| Benefits of working at VCU |
All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here. |
| Duties & Responsibilities |
Job Summary:
Medicines for All (M4ALL), a part of Virginia Commonwealth University, is an entrepreneurial, impact-oriented institute dedicated to dramatically improving global access to lifesaving medicines. We achieve this through synthetic process innovation and advanced technology deployment to reduce costs and waste in small molecule drug substance manufacturing. Our work supports treatments for diseases such as COVID-19, HIV, TB, and malaria.
As the first person in this role, the Associate Director/Director* of the Project Management Office (PMO) will have the unique opportunity to build and shape M4ALL’s project management function from the ground up. This leader will be responsible for designing and implementing project management standards, governance, and methodologies that align with the organization’s mission and strategic goals. This individual must bring strong expertise in creating and scaling project management functions, with a focus on delivering results in a collaborative, mission-oriented environment. Applicants who meet the required qualifications and have varying levels of experience are encouraged to apply. The role will be filled at either the Associate Director or Director level, depending on the unique qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.*
Key Responsibilities: 1. PMO Strategy and Development - Establish and lead the Project Management Office, including the development of project management frameworks, tools, and practices that will govern cross-functional projects within M4ALL.
- Design and implement processes for project governance, reporting, and performance tracking, ensuring they are scalable and adaptable to organizational growth.
- Set and communicate the vision for the PMO, securing buy-in from executive leadership and cross-functional teams.
- Develop and implement training programs to build project management competencies across M4ALL.
2. Project Portfolio Management - Oversee execution of a diverse portfolio of projects (e.g., contract service, product development, capital investment), ensuring alignment with M4ALL’s strategic goals and mission.
- Establish and manage project prioritization processes to ensure resource allocation aligns with organizational objectives.
- Collaborate closely with project sponsors and stakeholders to define project scope, objectives, deliverables, and success criteria.
3. Project Execution and Support - Provide hands-on project management leadership to high-priority initiatives, especially those critical to M4ALL’s growth and mission.
- Serve as a resource to project teams, guiding them in setting realistic timelines, budgets, and resource needs.
- Manage customer programs. Is the interface between the Customer and M4ALL, ensuring delivery and execution per M4ALL and customer expectations
Understand and represent the Customer’s needs and interests by acting as their advocate within M4ALL
- Understand the financials of portfolio projects, incorporating target and outlook reviews in project administration
- Lead and motivate multi-disciplinary project teams and hold team members accountable to deliver
- Ensure Customer satisfaction throughout the life of the program through collaborative relationship management with Commercial Development, Sales/BDProactively identify project risks, issues, and dependencies, and implement mitigation strategies to ensure project success.
- Develop and refine project management documentation, including templates, dashboards, and reporting formats.
4. Supply Chain Leadership - Ensure efficient, effective supply chain partnering between Commercial and Operations.
- Define planning and replenishment schedules and support a manufacturing supply strategy end to end (from key starting materials to finished API)
- Escalate potential supply issues and ensure bottleneck management in collaboration with Commercial and Operations to avoid customer impact.
5. Team Development & Leadership - Build and lead a team of project managers, establishing a high-performing culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Provide mentorship and professional development opportunities for team members, setting a strong foundation for a sustainable PMO function.
- Encourage open communication and effective collaboration across project teams, creating an environment where best practices and lessons learned are shared.
6. Continuous Improvement & Innovation - Stay current with industry trends, emerging project management methodologies, and technology tools to continually enhance the PMO’s practices and efficiency.
- Implement and advocate for continuous improvement processes, assessing project management effectiveness and refining PMO practices as needed.
- Establish metrics to measure the success and impact of the PMO function, reporting on performance to executive leadership and stakeholders.
7. Stakeholder Engagement & Communication - Act as a strategic advisor to leadership on project prioritization and resource allocation.
- Facilitate cross-departmental collaboration, ensuring that project teams are aligned and engaged with the overall objectives of M4ALL.
