The Director of Scientific Management is a senior scientific leader whose mission is to maximize the quality, competitiveness, and impact of Cima's research activity as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence. The role acts as both a strategic and operational partner to the Scientific Director and research teams, helping transform scientific ideas and capabilities into robust projects, high-value collaborations, and measurable outcomes.

This is a cross-functional position focused on scientific excellence and effective execution. Its distinctive value lies in combining scientific judgment, in-depth knowledge of the research funding landscape, critical review capabilities, institutional diplomacy, and a practical, results-oriented approach.

Success in this role will be measured by the overall improvement of the Centre's scientific performance: stronger grant proposals, better prioritization of opportunities, more effective project monitoring, and increased institutional impact.

Location: Pamplona, Spain (on-site)

Position Overview

Reports to: Scientific Director, Cima

Nature of the role: A strategic and operational scientific position with cross-functional authority based on expertise, service, and influence rather than formal line management of research groups.

Primary strategic horizon: Implementation of the Severo Ochoa Strategic Plan 2026–2029 and consolidation of Cima as a leading translational biomedical research centre.

Expected outcomes

- Enhance the quality of the Centre's scientific portfolio.

- Strengthen competitive research funding.

- Foster high-impact scientific collaborations.

- Ensure systematic monitoring of strategic objectives and key performance indicators.

Key Responsibilities

- Drive the development of competitive scientific research projects.

- Strengthen European positioning and competitive intelligence.

- Lead scientific evaluation, KPI monitoring, and reporting.

- Manage the Centre's scientific project portfolio.





- Promote scientific collaborations and consortium development.

- Stimulate scientific activity across the organisation.

- Foster integration with innovation, technology transfer, and clinical impact initiatives.

- Provide executive support to the Scientific Director.

- Progressively establish and develop the Scientific Management function.

Requirements

Scientific Profile and Required Experience

Academic Qualifications

- PhD in Biomedical Sciences, Biology, Biochemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, Biotechnology, Bioengineering, or a related discipline.

Professional Experience

- Proven research track record in academic, clinical, translational, international, or industrial environments.

- Hands-on experience in the preparation, review, coordination, or evaluation of national and international competitive research proposals.

- Practical knowledge of the European research funding ecosystem and the full lifecycle of competitive grant applications.

- Experience working in multidisciplinary environments involving basic research, core facilities, clinical research, technology transfer, and industry.

- Experience in oncology, immunotherapy, advanced therapies, rare diseases, RNA medicine, or clinical/translational research will be considered a strong asset.

- Previous participation in scientific evaluation processes, advisory committees, Scientific Advisory Boards, Severo Ochoa or María de Maeztu Centres of Excellence, or international benchmarking initiatives will be highly valued.

Languages

- Advanced professional proficiency in spoken and written English,



with outstanding scientific and strategic writing skills.

Core Competencies

Scientific Judgment: Ability to understand complex scientific concepts, identify weaknesses, and increase the ambition and quality of research proposals.

European Funding Expertise: Strong understanding of European funding instruments, strategic priorities, evaluation criteria, and consortium dynamics.

Strategic Thinking: Ability to prioritize opportunities based on scientific impact, feasibility, project maturity, available resources, and institutional alignment.

Scientific Communication: Ability to translate scientific ideas into clear, compelling, fundable, and evaluable narratives.

Execution: Strong delivery mindset with the ability to meet deadlines and convert analysis into concrete actions.

Influence without Formal Authority: Ability to engage senior researchers, clinicians, core facilities, and support units through credibility and collaboration rather than hierarchical authority.

Rigour and Diplomacy: Ability to provide constructive, demanding, and actionable feedback while maintaining positive working relationships and minimizing unnecessary friction.

Service Orientation: Committed to enabling the success of others and measuring personal achievement through the overall performance and impact of the Centre.

Expected Working Style

- Maintain close and trusted relationships with researchers while respecting their scientific leadership.

- Demonstrate a practical, results-oriented approach with low tolerance for unnecessary bureaucracy.

- Exhibit autonomy, accountability, discretion, and strong institutional awareness.

- Combine analytical rigour with operational agility and constructive communication.

- Show intellectual humility, institutional ambition, and consistent reliability in delivering commitments.

Interested candidates should submit their CVs to the following email address: [email protected].

📌 Scientific Management Director (Pamplona)
🏢 CIMA; Universidad de Navarra
📍 Pamplona