Principal IT Program Manager - R&D

Neurocrine Biosciences•San Diego, CA

About The Position

The Principal IT Program Manager is accountable for successful delivery of multiple complex, cross-functional IT programs and initiatives supporting R&D technology solutions, data platforms, and products. The role bridges IT teams and R&D business stakeholders, ensuring initiatives are planned, governed, and delivered with discipline, transparency, and measurable value. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, the position leads concurrent programs of moderate-to-high complexity and provides IT product ownership, program and project management, and agile leadership across multiple teams. The role combines technical program management with product delivery planning and execution in alignment with established R&D and IT priorities. Responsibilities include collaborating with stakeholders to define platform features, managing feature backlogs, coordinating dependencies among developers, vendors, and distributed product owners and project managers, and facilitating agile ceremonies to support timely delivery of R&D data solutions. The position contributes to best practices and serves as a key resource to R&D and IT stakeholders. The position reports to the Manager, IT Program Management, with dotted-line support to the Informatics & Business Insights team and the IT R&D Business Partner.

Requirements

Equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and experience totaling 10 or more years, including IT program or project management experience; the most recent experience must include delivery of data platforms, scientific/R&D applications, or enterprise systems using Agile, hybrid, or waterfall methodologies.
Experience supporting validated applications for regulatory purposes in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical company is strongly required.
Either a BS/BA in computer science, IT, or a similar field and 6 or more years of IT experience in a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company with exposure to FDA regulations, or a master's degree in computer science, IT, or a similar field and 4 or more years of similar experience.
Demonstrated experience leading large, cross-functional IT programs or projects involving multiple stakeholders, technical dependencies, and competing priorities.
Strong understanding of IT systems, platforms, and software delivery, including Agile, waterfall, and hybrid approaches, and experience applying these methods to complex technology initiatives.
Experience supporting delivery of enterprise data platforms, analytics solutions, or scientific/R&D applications, preferably in biotechnology or pharmaceuticals.
Ability to elicit business and user requirements, translate them into functional specifications, and coordinate implementation with technical teams.
Experience applying program governance, risk and issue management, and structured reporting practices.
Adept in Jira, Jira Product Discovery, Confluence, ServiceNow, PowerPoint, and Gantt charting software.
Experience with program governance, risk management (RAID), and structured reporting practices.
Experience coordinating external vendors and supporting budget tracking, forecasting, and resource planning.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to explain complex concepts to technical, scientific, and non-technical stakeholders.
Strong influencing and collaboration skills and demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives, build alignment, and drive outcomes without direct authority.
Advanced program and project management capabilities, including planning, prioritizing, and coordinating multiple complex initiatives with competing deadlines and dependencies.
Excellent analytical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, including the ability to assess complex issues, identify viable solutions, and exercise independent judgment.
Strong business acumen and ability to connect technology initiatives to R&D business objectives and anticipate downstream impacts.
Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver accurate, efficient results.
Demonstrated ability to identify and implement improvements to tools, processes, and delivery practices.

Nice To Haves

PMP certification or working toward PMP certification.
Product Owner and/or ScrumMaster certification.
Scientific educational background, such as biochemistry or a related field.
Familiarity with scientific informatics platforms and applications, such as Benchling or laboratory information management systems (LIMS), and their integration in R&D technology environments.
Professional certification in project, program, or Agile delivery management, such as PMP, Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), or Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO).
Experience supporting technology programs within biotechnology or pharmaceutical R&D environments.

Responsibilities

Lead multiple concurrent R&D IT programs, data platforms, and products of moderate-to-high complexity across R&D and related IT functions.
Own end-to-end program delivery, aligning work with R&D business objectives, timelines, scope, and quality expectations.
Develop and manage integrated program plans and roadmaps, including milestones, dependencies, and deliverables.
Partner with R&D stakeholders, the IT R&D Business Partner, and IT leaders to develop delivery plans, roadmaps, and success metrics.
Translate technical concepts into business impact, risks, and decision-ready insights for R&D and IT leadership.
Align stakeholders with diverse perspectives and competing priorities to establish clear priorities and outcomes.
Provide IT product ownership for R&D data platforms and products, support product vision and objectives, and manage and prioritize feature backlogs.
Elicit R&D user requirements and translate them into functional specifications for Engineering; define platform features and communicate dependencies.
Facilitate agile ceremonies, including backlog grooming, sprint planning, kickoff, and product showcases.
Coordinate clarifications and changes across developers, external vendors, distributed product owners, and project managers.
Select, apply, and recommend improvements to Agile, hybrid, or waterfall delivery methodologies.
Review customer feedback and partner with delivery teams to improve processes and data products, efficiency, scalability, and delivery performance.
Coordinate work across engineering, architecture, data, informatics and business insights, operations, cybersecurity, and R&D business teams.
Manage interdependencies across programs, R&D scientific systems and platforms such as Benchling and Core LIMS, and vendors.
Influence and align stakeholders in a matrixed environment without direct authority.
Implement and maintain program governance, including status reporting, executive updates, and communication cadence.
Identify, assess, and mitigate technical, operational, and regulatory risks, and ensure applicable compliance, validation, and security requirements are met.
Communicate program status, risks, issues, and value realization to technical and non-technical stakeholders, including R&D scientists and executive leadership.
Facilitate data-driven decision-making and coordinate program and product updates in Jira Product Discovery, Jira, and Confluence.
Coordinate updates to the IT Project Portfolio in ServiceNow.
Coordinate with external vendors and partners to ensure accountability and performance.
Support budget tracking, forecasting, and resource planning; monitor execution against approved budgets, resource plans, and expected outcomes; escalate variances and recommend corrective actions.