Project Manager - Cancer Research

Req ID: 6970

Date: 26 Feb 2026

Site: VCCC (Parkville)

Location:

MELBOURNE, VIC, AU, 3000

Company: Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre

Unit: Beavis

Division: Cancer Research

Department: Laboratory Research

Enterprise Agreement: Health and Allied Services, Managers and Administr

Beavis

At Peter Mac we aim to continuously improve cancer care, research and education across all cancers and for all people affected by cancer: changing lives, breaking new ground. Everything we do is underpinned by our core values, Excellence, Compassion and Innovation. Welcoming people from a wide variety of different backgrounds and experiences is critical to fostering innovation, cultivating compassion, attracting and retaining top talent and providing the best possible cancer care for our patients.

YOUR ROLE IN OUR FUTURE
Project Manager, Beavis and Oliaro laboratories
• 2-year fixed term, full time position (with potential for extension)
• 80 hours per fortnight with monthly ADO's
• Health and Allied Services, Managers and Administrative Workers Grade 4: HS4 (+ over-award depending on qualifications and experience)

About the role
The Cancer Immunology team are seeking a highly motivated, organised project manager to oversee the day to day delivery of program objectives and deliverables.

The Project Manager will be responsible for working closely within the program’s co-directors Prof. Beavis and Prof. Oliaro to strategically develop and implement the program’s key initiatives, including both research and operational-based deliverables. This role is required to manage, monitor and achieve the program’s short and long-term performance and success, through effective, autonomous, driven and engaging leadership that provides strategic and operational direction.

About you
You will have outstanding strategic planning and organisational time management skills with proven complex project management capabilities, preferably in a health care setting.

You'll bring with you:
• Experience in establishing priorities, allocating resources and meeting deadlines
• Relevant experience, preferably in a hospital and/or biomedical research, government or industry-related environment or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training
• Proven strategic planning and complex project management skills, preferably in a health care setting, with experience establishing priorities aligned with organisation wide and/or programmatic strategic aims, allocating resources and meeting deadlines
• Business development and commercialisation experience. Understanding of contract structure, language and execution process. Experience with relevant business development software
• Excellent relationship management and communications skills including the ability to engage with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to working as an effective member of a multi-disciplinary team
• Ability to engender cooperation and support from collaborators from diverse backgrounds and experiences

Our benefits
We offer a range of benefits which support our people both personally and professionally, including:
• Up to $11,660 in salary packaging to increase your take home pay
• Discounted health insurance and eye care
• A comprehensive health and wellbeing program
• Public transport options at our doorstep and end of trip facilities for cyclists
• Onsite eateries and coffee shops and inviting rooftop garden spaces
• Pathways for professional development and new career opportunities
• Five weeks annual leave, 17.5% leave loading, purchased leave options & monthly ADO's
• Flexible, hybrid working practices

Inclusion and belonging
Peter Mac celebrates, values and supports a diverse and inclusive environment which reflects our vibrant community. We encourage applications from anyone identifying as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. We also welcome anyone who identifies as LGBTQIA+, linguistically, culturally and/or gender diverse, people with disability, and people of any age to apply for our roles.

Join us!
If you feel this role is right for you we warmly invite you to apply, and encourage your early application. All appointments are made subject to a satisfactory police check and may include vaccination requirements. Should you need assistance or require any adjustments or accommodations to fully participate in the application or interview process, you are welcome to reach out to the contact person listed. We acknowledge that not all applicants will meet the full list of selection criteria outlined, and wherever possible we will consider applications where relevant experience can apply.

Applicants to this role should provide a covering letter, resume and response to selection criteria outlining relative key skills and experience to assist us with our assessment.
For further information about this opportunity, click Apply to be redirected to the Peter Mac Careers page where you can review the position summary. Alternatively, please contact us using the information below for a confidential discussion.

Hiring Manager: Paul Beavis / Jane Oliaro
Email: paul.beavis@petermac.org / jane.oliaro@petermac.org

Applications Close: 11:59PM, Sunday 15 March 2026

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Position Summary

The Project Manager will play a key role working with established research teams on a project with the overall goal of transitioning a preclinically validated CAR T cell therapy and delivering this to patients within the next 5 years. The Project Manager will play a strategic role in bringing together organisational cross-disciplinary teams in partnership with external stakeholders. This role will build and maintain strong professional and collaborative relationships with the teams.

The Project Manager is responsible for working closely within the program’s co-directors (Prof. Beavis, Prof. Oliaro) to strategically develop and implement the program’s key initiatives, including both research and operational-based deliverables. This role is required to manage, monitor and achieve the program’s short and long-term performance and success, through effective, autonomous, driven and engaging leadership that provides strategic and operational direction.

