Program Management Officer

Job Title

Program Management Officer

Job Description

An excellent opportunity is available for a Program Management Officer to join the New Medicines and Diagnostics Division at Australia’s pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the Program

The Bridging Barriers in Brain Cancer (B3C) program aims to transform the lives of people affected by brain cancer by developing pioneering new medicines capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier. Led by WEHI, B3C is establishing a platform-enabled drug discovery and development pipeline, focused on targeted drug conjugates designed to deliver potent anti-cancer therapies into the brain. B3C brings together a highly multidisciplinary team across partner organisations, the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Monash University, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, The University of Queensland and the University of Technology Sydney, with the long-term ambition of transitioning B3C into a successful biotech spinout. B3C represents a unique opportunity to build a purpose-driven, translational drug development centre from the ground up, integrating discovery science, preclinical development, translational strategy and commercial readiness.

About the Position

Reporting to the Centre Director and the Chief Scientific Officer, the Program Management Officer is a senior leadership role responsible for providing operational direction and enabling delivery of B3C’s strategic objectives. The role will drive major program milestones, support effective collaboration across partners, and ensure the program operates efficiently at scale. The Program Management Officer will manage key stakeholders including funders and work closely with WEHI’s Professional Services teams to establish and refine B3C’s operating model. The role will oversee the day-to-day operations of the centre and support its growth towards future translation and commercialisation. This role will also be responsible for managing a budget over a five-year period.

Selection Criteria
Essential Knowledge and Skills:

• Relevant tertiary qualification in Business, Science or a related discipline, or equivalent experience.

• Demonstrated experience in senior program or operational management, ideally within a research, biotech or healthcare environment.

• Strong commercial mindset with a focus on growth, and demonstrated ability to apply commercial acumen to decision-making.

• Demonstrated experience supporting or delivering scientific or technical programs, with an understanding of translational or research environments.

• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with a range of stakeholders including technical, operational and leadership groups.

• Strong and effective stakeholder engagement, strong negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to achieve outcomes while maintaining positive working relationships.

• Demonstrated proactive problem-solving and analytical capability, with the ability to assess options and implement practical, effective solutions.

Desirable Knowledge and Skills:

• Experience working in biotech, pharma or start-up environments.

• Exposure to early-stage research, translational science or product development pipelines.

• Experience working across complex or multi-stakeholder environments (e.g. cross-institutional or industry partnerships).

• Familiarity with regulatory or compliance considerations in research or healthcare settings.

Terms of Appointment
This position is available for a period of five years, in a full or part time capacity (0.6 - 1.0 FTE). Salary is Research Support Employee Level 10 ($171,493 - 185,628). Very attractive salary packaging options are available for general living expenses, meal entertainment, novated leasing and more. 12% superannuation payable, plus up to a further 5% after the first 6 months of service via our matching superannuation scheme.

General enquiries can be directed to Prof Guillaume Lessene on glessene@wehi.edu.au.

A position description is available here.

How to Apply
Please apply by uploading your CV, cover letter and a document addressing the key selection criteria in pdf format.

Application Closing Date:  Wednesday 27 May 2026