Director, Project Management Talent & Delivery Excellence - EDS

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Project Management Talent & Delivery Excellence – EDS based in the United States.** As Director, Project Management Talent & Delivery Excellence, you will lead and develop a team of Clinical Project Managers responsible for delivering clinical studies, observational research, and real-world evidence programs. You will play a strategic role in strengthening operational performance, optimizing resource allocation, and ensuring projects meet their scope, schedule, budget, and quality objectives. Working closely with cross-functional leaders, you will drive consistent project management practices, improve delivery efficiency, and maintain high standards of regulatory compliance. You will oversee team performance, talent development, capacity planning, and contingency strategies while fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. This leadership opportunity combines people management, operational excellence, and client-focused delivery within a global clinical research environment. Your impact will contribute to reliable study execution, stronger client relationships, and the advancement of healthcare solutions that improve patient outcomes. ### Accountabilities: - Lead and manage a team of approximately 10–15 Clinical Project Managers, including Senior Project Managers, overseeing recruitment, onboarding, coaching, performance reviews, career development, and succession planning. - Establish clear performance expectations and monitor key performance indicators, including milestone delivery, budget adherence, quality standards, client satisfaction, revenue performance, resource utilization, and employee retention. - Build a high-performing team culture centered on accountability, ownership, collaboration, professional development, and continuous improvement. - Develop and refine resource allocation strategies to align project management capacity, individual expertise, and portfolio demand, ensuring the appropriate allocation of personnel across clinical studies and research programs. - Monitor team utilization and productivity while balancing billable work with training, mentoring, business development support, and other operational priorities. - Lead contingency planning for employee absences, unexpected departures, and fluctuations in project demand, ensuring appropriate backup coverage and reducing resource concentration risks. - Use workforce data, utilization metrics, candidate evaluations, and skills assessments to support informed staffing decisions and address resource constraints proactively. - Drive consistent adoption of standard operating procedures (SOPs), responsibility assignment frameworks (RACI), governance processes, and enterprise quality management requirements. - Participate in project reviews to identify delivery risks, coach project managers, reinforce operational standards, and implement corrective actions where necessary. - Ensure accurate and timely maintenance of project milestones, baselines, resource plans, and financial forecasts within enterprise systems such as Planisware and clinical trial management systems (CTMS). - Promote inspection readiness, portfolio health monitoring, and adherence to applicable quality standards and regulatory expectations. - Partner with Quality Assurance to oversee corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs), audit responses, and ongoing improvements to standard operating procedures. - Support client governance meetings, business reviews, and escalation discussions when needed, ensuring project teams deliver clear, accurate, and executive-ready communications. - Collaborate with leaders across Data Management, Clinical Operations, Biostatistics, Medical Writing, Regulatory Affairs, and Site Management to resolve resource, quality, and project delivery challenges. - Work with Human Resources, Finance, and segment leadership on organizational design, compensation recommendations, workforce planning, and capacity forecasting. - Drive consistent delivery performance across the portfolio, supporting revenue objectives, margin management, change order execution, client satisfaction, and overall operational effectiveness. ## Requirements: - Hold a bachelor's degree in life sciences, health sciences, or a related discipline. An advanced degree, such as an MS, PharmD, PhD, or MBA, is preferred. - Bring at least 10 years of clinical project management experience within a contract research organization (CRO), pharmaceutical company, or biotechnology organization, including a minimum of five years of direct people management experience. - Demonstrate a proven track record of leading teams responsible for full-service clinical trials, post-authorization safety studies (PASS), patient registries, and/or real-world evidence (RWE) programs. - Have experience managing portfolio-level financial performance, including revenue delivery, margin oversight, resource utilization, and change order execution. - Possess deep expertise in clinical project management methodologies, resource planning, risk assessment, contingency planning, and operational governance. - Demonstrate strong proficiency with enterprise project management and clinical delivery systems, particularly Planisware, CTMS platforms, and financial forecasting tools, alongside productivity applications such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Excel, and Copilot. - Have experience preparing for and supporting regulatory inspections, with knowledge of requirements established by the FDA, EMA, and Health Canada, as well as Good Clinical Practice (GCP) and International Council for Harmonisation (ICH) standards. - Demonstrate excellent executive-level communication skills, with the ability to translate complex operational, financial, and regulatory issues into clear recommendations and actionable decisions. - Be experienced in establishing performance expectations, monitoring KPIs, addressing performance gaps, and developing team members while maintaining engagement and accountability. - Possess strong analytical, organizational, and decision-making skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities and respond effectively to changing portfolio needs. - Be comfortable working within a global, matrixed organization and collaborating across teams in the United States and Europe. - Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and the ability to influence stakeholders, resolve cross-functional challenges, and build productive working relationships. - Hold a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or an equivalent project management qualification; this is preferred. ## Benefits: - **Remote work opportunities:** Flexible, remote working arrangements within the United States. - **Competitive compensation:** Salary packages designed to reflect experience, qualifications, and responsibilities. - **Retirement savings:** 401(k) plan with company matching contributions. - **Comprehensive healthcare:** Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage. - **Health savings options:** Access to Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA), subject to plan eligibility. - **Flexible paid time off:** Discretionary paid time off to support work-life balance. - **Paid holidays:** Company-provided paid holidays. - **Professional development:** Career advancement opportunities and tuition reimbursement after 90 days of employment. - **Employee assistance:** Access to employee assistance programs and wellness initiatives. - **Virtual healthcare:** Telemedicine services for convenient access to medical consultations. - **Family support:** Adoption assistance programs. - **Disability coverage:** Short-term disability coverage after 90 days of employment and long-term disability protection. - **Life insurance:** Coverage to support financial protection and peace of mind. - **Employee discounts:** Access to various discount programs. - **Career growth:** Opportunities to strengthen leadership capabilities, shape project delivery strategies, and contribute to meaningful clinical research initiatives. - **Inclusive culture:** A commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, fostering a respectful environment for employees, clients, and the patients their work supports.