Associate Director of Project Management

Inizio Ignite • Philadelphia, PA

10d

About The Position

Inizio Ignite is a global advisory partner for health and life sciences, with expertise across Research Partnership, Putnam, Vynamic, and STEM. Research Partnership (part of Inizio Advisory) is a large pharma market research and consulting agency with researchers, consultants, project managers, and support staff globally. The RP Operations team supports Custom and Syndicated research teams in delivering qualitative and quantitative studies for pharmaceutical, MedTech, and biotech clients. Studies are typically multi-market, involving respondents from Europe, North America, and Emerging Markets. An RP Operations team member is embedded in each project team for the full project lifecycle, providing project management expertise. Operations team members typically support multiple projects concurrently. As an Associate Project Director, this role involves working with Research Directors and other departments (Finance, IT, Creative) to provide Project Management subject matter expertise. This role includes managing a team of Project Managers/Executives, involving mentoring, performance management, and overseeing recruitment. The role also involves delivering subject-specific training. The Associate Director of Project Management is a senior leadership role within US Field Operations at Insights, responsible for overseeing the quality, consistency, and delivery of project management output from a team of RP Project Managers, while also acting as a hands-on Project Manager on active studies. This position supports the alignment of project management roles and responsibilities across RP and STEM within Insights. Working closely with the Head of US Field Operations, the Associate Director will develop a deep understanding of both RP and STEM operating models and contribute to the evolution of project management capabilities under the Insights organization. The role combines direct project delivery, people leadership, client engagement, and cross-business collaboration, requiring strong judgment, operational credibility, and the ability to lead through complexity.

Requirements

• More than 7 years of experience in market research project management (qualitative and/or quantitative research)
• Experience managing healthcare market research projects
• Significant experience with team management (including line management and training of a team of junior Project Managers)
• Established relationships with fieldwork agency suppliers
• Strong project management skills (adhering to agreed timelines, troubleshooting and communication with internal and external stakeholders)
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder projects and make independent delivery decisions.
• Experience handling client escalations and operating confidently in senior client environments.
• Comfortable working across teams and geographies and contributing to organisational alignment efforts.
• Highly organised, detail-oriented, and able to balance delivery with people leadership.
• Proactive, dedicated and enthusiastic, with a ‘can do’ attitude and approach
• Demonstrate commercial and analytical capabilities
• Demonstrate a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, as well as strengths in organisation and prioritisation
• Demonstrate a track record of identifying operational efficiencies
• A collaborative team player who works well with colleagues
• Communicate ideas and issues in an effective, straightforward fashion
• Highly motivated and want to seize opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career

Responsibilities

• Oversee the end-to-end delivery and quality of US RP project management output, ensuring projects are delivered to a high standard and in line with client expectations.
• Act as Project Manager on assigned studies, maintaining full responsibility for operational execution from project set-up through to delivery.
• Hold full project-level decision-making authority, including management of scope, timelines, and delivery risks.
• Escalate resourcing constraints or significant capacity challenges to the Head of US Field Operations as required.
• Serve as a senior escalation point for complex delivery issues and client concerns.
• Oversee the smooth running of fieldwork management, coordinating with internal teams and external suppliers.
• Ensure the successful handover of project deliverables to research teams, including coordination of Data Processing (DP) work and deliverables for quantitative projects, and coordination of qualitative deliverables.
• Own, coordinate, and maintain project timelines, working closely with internal research teams, clients, and suppliers.
• Take ownership of coordinating project team meetings, including scheduling and facilitation.
• Hold responsibility for Pharmacovigilance and Adverse Event reporting, ensuring compliance with internal and regulatory standards.
• Coordinate client and supplier Statements of Work (SOWs).
• Manage client and supplier invoicing, including PO number tracking, invoice coordination, and liaison with the Finance team.
• Line manage a team of RP Project Managers and Senior Project Managers.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and development support to strengthen project management capability and consistency of output.
• Support professional development and performance management of RP PMs.
• Engage directly with clients on escalations, delivery challenges, and complex projects.
• Act as a senior point of contact for project delivery matters when required.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to support strong, long-term client relationships.
• Work closely with the Head of US Field Operations to build a strong understanding of RP and STEM as distinct businesses.
• Support the alignment and clarification of project management roles and responsibilities across RP and STEM within Insights.
• Contribute to discussions on how project management capabilities and expectations can be enhanced and aligned over time, while recognizing existing team processes.
• Act as a bridge between RP project management and the wider Insights Field Operations organization.
• Collaborate with Associate Project Directors in the UK and APAC to support alignment of RP project management approaches globally.
• Share best practices and support consistent quality of project output across geographies.
• Contribute to global discussions on project management standards and ways of working for RP within Insights.

Benefits

• A comprehensive training and development programme for all staff, from entry level apprentice to senior management
• A relaxed and friendly working environment
• Social events - including a summer day out and end-of-year party, along with regular social events after office hours

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed