About the Role
The Project Oversight Director (POD) is responsible for overseeing projects managed by Project or Senior Project Managers (S/PMs) or programs consisting of several projects sponsored by the same client, each managed by individual S/PMs; line management of S/PMs. The POD take a leading role in client account management to ensure effective relations are put in place to secure phase pull-through/repeat/future business. The POD will maintain the Account Development Plan for established Client accounts.
Responsibilities
- Oversee project/program resource need to ensure consistency with agreed budget and projected workload and activity.
- Review S/PM project revenue forecasts and ensure revenue is recognized in accordance with Novotech revenue recognition conventions.
- Review the completeness and accuracy of project Change Logs and Change Orders (COs) compiled by the S/PMs for the projects they oversee. Support CO negotiations where necessary.
- Support revenue recovery as part of the defined escalation process.
- Collaborate with Work Force Planning to facilitate deployment of appropriate resources, establish succession plans for key resources within project teams and ensure that the need for any required team member transitions is communicated to Clients in a timely manner. Ensure that project team member transitions are completed in a seamless manner
- Establish relationships with key stakeholders within Clients Operational Leadership (above the project or program team level). Communicate newly identified potential risks to delivery to the higher level Client stakeholders. Engage with client stakeholders to resolve issues to mutual satisfaction before they become problems.
- Work with other departments, external vendors, etc., to ensure project and milestone delivery, and effective resolution of client-expressed concerns.
- Proactively lead the establishment of the Account governance structure for those books of business that meet Novotech’s business criteria for such structures; lead/chair the Account governance meetings and ensuring follow up of action items to completion.
- Proactively seek senior level client feedback via regular communication; implement actions to improve client satisfaction, team performance, project delivery, etc.
- Monitor project scope and financial metrics; proactively identify project financial issues and work with S/PMs to implement actions to mitigate risks
- Line Management of S/PMs including but not limited to objective setting and performance reviews, regular face to face meetings, provision of coaching and development and general process and system support to line reports.
Experience and Qualifications
- Graduate in Life Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dental or Medical field.
- At least 10 years’ experience in the clinical research industry, with a minimum of five years as a S/PM or equivalent and customer management experience. Allied professions involving project oversight, line management and customer management may also be considered
- Excellent leadership skills to manage a global team of S/PMs of varying tenure within the organization and different levels project management experience.
- Highly developed customer relationship management skills; strong business acumen to identify phase pull-through/repeat/new business opportunities for existing and potential clients.
- Consummate presentation skills and experience in coaching S/PMs and other project team members to prepare for bid defense meetings.
- Experience with Phase I, Early Clinical Development studies
- Strong technical knowledge of Project Management and ICH-GCP.
- Able to multi-task and manage quality deliverables within an environment of conflicting priorities.
- Effective negotiation skills and able to manage challenging discussions.
- Line management experience is advantageous; matrix management experience is essential
