0512 - Sr Program Manager

Our client is a Chicago-headquartered IT consulting firm founded in 2008, with team members based across four continents and nine countries. Joining them means working alongside a globally distributed team of engineers, consultants, and technology specialists on projects for enterprise clients, including 17 Fortune 100 companies, multiple Fortune 500 organizations, and many household names recognized worldwide. Project work spans industries such as engineering, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, insurance, finance, and retail, and falls under service areas including Digital Strategy, Marketing & Data Execution, Software Experience Development, Quality Engineering, Security, and AI solutions. Over its 16+ year history, our client has been recognized by the Department of Defense, featured in a published Adobe Systems case study, and honored with the AT&T Crystal Award and the Illinois Hiring Heroes award for its commitment to veteran hiring. Consultants work across on-site, remote, and hybrid engagements, giving employees exposure to a broad range of technologies, clients, and industries throughout their careers.

The customer is a global contract research organization (CRO) that provides clinical trial management and drug development services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device companies. They handle the full spectrum of clinical research, from study design and patient recruitment to data management and regulatory submissions, helping companies bring new therapies to market faster and more efficiently.

We are seeking a dynamic, resourceful, and entrepreneurial Program Manager to lead strategic initiatives and continuous improvement projects in a fast-paced, complex environment. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing portfolios, building cross-functional teams, and delivering measurable business outcomes while driving innovation and operational excellence. As a key leader, you will leverage your expertise in program governance, risk management, and business process improvement to ensure successful delivery of projects that align with organizational goals. This role requires a forward-thinking, solutions-oriented approach, and the ability to effectively collaborate with diverse stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities:
- Program Management: Lead end-to-end program execution for product development, from concept to delivery, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and customer needs.
- Product Development Leadership: Collaborate with engineering, product management, and business teams to prioritize features, manage timelines, and optimize the product development lifecycle.
- SaaS Environment Expertise: Oversee the design and delivery of scalable, secure, and compliant SaaS solutions, ensuring adherence to industry best practices.
- Life Sciences Alignment: Leverage domain expertise to align product and program strategies with regulatory requirements, market needs, and customer expectations within the life sciences industry.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Work closely with senior leadership, customers, and cross-functional teams to drive alignment, manage expectations, and report on program progress.
- Risk Management: Identify, assess, and mitigate risks to ensure timely delivery of high-quality solutions.
- Change Management: Lead organizational change initiatives to facilitate smooth adoption of new processes, tools, and technologies across teams.
- Governance & Reporting: Establish governance frameworks and utilize metrics/KPIs to track progress, identify risks, and communicate program health effectively.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Computer Science, or a related field
- 10+ years in program/project management, with significant experience in product development and SaaS environments
- Demonstrated success managing programs in the life sciences industry is a strong plus
- Proven track record of leading successful program / transformation implementation including program governance with 10+ mln USD budget
- Proven track record managing multiple vendors within a program
- Experience in modernizing legacy products to scalable digital solutions in pharmaceutical / healthcare industry
- Methodologies: Proficiency with Agile/Scrum frameworks, SDLC, and modern software development practices. Experience with tools like Jira, Azure DevOps, and project management software
- Regulatory Expertise: Familiarity with regulatory requirements and compliance in life sciences, such as FDA, GxP, or GDPR
- Technical Knowledge: Strong understanding of SaaS architectures, cloud services (e.g., Azure, AWS), and scalable product development
- Advanced/fluent English communication skills 

Key Skills:
- Strategic Planning and Portfolio Management
- Program Governance and Product Lifecycle Management
- Senior Stakeholder Communication
- Risk Management and Business Process Improvement
- Regulatory Compliance in Life Sciences
- Cross-Functional Collaboration and Stakeholder Management

Benefits and working conditions:
- 100% remote job
- Long-term employment 
- Well-known customer with modern technologies 
- Competitive salary 
- Great international team (from the US, England, Poland, India)
- Flexible working hours with 4 hours overlap with the US-based team (9 am – 1 pm EST)
- 10 days vacation, 5 sick days, 6 US-based holidays