Drug Discovery Resource Outsourcing Manager

Absci

. Serve as the single intake point for internal research requests across early R&D activities.

Posted 10/9/2026full-timeRemote • United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $146,000 - $193,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in managing research requests and vendor relationships within early R&D in biotech or pharma, with a strong focus on CRO engagement and project management. Proficient in drafting and negotiating legal agreements while ensuring compliance and data integrity.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Project ManagementCRO EngagementMandarin Chinese FluencyNDA/CDA to MSA to SOW ExperienceBiotech or Pharma Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Research Request AssessmentVendor ManagementContract NegotiationData Quality ReportingBiologics DiscoveryAntibody DiscoverySmall-Molecule DiscoveryBudget ManagementTechnical Requirement TranslationCycle Time Reporting

Soft Skills

Excellent JudgmentStrong CommunicationNegotiation SkillsAbility to Manage Competing Priorities

Industry Keywords

Life SciencesBiotechnologyPharmaceuticalsEarly Discovery R&DCROsConfidentialityIP ManagementQuality SystemsData IntegrityResearch Outsourcing

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as the single intake point for internal research requests across early R&D activities.
Assess requests against internal expertise, instrument and platform availability, and team capacity; recommend internal, external, or hybrid execution.
Escalate priority conflicts to program and functional leadership.
Identify, evaluate, and shortlist CROs in China based on capability, capacity, quality systems, data integrity, IP posture, and cost.
Build and maintain a qualified vendor list mapped to service categories.
Drive execution of CDAs/NDAs and Master Service Agreements before SOWs are needed.
Draft, negotiate, and shepherd SOWs, work orders, change orders, and purchase requisitions through Legal, Finance, and Procurement.
Act as day-to-day liaison between internal scientists and CRO project teams through kickoff meetings, protocol alignment, progress reviews, and data delivery.
Conduct meetings, negotiations, and written correspondence with CRO partners in Mandarin; translate and reconcile technical requirements across languages.
Report on cycle time, on-time delivery, spend versus budget, and data quality; use metrics to refine work allocation.

Requirements

What you’ll need

BS/MS in a life sciences discipline (biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology, immunology, protein science, pharmacology, or related); PhD welcome.
5+ years in biotech or pharma with direct exposure to early discovery R&D.
Demonstrated experience outsourcing research work to CROs, including familiarity with NDA/CDA → MSA → SOW → change order.
Professional fluency in Mandarin Chinese (spoken and written) and English.
Strong project management skills and ability to manage competing priorities.
Excellent judgment about confidentiality and IP.
Experience specifically with China-based CROs and an existing network among them (preferred).
Background in biologics or antibody discovery or in small-molecule discovery (preferred).
Legal authorization to work in the United States is required.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Offers equity
Offers bonus
Willingness to travel nationally and internationally 2–4 times per year for site visits and partner reviews (preferred)