Senior Director Project Management

US-NJ-Princeton Job posted on: 5/6/2008 At Covance, you can make a difference by helping to deliver life-saving and life-enhancing medicines to people around the world. Our commitment to this mission has resulted in Covance’s impressive history of company stability and growth. We’ve achieved these results by fostering a work environment that encourages, develops and leverages our team’s capabilities. Covance’s ongoing success offers team members unsurpassed growth and career development opportunities. There is no better time to join us! Leadership position within the project management function in Covance Late Stage Development Services. • Responsibility for the successful conduct of the assigned clinical projects within the late stage development business. • Line management responsibility for the recruitment, training, development, and performance review of personnel in the project management function with assistance from the project management support function. • Fiduciary responsibility for the assigned clinical projects/programs. • In cooperation with sales account executives and senior management, responsible for the strategy and acquisition of new business. • Responsible for developing and maintaining effective client relationships. Job Duties and Responsibilities • Provide overall leadership of the project management aspects of a clinical operating unit. • Oversee the development, implementation and adherence to project plans and performance indicators within the clinical operating unit. • Provide administrative and line management to the project managers and project directors. • Responsible to liaise with other functional counterparts as necessary to deliver successful projects/programs. • Assist project teams in problem resolution such as deviation from project plans. • Responsible for conducting deep dive operational project reviews. • Meet resource management and utilization targets for assigned staff and, in collaboration with the leadership of other functional groups, meet overall project targets. • Meet financial performance targets for the assigned clinical operating unit. • Review account plans and assist in their implementation, as needed. Be available for sales calls, as needed. • Review and approve strategy, content and costing of new business proposals in the clinical operating unit. • Review and approve sales presentations to assigned clients including general capabilities presentations and bid presentations. • Maintain good working relationships with assigned clients to ensure opportunity for acquiring new and additional business. • Ensure project deliverables are met according to both Covance and client expectations. • Manage client project metrics including write-off, realization and backlog. • Facilitate the resolution of any issues arising from the client relationship by confronting constructively issues such as project staff performance and turnover on the project, initial contract negotiations, outstanding invoice payments, COF negotiation etc. • Responsible for conducting regular project & client relationship reviews to ensure projects are delivered to appropriate SOPs, are on time, on budget and to client satisfaction. • Perform other duties as assigned by management. Experience: Minimum of ten (10) years relevant clinical research experience in a pharmaceutical company/CRO including at least five (5) years of full project management responsibility. In lieu of the above requirement, candidates with >5 years supervisory experience in a health care setting and seven (7) years clinical research experience including >4 years of project management experience (international clinical trial management experience preferred) in the pharmaceutical or CRO industries will be considered. • Excellent leadership skills. • Strong financial analytical skills. • Experience in managing global drug development programs. • Excellent oral, written and presentation skills. • Excellent planning and organizational skills including the skills necessary for implementing corporate change. • Demonstrated ability to lead by example and to encourage team members to seek solutions. • Proven interpersonal skills. • Demonstrated ability to lead and line manage staff in a global multi-office environment. • Demonstrated ability to handle multiple competing priorities across clinical operating units. • Demonstrated ability to inspire effective teamwork and motivate staff within a matrix system. • Demonstrated ability to function as a member of a senior global clinical leadership team. • Strong ability to understand and assess technology alternatives and implication for current processes. • Experience in the creation of new processes. • Proven ability to negotiate with clients in a professional manner. Preferred • Extensive experience in the generation and review of a wide variety of business proposals. Education / Qualifications Required • University/college degree (life science preferred), or certification in a related allied health profession from an appropriately accredited institution (e.g., nursing certification, medical or laboratory technology). • Broad knowledge of drug development process. • Financial understanding of global clinical development budgets. • Proven expertise in financial control procedures. • Proven ability to understand and communicate corporate policies. • Thorough knowledge of effective clinical project management practices. • Strong knowledge of resource management systems. • Thorough knowledge of time and cost estimate development and pricing strategies. • Thorough knowledge of ICH Guidelines and GCP including international regulatory requirements for the conduct of clinical development programs. • Fluent in local office language and in English, both written and verbal. Preferred • Masters or other advanced degree. • Strong knowledge of Covance training, human resource and performance appraisal processes. • Thorough knowledge of Covance sales and business development strategies and procedures. • Detailed knowledge of Covance and the overall structure of the organization. • Thorough knowledge of Covance S.O.P.s. At Covance, we help make the miracles of medicine a reality. We offer opportunities to work on diverse, challenging projects with bright, interesting colleagues while building a flexible and rewarding career. Covance is committed to diversity in the workplace and is an equal opportunity employer. (M/F/D/V). Your confidentiality and privacy are important to us. Save to job file |