Program Manager II

Program Manager / Sr. Program Manager – Albuquerque, New Mexico

Level is dependent upon experience

Curia provides global contract research and manufacturing services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, helping commercialize treatments for serious medical conditions. Curia enjoys robust partnerships with leading-edge government, biotech, and pharmaceutical organizations. 

The Program Manager (PM) is responsible for leading, overall coordination and scheduling of complex drug development programs involving Engineering, Analytical Method Transfers and Validation, GMP Manufacturing, Quality Control, Quality Assurance, Sourcing, Supply Chain, and Business Development (BD) departments. The Program Manager will report on program status, communicate any issues, problems or additional information to clients, global project teams and senior management along with recommendations of solutions. This individual will monitor and drive program progress by managing timelines, budgets and deliverables, identifying and mitigating project risks, ensuring profitability of projects and being a champion in customer satisfaction.

The Program Manager is responsible for assigned client projects, developing a clear project plan at the outset and managing this through all stages.  The PM will coordinate and communicate regularly with various internal departments, ensuring effective and consistent cross-functional project and resource management processes with the objective of delivering the clients requirements on schedule.

The Program Management team supports various types of projects, including the transfer of customer projects into the Albuquerque site, either directly from the client or from another internal Curia site. It also handles new product introductions, such as developmental and late-phase clinical products, as well as the management and lifecycle support of selected commercial customer products.

Join our talented and exciting workforce, where a commitment to excellence and a customer focused attitude is everything. We pursue excellence because our work has the power to improve patients’ lives with the pharmaceuticals we develop and manufacture. 

Responsibilities

This role operates in a heavily regulated industry and GMP environment and duties are required to be carried out in compliance with all relevant internal procedures, GMP and customer specific documentation

• Facilitate monthly Project and Technical Review Board governance meetings for review of all active projects and perform stage gate reviews for Tech Transfer projects moving through lifecycle phases
• Monitor and report progress of projects within agreed timelines ensuring technical, regulatory, compliance and financial goals are met
• Partner and collaborate with internal departments to ensure full visibility of cross-functional tasks needing to be completed
• Ensure that every project is suitably resourced and project team is clear on overall goals and responsibilities
• Foster strong communication and relationships with other departments to fulfill client deliverables on-time; influencing those that are not direct reports
• Facilitate client project meetings throughout project lifecycle, ensuring communication lines are clearly defined using Communication Management Strategy
• Work as a client advocate, balancing the needs of the client with those of the business, as well as ensuring regular and open communications
• Spend time with onsite visitors and participate in meetings with potential and current clients
• Lead, coordinate and drive programs and associated projects internally to ensure that client satisfaction, timelines, and budget are the primary focus (as reflected in KPIs)
• Adopt and utilize PMO tools, templates and processes to ensure consistency across Drug Product and provide a similar experience to multi-site customers
• Contribute to Net Promoter Score (customer satisfaction) survey process for Drug Product division and drive improvements in this metric
• Utilize Power BI, or other financial dashboard(s), to monitor project profitability, ensuring target margins are met
• Contribute to project revenue forecasts and ensure timely invoicing of completed tasks
• Ensure timely identification and escalation of potential issues with proposed solutions to line manager and Site Head/PMO leadership as appropriate
• Identify any lessons learned, and host close out meeting with client and project team where appropriate 
• Identify and correct issues that hinder the function and success of projects at the site; proactively seeks out and recommends process improvements
• Work with departmental leaders to advance areas which are highlighted for process improvements
• Liaise and coordinate with internal departments involved in the project
• Interact regularly with client, being the point of contact for all project enquiries and facilitator of calls/meetings with them
• Prepare technical and status reports and presentations on project progress. Collaborate with other groups’ activities as necessary to ensure project requirements are met. 
• Read/interpret SOPs to ensure compliance
• Maintain up to date trainings
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a Science or Engineering related discipline
• Minimum of five (5) years’ experience in Program Management or related position 
• Minimum of three (3) years’ Biotech/Pharmaceutical industry experience
• Customer related experience and client facing skills 
• Advanced degree preferred
• PMP certification, preferred
• Minimum of three (3) years’ direct experience in a Project or Program Manager (PM) role with good working knowledge of our services, contract development/research, pharmaceutical and biotech industries, preferred 

Supervisory Responsibilities:                                                            

This role does not have supervisory responsibilities, yet it may involve mentoring, guiding, and advising.

