Freelance Senior Project Manager

FWD People•New York, NY

About The Position

FWD People is a full-service strategic marketing agency serving the health and non-profit sectors. The Freelance Senior Project Manager drives execution across defined projects and supports larger workstreams through precise project management and proactive communication. The role manages timelines, internal reviews, and regulatory processes while building knowledge of brand strategy, veterinary and scientific contexts, and marketing. The manager independently runs smaller initiatives and partners closely with Account on more complex programs. The position supports project budgeting and scoping, agreement processing, project setup and maintenance in Forecast, deliverable specification, and review routing through Ziflow. It also coordinates project meetings, team expectations, contractors, and vendors, and contributes to project briefs and contractor onboarding.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in a similar agency project management role.
A proven track record of collaborating across multidisciplinary teams.
Foundational understanding of animal health, veterinary, diagnostics, and/or biotech marketing, or strong healthcare marketing experience and genuine curiosity to learn the animal health space.
Concise written and verbal communication skills across all mediums, internally and externally.
Self-motivated, positive, and collaborative, with the ability to adapt, think on one's feet, and communicate proactively.
Comfort working in a fluid environment using listening, collaboration, negotiation, and decision-making skills.

Responsibilities

Prepare project budget estimates in Forecast, including professional fees and out-of-pocket costs, and submit them for review and approval before sharing with clients.
Provide scoping input for statements of work, including deliverables, assumptions, timing, and exclusions, for review and final approval.
Process fully executed statements of work, change orders, and contractor or vendor agreements according to standard operating procedures; confirm signatures and file documents in the designated location.
Enter new project information into Forecast, including project name, client, budget, team, and key dates.
Develop and maintain project timelines with milestones, review rounds, and client approval points; share updates and flag dependencies and risks.
Identify and document specifications for deliverables, including formats, dimensions, file types, channels, and regulatory requirements, and confirm them with the project team before production begins.
Route deliverables through Ziflow for internal, client, and regulatory review; set reviewers and deadlines, track feedback and approval status, and flag outstanding reviews.
Track work against approved statements of work and budgets, document out-of-scope requests or changes, and promptly flag them to the project management team.
Schedule project kickoff and internal review meetings, prepare agendas and materials, and document next steps and action items.
Document and communicate project scope, timelines, roles, and deadlines to assigned project teams through kickoff materials and project documentation.
Coordinate contractors and vendors on deliverables, timing, and project materials; report status and issues to the project management team.
Provide input on project briefs by identifying gaps, open questions, and timing or scope considerations, and help confirm brief details with the client and project management team.
Maintain accurate and current Forecast entries, promptly updating changes to scope, timing, or budget and reviewing entries regularly.
Provide project and client onboarding materials to contractors and vendors joining assigned projects, including briefs, timelines, specifications, and approved contacts.