Director, IT Project Management Office (PMO)

Medpace, Inc. • Cincinnati, OH

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Medpace is seeking a strategic, hands-on PMO leader to build and lead its IT Project Management Office. The role leads a team of IT Project Managers delivering custom software solutions that support clinical and business operations, while establishing standards, processes, and governance for consistent, transparent delivery in compliance with industry regulations. The Director partners with IT leadership, business stakeholders, and engineering teams to align project portfolios with organizational priorities and improve delivery performance.

The Director owns the IT project portfolio, PMO methodology and governance, portfolio reporting, resource planning, and PMO strategy. The role also leads continuous improvement, project health checks, and post-project reviews, and serves as an escalation point for high-risk or high-visibility projects. Medpace is a full-service clinical contract research organization headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, with more than 6,500 employees across 40+ countries.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in IT project management, including at least 3 years in a leadership role managing project managers or a PMO.
• Demonstrated experience establishing or maturing PMO processes, governance frameworks, and project standards.
• Strong knowledge of software development lifecycle methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid approaches.
• Experience managing a portfolio of concurrent software projects, including budgets, resource planning, and risk management.
• Ability to communicate effectively with executives, business stakeholders, and technical teams.
• Strong leadership, coaching, and conflict resolution skills.
• Proficiency with project and portfolio management tools and reporting platforms.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree.
• PMP, PgMP, PfMP, SAFe, or another relevant certification.
• Experience in a Contract Research Organization, pharmaceutical, biotech, or other regulated life sciences environment.
• Working knowledge of GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, HIPAA, and computer system validation practices.
• Experience overseeing custom, internally developed software projects rather than only vendor or COTS implementations.
• Experience with organizational change management and driving adoption of new processes across teams.
• Familiarity with portfolio management tools and data visualization or reporting tools such as Power BI or Tableau.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop IT Project Managers, including hiring, performance management, and career development.
• Allocate project management resources according to project priorities, complexity, and team capacity.
• Foster accountability, continuous improvement, and collaboration between project management and engineering teams.
• Establish, document, and maintain project management methodologies, standards, templates, and best practices across Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid approaches.
• Define and enforce project governance, including stage gates, approval processes, change control, and escalation paths.
• Ensure software development projects meet applicable regulatory, quality, and data integrity requirements in a CRO environment, including GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, and validation requirements.
• Partner with Validation and Quality Assurance teams to align PMO processes with SDLC, computer system validation, and audit-readiness expectations.
• Conduct periodic project health checks and audits to confirm adherence to PMO standards.
• Own IT portfolio intake, prioritization, and roadmap planning in collaboration with IT and business leadership.
• Develop and deliver portfolio dashboards, status reports, and key performance metrics to senior leadership.
• Oversee portfolio-level resource forecasting and capacity planning.
• Identify and resolve cross-project dependencies, risks, and conflicts at the portfolio level.
• Define PMO strategy, goals, and a maturity roadmap aligned with IT and corporate objectives.
• Select, implement, and administer project and portfolio management tools.
• Lead post-project reviews and apply lessons learned to refine processes and improve delivery outcomes.
• Serve as an escalation point for high-risk or high-visibility projects and provide direct project oversight when needed.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation programs that recognize and reward performance.
• Comprehensive health, wellness, retirement, and PTO benefits.
• Office-based culture with occasional work-from-home flexibility for eligible positions after training.
• Company-sponsored social events and intramural sports.
• Modern corporate campus designed to support collaboration and productivity.
• Multiple on-site dining options.
• Free on-site parking.
• Access to on-site 24-7 fitness and wellness facilities.
• On-site mentors, defined career paths, onboarding and training programs, and ongoing learning opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director