Senior Director, Program & Scientific Project Management (Temporary role of ~12- 16 months)

Inotiv•Indianapolis, IN

12h•$141,000 - $170,000

About The Position

This is a temporary role of approximately 12 - 16 months in length. The Senior Director, Program & Scientific Project Management – Life Sciences is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing the planning, execution, and delivery of global programs and scientific projects within the RMS (Research Models & Services) organization. This includes strategic initiatives and scientific collaborations focused on animal breeding, colony development, phenotyping, and model production. This role combines strategic program management with hands-on leadership of cross- functional scientific projects, ensuring delivery of high-impact outcomes across breeding operations, compliance, and commercial interfaces. The position requires a 60% strategic and 40% executional focus, with a strong emphasis on cross-functional coordination, scientific integrity, and operational excellence. The role leads a globally dispersed team of program and project managers and partners with breeding, quality, commercial, regulatory, and operational teams to drive success across both innovation- and delivery-focused initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Animal Science, or related field; Advanced degree (e.g., MSc, MBA, PhD) preferred.
10+ years of progressive leadership in program and project management within the life sciences sector; strong preference for experience in animal breeding, colony management, or regulated biological services.
PMP, PgMP, or equivalent project/program management certification preferred.
Strong understanding of animal models, breeding principles, phenotyping, and animal welfare standards.
Experience managing projects in regulated environments (AAALAC, FELASA, EU directives); deep knowledge of animal care and biosecurity requirements.
Proven success leading cross-functional teams and delivering complex, multi-site projects.
Integrated Program Leadership: Able to coordinate large-scale programs and scientific projects across multiple functions and geographies.
Scientific Acumen: Understands key concepts in animal breeding, project design, and welfare compliance.
Executional Discipline: Delivers on time, on budget, and within scope while adapting to change.
Influence & Alignment: Aligns diverse stakeholders around a common goal and navigates organizational complexity with diplomacy.
Decision-Making: Makes informed decisions under pressure using data and expert insight.
Communication & Transparency: Ensures clarity and consistency in stakeholder communications across all program levels.
Team Empowerment: Builds and mentors a strong team culture of accountability, collaboration, and performance.
Resilience & Adaptability: Demonstrates flexibility and composure in dynamic, evolving environments.

Responsibilities

Integrated Program & Project Leadership Lead the planning and execution of enterprise-level programs and scientific projects across animal breeding and model services, ensuring delivery against defined objectives, timelines, and budgets. Ensure seamless integration between long-term strategic programs and shorter- term scientific and operational projects. Manage program and project interdependencies, ensuring effective prioritization and resource allocation across initiatives.
Scientific Project Oversight Direct the execution of scientific projects including breeding strategy optimization, phenotyping studies, and new model introduction. Ensure scientific rigor, regulatory compliance, and alignment with ethical animal welfare practices throughout all project stages. Coordinate project design, milestone tracking, and data-driven evaluation of project outcomes.
Governance & Cross-Functional Coordination Establish and lead program governance structures including project steering committees and milestone review boards. Work closely with site operations, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, technical services, and commercial teams to align project goals with business and operational needs. Drive decision-making and remove barriers to ensure timely execution of deliverables.
Financial & Risk Management Oversee program and project budgets, ensuring effective cost control and value realization. Lead risk identification and mitigation strategies across all initiatives, with proactive contingency planning. Monitor performance metrics and KPIs to ensure alignment with broader business outcomes.
Leadership & Capability Building Manage and develop a high-performing team of program and scientific project managers. Create frameworks, tools, and templates to standardize project delivery, monitoring, and reporting practices across the function. Promote a collaborative, results-driven culture that values both scientific excellence and operational discipline.