Specifically, this role will provide overall oversight and management for the day-to-day delivery of the programs of work and provide an important point of contact with the strategic partners. The Project Manager will also be responsible for writing and coordination of reports with respect to funding milestones and facilitation of ethics applications. The successful

candidate will also will work with the Centre of Excellence in Cellular Immunotherapy (CoECIT) and will engage closely with the Commercialisation team to help develop, execute and manage agreements with both internal and external parties.

Enterprise Agreement

Health and Allied Services, Managers and Adminstrative Workers

Classification or Salary Range

Grade 4: HS4

Immunisation Risk Category

Category C: Position within a non-clinical setting.

Key Relationships

Internal

Members of the project steering committee including Prof Hawkins, A/Prof Parish, Prof Harrison and Dr Cifuentes-Rius

Research Division:

Cancer Immunology Program
Group Leaders
Commercialisation Team
Core Facility Staff
Other Professional Services Staff

Clinical CAR-T Service:

Clinical Haematology
Medical Oncology

CoE CIT Leadership Team
CoE CIT Translation Laboratory Team

Cell Therapies Pty. Ltd.

Director of Production
Project Portfolio Manager

Clinical Trial stakeholders, including PCCTU, BaCT and CRDO
Ethics governing bodies including HREC and AEEC

External

External Researchers including Dr Cheng-I Wang and Prof Joy Ho
Members of the Consumer Reference Group
Members of the Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board
External suppliers/ commercial entities

Skills

Essential Requirements

Outstanding planning and organisational and time management skills, with experience establishing priorities, allocating resources and meeting deadlines
Relevant experience, preferably in a hospital and/or biomedical research, government or industry-related environment or an equivalent combination of relevant experience and/or education/training
Proven strategic planning and complex project management skills, preferably in a health care setting, with experience establishing priorities aligned with organisation wide and/or programmatic strategic aims, allocating resources and meeting deadlines
Business development and commercialisation experience. Understanding of contract structure, language and execution process. Experience with relevant business development software
Excellent relationship management and communications skills including the ability to engage with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
Ability to working as an effective member of a multi-disciplinary team
Ability to engender cooperation and support from collaborators from diverse backgrounds and experiences

Desirable Requirements

An appropriate postgraduate qualification in a scientific, clinical or health industry related field
Demonstrated understanding of Good Clinical Practice, regulatory (e.g. HREC, TGA), ethical, privacy and other relevant guidelines; basic understanding of framework for clinical trial management and execution in Australia, including potential role of CRO

Key Accountabilities

Key Accountabilities	Demonstrated By / Key Performance Indicators
1. Planning and project management	Manage project from initiation and setup through to delivery, coordination and evaluation Effectively liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that project is progressing within acceptable timelines and to ensure issues are promptly resolved or escalated Ensure effective management of issues/risks identified and agreed mitigation plans are implemented Management of budget, ethics and other administrative aspects of the Project Facilitate project meetings effectively
2. Internal and external stakeholder management	Establish effective communication strategies fostering open and effective lines of communication at all levels and with both internal and external stakeholders. Ensure project management requirements are communicated effectively to the project and delivery team/s. Liaise and galvanise support from key stakeholder for input to documents and processes Convene and manage key project governance and team meetings
3. Support in managing the strategic growth and development of the Project	Contributing to continuous Program improvement, through identification and implementation of new ideas designed to improve our deliver a successful translational research/clinical trial pipeline by building on existing infrastructure within the Peter Mac/precinct ecosystem but also incorporating and innovating new systems and approaches that are organisationally endorsed Establishing SOPs for internal processes and working with internal stakeholders, such as the Commercialisation team, to ensure they align with PMCC strategic plan Build and maintain relationships with all relevant internal and external stakeholders required to execute program initiatives, including Clinical Departments and teams, Research Division, Commercialisation team and Cell Therapies, as well as government departments, other health organisations, industry partners and universities Development of documents and materials (digital and otherwise) for the program, including for internal and external purposes, e.g. developing SOP for internal processes, managing social media platforms as required, etc.
4. Documentation and reporting	Develop planning documentation outlining project scope, plans, governance, schedule, approach, strategies and deliverables and project budgets Develop and coordinate the delivery of implementation plans as per clinical trial and partnership agreements Develop specialised clinical and operating policies and procedures, under the guidance of subject-matter experts Report regularly on project progress including the operational, financial and milestone reporting

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For further information about this opportunity, click Apply to be redirected to the Peter Mac Careers page where you can review the position profile. Alternatively, please contact us for a confidential discussion.

Peter Mac is a child safe organisation and has a commitment to child safety and wellbeing.

WHY WORK FOR PETER MAC

Peter Mac offer a range of benefits which support our people both personally and professionally.
Our staff benefits include award winning facilities, professional development and events, a health and wellbeing program, flexible work practices and policies and financial benefits such as salary packaging.
We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with a disability.