Language Skills:                                                        

The ideal candidate should have the ability to read and interpret various documents, such as safety instructions, standard operating procedures, technical procedures, and governmental regulations. Additionally, they should possess strong written and verbal communication skills, along with effective presentation skills.

Mathematical Skills:                                                               

Proficient in executing arithmetic operations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division across various units of measurement, employing whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and percentages. Candidates must possess a strong grasp of algebraic and geometric principles.

Reasoning Ability:                                                  

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

Computer Skills:                                                    

The ideal candidate will possess a strong technical foundation and proven capability in effectively utilizing diverse software tools to streamline the organization's daily functions. Essential skills encompass adeptness in manufacturing and internet software, alongside proficiency in Microsoft Office tools including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook.

Other Skills and Abilities:                                                    

• Provides guidance and mentorship to team members
• Fosters a collaborative and positive work environment
• Champions change
• Promotes a safe and healthy work environment by actively identifying and addressing potential hazards, following established safety protocols, participating in safety training programs, and fostering a culture of awareness and responsibility among team members.
• Demonstrates strong attention to detail
• Commercial acumen and ability to tracks costs/budgets/financial reporting related to the project
• Demonstrated proactive and organized approach
• Ability to exert influence over those whom they do not have direct authority
• Proven ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
• Ability to communicate and work with personnel of all levels 
• Windows-based Microsoft Office applications experience (particularly Excel and Power Point)

Other Qualifications:

Must pass a background check

Must pass a drug screen 

May be required to pass Occupational Health Screening                                                         

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The essential physical demands will vary for each Curia position. 

All positions may require regular or occasional lifting, pushing and pulling up to 10 pounds, frequently; up to 25 pounds occasionally; and up to 50 pounds infrequently.  Additionally, all positions entail regular sitting, standing and reaching, with some roles requiring prolonged periods of time for each activity.  Visual acuity, both close and distant, along with depth perception is necessary in each role, with or without corrective lenses.  Please note that employees are prohibited from wearing contact lenses in work areas with exposure to cleaning agents.  Hand and finger dexterity are integral to all positions, with specific activities varying from typing to manipulating maintenance tools or operating keypads, switches, and buttons.  Occasional stooping, kneeling, twisting, crouching, crawling and balancing are also part of each position’s physical requirements.  Certain roles may involve climbing and working at elevated heights as well.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics, described below, are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The working environments will vary for each Curia position.  The employee may be required to work in an office, manufacturing, or warehouse environment. 

The office environment is designed for comfort and productivity, with room temperature settings maintained for optimal working conditions.  It is common to hear conversational noise in the background. 

The pharmaceutical manufacturing environment is sterile.  Therefore, aseptic gowning is required.  Personal protective equipment (nitrile gloves, clean room socks, face-shields, safety glasses, aprons, steel-toed shoes and powered air purifying respirators) is necessary, depending upon the task at hand. The employee may be exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, confined areas, and refrigerator or freezer temperatures when working in a sterile environment. 

The warehouse environment is typically set at a controlled temperature but the employee may be exposed to refrigerator or freezer temperatures when retrieving materials. 

Some positions may occasionally be exposed to moving mechanical parts, elevated heights, airborne particles, electrical activities and vibration. In addition, some positions may work with or be exposed to, compressed gases and must wear ear protection. 

All environments may be subject to working with or being exposed to cleaning agents. 

Education, experience, location and tenure may be considered along with internal equity when job offers are extended.

We do not accept unsolicited assistance from any headhunters or recruitment firms for any of our job openings. All resumes or profiles submitted by search firms to any employee at Curia, in any form without a valid, signed search agreement by an authorized signatory in place for the specific position, approved by Talent Acquisition, will be deemed the sole property of Curia. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Curia because of the unsolicited referral.

All interested applicants must apply online. Please be aware of scammers. Curia will only send offer letters and requests for sensitive personal information from a curiaglobal.com email address. Curia is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability. Curia is an E-Verify employer.