in cell and gene therapy and ATMP development in the Basel area.
