Pharmaceutical - Senior Project Manager / PMO

MMR Consulting•Chicago, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Previous Pharmaceutical/Biotech experience is mandatory for this role. MMR Consulting is an engineering and consulting firm specializing in the pharmaceutical /biotechnology and highly regulated industries. Its services include Engineering, Project Management, and Validation. MMR Consulting has offices across North America and Asia. This is an outstanding opportunity to join our growing team, where the successful candidate will work with a group of engineers involved in the design, commissioning & qualification, start-up and project management of various processes, systems, and facilities. The work will require working out of the client’s facilities in Bradley, Illinois. We are seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager / PMO leader with a strong background in engineering or scientific disciplines and proven delivery experience within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry. This role is responsible for leading complex, cross-functional CAPEX projects (manufacturing, laboratories, utilities, engineering, construction) utilizing the best PMO standards, governance, and execution discipline. This is a hands-on leadership role requiring ownership of project outcomes, stakeholder alignment, and technical understanding of regulated environments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Scientific or related field
8–15+ years of project management experience
5+ years within pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences environments
Demonstrated experience delivering capital projects, validation, manufacturing or compliance initiatives
Experience working within or alongside a formal PMO
Strong understanding of GMP, validation, and regulated project environments
Strong execution mindset (not just reporting)
Ability to manage ambiguity and drive decisions
High accountability and ownership of outcomes
Commercial awareness (cost, ROI, timelines)
Ability to challenge stakeholders constructively
Multi tasking, escalating, reporting, tracking, documentation
Working in a fast paced environment in a large organization

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MBA, MS) is a plus
Certifications (Preferred, but not required) PMP (Project Management Professional) – Project Management Institute
Familiarity with systems such as MES, LIMS, ERP (e.g., SAP), or automation platforms is highly desirable, but not required.
Experience with engineering design, construction, or process scale-up is highly desirable, but not required.

Responsibilities

Lead end-to-end execution of capital projects, within pharmaceutical manufacturing and laboratories, from inception / business case development, through to project execution and closure.
Manage many projects simultaneously (typically three to four), typically ranging between $1-10M, but the actual values may fluctuate (sometimes there are larger projects).
Manage scope, schedule, cost, and quality across multiple concurrent projects, provide regular status updates & reporting on projects
Drive project planning (charters, schedules, resource plans) and ensure realistic execution strategies
Identify risks early and proactively manage mitigation plans in regulated environments. Escalate & resolve issues proactively.
Document, manage and monitor action items, issues, decisions, risks.
Utilize world class PMO best practices, tools, and reporting structures for executing capital projects
Work with project controls specialists on schedule tracking, cost forecasting, change management.
Lead stage-gate processes aligned with GMP and validation requirements
Provide portfolio-level visibility to leadership (KPIs, dashboards, resource loading)
Requires interfacing / managing many stakeholders including engineering, construction, manufacturing, EHS, IT, QA, QC, Regulatory, maintenance, calibration, in a high paced manufacturing environment.
Act as the central point of coordination between internal stakeholders and external vendors/contractors
Manage third-party engineering firms, system integrators, and construction partners
Ensure projects align with U.S. Food and Drug Administration expectations and GMP requirements
Oversee validation lifecycle activities (IQ/OQ/PQ), commissioning, and documentation readiness
Maintain audit-ready project documentation
Communicate effectively with senior leadership and site-level teams
Translate technical issues into business impacts and actionable decisions
Drive accountability across teams without direct authority