Project Manager

Vita Partners is Asia-Pacific's largest pan-regional pure-play life science, innovation and R&D real estate platform, backed by an Australian headquartered multinational real estate company and leading US private equity growth investor. The platform focuses on investing, acquiring, developing, constructing, managing, and operating real estate projects in fast-growing life sciences, innovation and R&D real estate markets in Asia-Pacific. The company operates within two main segments - a high-barrier-to-entry life sciences project construction management business and a specialized investment management business. Since the 2000s, the project construction management business has worked on over 200 projects in Asia-Pacific for more than 100 blue-chip life sciences and pharmaceutical companies, with many repeat clients. The investment management business currently manages SGD 2 billion of AUM on behalf of institutional investors, with strong aspirations for growth within the region.

Role Overview

The Project Manager will be responsible for leading the delivery of pharmaceutical construction projects across their full lifecycle. This includes planning, execution, monitoring, and closeout, ensuring projects are delivered safely, on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. The role requires strong leadership, technical expertise, and stakeholder management to align project outcomes with client and organizational objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Client Interface & Leadership

• Primary point of contact for the Client.
• Collaborate closely with the Client's Project Manager, providing overall project leadership and program management direction.
• Act as the day-to-day contact for the Client's senior project management personnel.
• Secure acceptance and approval of deliverables from the Project Sponsor and Stakeholders.

Project Delivery

• Accountable for successful and safe project delivery in terms of budget, schedule, and quality.
• Establish, monitor, and update project plans, budgets, programmes, and resource requirements.
• Manage the interface between permitting, procurement, and construction teams.
• Support quality management and commissioning processes.
• Lead the conversion of life sciences bids into successful projects, ensuring proposals are aligned with execution strategies and client expectations.

Limits of Authority (LOA)

• Accountability for project LOA compliance.
• Provide guidance and support to the project team, ensuring all staff are educated on LOA obligations.
• Act as an active gatekeeper of LOAs.

Team Leadership

• Overall leader of the project team, responsible for building team spirit, camaraderie, and affiliation with the Client team.
• Ensure harmonious collaboration between internal teams, consultants, and client teams.
• Direct and manage delegated responsibilities of subordinate staff, ensuring performance standards are met.
• Coordinate project support and development of project staff, including mentoring and capability building.

Authorities & Permitting

• Manage authorities pre‑consultation, waiver applications, development control, building plan approvals, and inspections for occupancy permits.

Schedule & Quality

• Deliver the project to the agreed schedule with the Client.
• Provide input into the overall progress schedule with the Project Scheduler.
• Drive a risk‑based process to identify potential quality issues and implement mitigation measures.
• Ensure consistency of key processes and adherence to QA/QC plans.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Degree in Construction Management, Engineering (Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical), Architecture, or related discipline.
• PMP (Project Management Professional) certification
• 8-10 years experience managing pharmaceutical or life sciences construction projects (Greenfield/Brownfield).
• Strong understanding of capital projects within the life sciences industry, including cGMP practices, estimating, scheduling, field supervision, contracts administration, procurement, financial controls, and reporting.
• Proven ability to lead multi‑disciplinary, multi‑cultural teams on medium to large‑scale projects.
• Strong knowledge of engineering project management principles, construction industry standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Demonstrated success in managing budgets, schedules, and client expectations.
• Experience in stakeholder management and building long‑term client relationships.