Head of Development Portfolio Management Zymergen, Inc.
Emeryville, CA

Job Description

Head of Development Portfolio Management

The head of development portfolio management is accountable for the consistent collection, integration and analysis of data across all projects in the Zymergen portfolio (client, products, discovery). A successful portfolio lead possesses the scientific, technical, leadership, process management and cross-functional management skills to manage large and complex data sets. Works collaboratively with BD/products/discovery to ensure high value data and information is tracked and managed and is available for a variety of cross-project decision making forums.

Key accountabilities and responsibilities for project leadership and delivery include:

* Roll up technical aspects of projects across the entire portfolio
* Define leading indicators of technical project progress towards internal and/or external milestones and track portfolio against these on an ongoing basis
* Data integration across programs including cost, time, value and risk (work closely with BD who manages cost and value)
* Implement a software solution for automated tracking & reporting
* Develop and manage project/portfolio prioritization approach
* Develop technical project risk management approach and roll up at portfolio level
* Conduct lessons learned on completed projects to ensure learning across programs
* Analyze data to facilitate decision making at the exec level, management level & functional level


* Work with technology to design and continuously improve program level dashboards (PPV, Build Success Rates, Throughput, Timelines and other useful metrics)
* Manage the approach to resource management for flexible project allocations (Including managing of Development level algorithms for project allocation and utilization of real-time data for project staffing projections)
* Portfolio level planning for key groups (NPI, HTS, Ferm, etc )
* Accountable for biweekly executive technical project reports and adhoc project/ portfolio reports as requested by leadership
* Accountable for managing monthly executive project/portfolio review meeting & scientific exchange meetings (forward and detailed agenda planning, scheduling, content management & oversight as well as meeting notes and actions/decision logs and tracking).
* Manage one or more portfolio analysts who collect and analyze data
* Formulate guidelines for technical milestones for projects in scoping and contracting (i.e. using info from portfolio analysis to improve the intake process)

Technical Skills include:

* Background in biological sciences
* Coding/databases (applied to Biology)
* Statistics/quantitative methods (applied to Biology)

Leadership & management Capabilities include:

* Mastery of Project Management with an ability to lead cross functional working groups and teams
* Proven matrix leadership to accomplish team and organizational objectives
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills as well as proven negotiation, collaboration and interpersonal leadership skills
* Conceptual, analytical and strategic thinking with proven decision making capability
* Ability to influence strategically across all levels of the organization
* Maturity around complex problem solving and dealing with ambiguity
* Proven command skills to lead in a matrix
* Can manage flexibly and understand when and how to change tacks or focus to meet goals.
* Is goal orientated, works hard to get things done.
* Has a personal organization system that allows her or him to attend to many tasks at once
* Able to tailor communication style to any audience from executives to research associates.