Senior IT Programme/Project Manager

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

10h • Hybrid

About The Position

The R&D IT E2E R&D Project Management Director is responsible for leading a series of interrelated global projects and programs with a total value of up to $10M. This role ensures project accountability from initiation through to closure, delivering effective IT solutions that meet the prioritized needs of the E2E R&D sector. Key Responsibilities: Oversee the determination and delivery of solutions within approved budget and schedule constraints, ensuring compliance with required quality standards. Focus on stakeholder management, risk management, and the realization of business benefits. Adhere to established project management standards and contribute to the continuous development of project/program management capabilities. Build and nurture relationships with business and IT leaders to support planning and project prioritization, ensuring alignment with the organization's strategic goals. Apply robust knowledge of portfolio management to improve practices, standards, reporting, and tools. Act as a leader and advocate, working collaboratively within a business-facing R&D IT E2E R&D team. This position requires strong leadership and advocacy skills to effectively support the team and drive central initiatives in line with the organization’s objectives . Typical Accountabilities: Oversee, drive, and approve plans for projects/programs, including activities, resources, costs, roles, responsibilities, and quality as defined in the IT Project Management Methodology (ADF). Manage and coordinate project/program budgets, forecasts, tasks, schedules, risks, change management, and status to support effective decisions and project reporting to collaborators and review boards. Manage and coordinate interdependencies between projects and program workstreams (both intra- program and across the portfolio). Manage relationships with senior business partners to ensure effective capturing of business requirements and dedication to project/program objectives . Responsible for steering/collaborator meetings and communication of status, issues, and risks. Drive effective risk and issue management, ensuring processes are in place and effectively used. Ensure problems are resolved and advance as appropriate . Build a cohesive project/program team and provide the leadership necessary to improve the team’s success. Own project/program improvement plans and coordinate the execution of remediation plans. Manage changes to project/program scope, ensuring that all impacts and changes are approved and appropriately communicated to partners and review boards. Assure/develop service transition plans to ensure project-delivered solutions are sustainable within a BAU operations environment, including controlled hand-over into operational support. Ensure the project team adheres to all standards, including ADF, quality, and compliance, as well as processes, defined technical capabilities, and guidelines. Establish program governance and lead Decision Point reviews; attend Steering Committee meetings. Ensure encouraged benefits realization is consistent with project deliverables and clearly understood by customers and the project team. Support/lead the development of a world-class center of excellence for project management capabilities and ensure that standard methodologies are adopted and reinforced. Typical project/program costs exceed $ 1M, and involve a project team of more than 15 people.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree
• 8 + years of proven relevant experience as a project / program me manager, or equivalent role
• Proven skills and experience managing and controlling large project, program me and portfolio budgets
• Experience managing and leading global project teams
• Evidence of crafting innovative solutions that have a major impact within the business area and organization
• Experience working in a global organization where collaborators and project team members are geographically dispersed
• Strong Project and Progamme Management Skills
• A capable knowledge of Financial Management and Benefits Delivery practices
• Agile and Waterfall project management methodology experience
• Broad understanding of IT systems and technology implemented within a business context.
• Strong communication and relationship management skills
• Strong knowledge and experience with internal and external suppliers and solutions
• Excellent discernment with sensitivity to environment
• Knowledge of GxP and SaMD standards

Nice To Haves

• PhD in a scientific or technical field, or an MBA
• Experience at the director or equivalent level in a major biopharmaceutical company, or manager-level experience in a major consulting firm
• Project/Program Management certifications (APM/PMI)
• Demonstrated leadership skills interacting with senior leaders
• Portfolio Management certification
• Experience with JIRA
• Experience with SNOW PPM (project and portfolio budget and resource management)
• Solid understanding of the biopharmaceutical R&D process and data

Responsibilities

• Oversee, drive, and approve plans for projects/programs, including activities, resources, costs, roles, responsibilities, and quality as defined in the IT Project Management Methodology (ADF).
• Manage and coordinate project/program budgets, forecasts, tasks, schedules, risks, change management, and status to support effective decisions and project reporting to collaborators and review boards.
• Manage and coordinate interdependencies between projects and program workstreams (both intra- program and across the portfolio).
• Manage relationships with senior business partners to ensure effective capturing of business requirements and dedication to project/program objectives .
• Responsible for steering/collaborator meetings and communication of status, issues, and risks.
• Drive effective risk and issue management, ensuring processes are in place and effectively used.
• Ensure problems are resolved and advance as appropriate .
• Build a cohesive project/program team and provide the leadership necessary to improve the team’s success.
• Own project/program improvement plans and coordinate the execution of remediation plans.
• Manage changes to project/program scope, ensuring that all impacts and changes are approved and appropriately communicated to partners and review boards.
• Assure/develop service transition plans to ensure project-delivered solutions are sustainable within a BAU operations environment, including controlled hand-over into operational support.
• Ensure the project team adheres to all standards, including ADF, quality, and compliance, as well as processes, defined technical capabilities, and guidelines.
• Establish program governance and lead Decision Point reviews; attend Steering Committee meetings.
• Ensure encouraged benefits realization is consistent with project deliverables and clearly understood by customers and the project team.
• Support/lead the development of a world-class center of excellence for project management capabilities and ensure that standard methodologies are adopted and reinforced.

Benefits

• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

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