Associate Director of Program Management jobs in Durham, NC

IMPORTANT: This position is located in GENEVA, Switzerland

• Oversees increased complexity in demand of projects, such as government-supported programs (BARDA, DOD etc), high profile clients of strategic importance
• Responsible for relationship and account management for assigned clients/portfolios plus oversight of projects managed by direct reports.
• Provides sound judgments and technical / regulatory recommendations on drug development to clients
• Cultivates Client relationship. Provides timely and appropriate reporting of Issues/Risks to leadership
• Manages client expectations efficiently. Maintains strong working relationships with all client representatives. Able to mend and/or develop client relationships
• Supports PM-VOC process; recommends and/or implements initiatives to identify and address opportunities to improve client service
• Primary point of contact for all Client communications and coordination of third-party vendor and project needs

• Manages project timelines through all phases of development, from project award and kick-off through close-out
• Ensures that projects are conducted on time, within scope and budget, and meet Client agreed-upon quality standards and expectations through cross-functional project team alignment
• Develops, manages, and updates project plans in a timely manner. Communicates project status, progress, timelines, changes in schedule, scope changes, technical and/or quality issues to all relevant personnel in the company, and with the Client
• Schedules, facilitates and documents program related client team meetings, including issuance of agenda, action items, meeting minutes, client communications, etc.
• Leads cross-functional teams without direct authority by casting a clear vision of project objectives/priorities and motivate the team to achieve them. Able to resolve conflict and foster collaborative partnerships with others to achieve peak performance with minimal assistance from manager or delegate
• Analyzes risk, establishes contingency plans and identifies trigger events and responsibility for initiating mitigating action. Gathers stakeholder input and ranks the top project risks in terms of total impact
• Facilitates discussion regarding portfolio priorities (resolving resource conflicts).
• Participates in strategic initiatives for PMO and Clients. Able to suggest and champion the implementation of improvements to systems and processes
• Promotes KBI capabilities and manages business discussions

• Monitor and manage staff compliance to PMO project delivery processes
• Support appropriate development of staff providing training and mentoring in line with their role and experience
• Accurately evaluate the performance levels of direct reports and communicate openly with constructive feedback to develop potential
• May participate in panel interviews of Program Manager candidates

• Schedules and facilitates strategic client discussions and Joint Steering Committee meetings as required with Senior/Executive Leadership participation and support. Generates meeting minutes and actions items for follow-up
• Manages the technical and strategic development of the program drawing on relevant Technical leadership from across the organization. This process includes generating and presenting resulting proposals and change orders to the client as appropriate
• Directs and supports the client with project strategy. Able to suggest and be involved in the implementation of improvements to systems and processes; support PMO with PLF readiness as required
• Manages all contractual and financial aspects of the project, including finalization of change order and subsequent amendments, monthly budget reviews, forecasting, materials review, assessment of work performed and appropriate Client invoicing and vendor payments
• Oversees timely revenue management and forecasting; identifies opportunities for gap closure within team and executes accordingly
• Assists Business Development Department in development of proposals as needed

• Acts as a contributing member of Program Management Organization
• Leads or contributes to departmental initiatives as appropriate, including procedure development and improvement
• Cross-site portfolio leadership OR process ownership; work with PMO and local team to continuously improve PM and project delivery practices. May own a PMO process, responsible for training tools and associated change management
• Own and manage the site goals and objectives (Balanced Score Card) for self and team
• Represent or deputize for PMO senior staff as required
• Other duties as required

• Minimum bachelor’s degree required, preferably in science or related discipline; MBA or advanced degree a plus
• PMP certification (current or planned in the immediate future)
• Minimum 10 years industry experience, with 5 years or more direct project management experience
• Prior experience effectively managing projects in pharmaceutical or biotech company, CDMO, CRO or related experience required.
• Previous personnel management is a plus
• Proficiency using MS-Office Suite, including MS-Project; proficiency in other project management software or systems
• Familiarity with Good Manufacturing Practices
• Proficiency in English required.
• Excellent written, oral communication, and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated experience in building project management tools/templates, improving project systems and implementing best practices
• Adaptability and flexibility including the ability to manage deadline pressure, ambiguity and change
• Ability to build teams and generate a spirit of collaboration while coordinating diverse activities and groups
• Negotiating skills within context of political sensitivity and conflicting interest, conflict resolution
• Ability to negotiate consensus amongst diverse groups and impact the activities of others not in own reporting structure