- Communicate project updates, performance metrics, and critical decisions to executive leadership and key stakeholders, fostering transparency and trust.
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| Qualifications |
Required Qualifications: - Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Science, Engineering, or a related field; or the experience and skills that equate to a Bachelor's degree.
- Experience: Minimum of 10 years of project management experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership role within the pharmaceutical or life sciences industry, CDMO / Pharma / Biotech companies
- PMO Building Experience: Proven track record of establishing and scaling a Project Management Office (PMO) from the ground up, including developing and implementing project governance standards, processes, and frameworks.
- Project Management Methodologies: Proficiency in a variety of project management methodologies, such as Agile, Waterfall, or hybrid models, and an understanding of when to apply each to best support organizational objectives.
- Tool Proficiency: Strong skills in project management software with experience in setting up project tracking and reporting systems.
- Leadership Skills: Demonstrated ability to build, lead, and mentor a project management team, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Risk Management: Expertise in identifying, assessing, and mitigating project risks, with the ability to implement corrective actions to keep projects on track.
- Communication and Collaboration: Effective verbal, written, and listening skills, including the ability to interact effectively across the organization in situations that may require instruction, persuasion, negotiation, and resolution of conflict
- Results-Oriented: Proven ability to drive projects to successful completion within scope, on time, and within budget, especially under resource-constrained and high-stakes environments.
- Strategic Thinking: Ability to contextualize long term strategies and short term requirements
- Cultural Competency: Proven experience fostering and contributing to a diverse environment for faculty, staff, and students, or a strong commitment to doing so at VCU.
Preferred Qualifications: - Advanced Education: Master’s degree in Business Administration, Project Management, or a relevant scientific discipline.
- Certification: PMP (Project Management Professional), PgMP (Program Management Professional), or other recognized project management certification.
- Industry-Specific Experience: Experience within a contract development organization (CDO), contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), or contract manufacturing organization (CMO) environment, with knowledge of the unique project management challenges within the pharmaceutical or biotech sectors (ISO and cGMP environment experience)
- Change Management: Experience in change management, particularly in establishing new functions and building organizational buy-in for new processes and systems.
- Process Improvement: Expertise in Lean, Six Sigma, or other continuous improvement methodologies to enhance project efficiency and effectiveness.
- Technological Familiarity: Knowledge of advanced project management tools and dashboards, including experience with emerging tools for real-time collaboration and reporting.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Proven experience in stakeholder engagement at multiple levels of an organization, with the ability to drive alignment and secure cross-functional support for PMO initiatives.
Salary:
The offered salary for this position will depend on the candidate’s experience and the level at which they are hired (Associate Director or Director). The range is $122,000 to $160,000, with final compensation reflecting the scope of responsibility and expertise the selected candidate brings to the role.
Title Distinction:
This job posting welcomes candidates with diverse levels of experience. We will consider hiring at either the Associate Director or Director level based on the selected candidate's qualifications and experience. The Director level will be distinguished by advanced expertise and extensive experience in developing and executing long-term innovation strategies, embracing cutting-edge technologies, and leading complex projects, programs, and teams. Reporting Structure:
This role reports to the Head of Research & Development and is intended to be a key supervisory position as M4ALL continues to expand. Additionally, this role embodies everyday leadership, with an expectation to lead through actions, discussions, decisions, and interactions. As a role model within the organization, you will influence others by consistently demonstrating the values and behaviors that drive our mission forward.
Worksite Location:
Upon hire, the workstation will be located at the VA Bio Tech Park and may occasionally require travel within the greater Richmond area. Additional Details: - Job Family: Research
- Series: Senior Administrator 1-3 (32914Y - 32916Y)
- Eligible for flexible work arrangements
- Funding Status: Restricted, Since M4ALL's inception in 2017, we have received significant financial support from a diverse portfolio of major donors. This position is grant-funded, with continued employment contingent upon ongoing funding.
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