Manager - R&D Project Management

Role & responsibilities

Main Purpose of Position:

This role drives the application and integration of key project management (PM) processes and tools across teams and/or subsets of teams to deliver assets and portfolio value with quality on time, on budget and within scope.  This role will implement sound project management process across product development teams and partners as needed with other project management functions in Elanco to deliver global, sustainable solutions in project management.  The individual in this role is expected to exhibit key leadership behaviors which enable innovative solutions, a positive and motivating work environment, ultimately accelerating Best in Innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Lead the end-to-end planning and execution of R&D project management deliverables using PM principles as basis and utilizing advanced methodologies in MS Project, Fluid PPM, risk management tools, other PM tools.
• Develop and manage complex, integrated project schedules, ensuring critical path analysis and facilitate resource optimization.
• Maintain up-to-date project plans, milestones, and documentation in business systems.
• Independently identify and resolve project bottlenecks, ensuring deliverables remain on schedule and within budget, escalating deviations appropriately.

Budget & Resource Management

• Drive the financial forecasting process for assigned projects, partnering with Project Leads and Procurement to manage budgets via established processes and tools.
• Perform deep-dive variance analysis and provide strategic insights into cost drivers to inform senior leadership decision-making.
• Enable effective resource planning for technical functions by providing integrated project data and insights, facilitating optimization across diverse business processes.

Global Stakeholder Management

• Facilitate regular project meetings, document decisions, and follow up on key actions.
• Manage complex stakeholder matrices, facilitating high-level project meetings and ensuring alignment across global stakeholders across sites (US, EMEA, APAC, others).
• Proactively communicate project health, risks, and dependencies to R&D leadership, providing data-driven recommendations.
• Foster a collaborative culture across R&D, Regulatory, Quality, Manufacturing, Finance, Marketing and other key stakeholders.

Risk & Quality Oversight

• Architect comprehensive risk mitigation strategies; lead the team in proactive scenario planning to prevent potential project delays.
• Maintain accurate, phase-appropriate project documentation in compliance with internal quality standards and governance processes.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement process improvement initiatives within the PMO to enhance organizational efficiency and data accuracy.
• Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for Innovation cycle, PM tools and digital productivity assets (e.g., Power BI, AI tools), driving adoption across R&D teams.
• Promote a culture of operational discipline, collaboration, and continuous improvement within R&D teams.

Qualifications:

Education

• Masters degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Biotechnology, or a related technical field.
• PMP or equivalent certification is mandate.

Experience

• 10 years of project management experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or R&D organizations.
• Experience with project and financial management tools (MS Project, Excel, SAP, Ariba).
• Familiarity with R&D, CMC, clinical, or regulatory processes is preferred.
• Working knowledge of Power BI or similar visualization tools. Familiarity with AI or digital productivity tools in project management is an advantage.
• Extensive experience working in a global matrix environment, with comfort managing meetings across multiple time zones.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills to manage cross-functional interactions.
• Analytical mindset with attention to detail and follow-through.
• Ability to prioritize, manage multiple tasks, and adapt to changing priorities.
• Agile learner with comfort navigating ambiguity.
• Demonstrated teamwork, accountability, and problem-solving capabilities.