Scientific Program Manager Lead

About Arc Institute Arc Institute is an independent nonprofit research organization at the interface of artificial intelligence and biology, working to accelerate scientific progress and understand the root causes of complex diseases. Founded in 2021 and based in Palo Alto, Arc partners with Stanford University, UC Berkeley, and UC San Francisco. Unlike academia, our scientists have long-term funding and industry-like resources. Unlike industry, they're free to pursue high-risk, long-term research without commercial pressures. Arc's Technology Centers and Core Investigator labs work side by side, integrating experimental and computational biology under one roof to tackle problems neither could solve alone. Our two Institute Initiatives reflect this model in action: Virtual Cell Initiative : Building a full-stack virtual cell model to identify disease mechanisms and nominate drug targets, accelerating the path from biological insight to clinical trials. Alzheimer's Disease Initiative : Mapping the genes, pathways, and environmental factors behind Alzheimer's disease to develop drug candidates that address root causes. More than 300 Arconauts work together at our Palo Alto headquarters, backed by substantial long-term philanthropic funding. About the position We are seeking a Scientific Program Manager Lead to drive and coordinate strategic research initiatives across Arc Institute. This role will be instrumental in orchestrating complex, multi-disciplinary projects that span our Technology Centers encompassing cellular models, mammalian models, genome engineering, multi-omics, computational biology, and machine learning. A defining dimension of this role is the facilitation of cross-functional and cross-institutional collaboration to keep Arc's most complex programs moving. You will lead regular working meetings across Technology Centers, Core Investigator groups, and institute leadership—surfacing and resolving blockers, ensuring effective resource allocation, and maintaining alignment across teams working toward shared scientific goals. As Arc's research programs grow in scope and ambition, this coordination function becomes increasingly critical to execution. The ideal candidate combines deep technical knowledge of biological research with strong program management skills and a track record of driving progress across distributed, interdisciplinary teams. In this role, you will work closely with Technology Center leaders, Core Investigators, and institute leadership to advance Arc's Virtual Cell and Alzheimer's Disease initiatives through structured, proactive program oversight. In this role, you will also shape the strategic direction of Arc's research programs, mentor junior team members, and establish program management frameworks that appropriately support the institute's scale. About you You’re a strategic relationship builder. You understand that scientific progress at the institutional level depends on strong internal and external partnerships. You have deep experience cultivating and managing alliances with academic partners, industry collaborators, and peer institutions—and you know how to structure these relationships so they deliver value for all parties over the long term. You love structuring problems and solutions. You take a strategic view and excel at breaking down complex research initiatives into clear workstreams and deliverables, identifying dependencies, and anticipating potential bottlenecks before anyone else. You have a track record of successfully managing programs from inception to completion across multiple scientific disciplines and institutional boundaries. You’re able to find the razor’s edge between formality and chaos. You know that the path to the biggest discoveries are never linear. So you balance process formality with leaving space for innovation, always with an eye to delivering outstanding results. You’ve developed an intuition for when structure enables and when it constrains—especially