Associate Director – Project Management

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Oversee the planning and execution of various intricate projects and cohesive workstreams within life sciences accounts.

• Convert client goals and strategic visions into precise, actionable project plans.

• Take ownership of integrated timelines, milestones, dependencies, approval pathways, risk management plans, and delivery standards throughout the project lifecycle.

• Establish project operating rhythms, which include kick-off meetings, reviews, status updates, client communications, and post-project evaluations.

• Define priorities, responsibilities, decision-making points, and subsequent actions for project teams.

• Act as a senior escalation point for project risks, workflow obstacles, and conflicting priorities.

• Lead the planning for materials that necessitate Medical/Legal/Regulatory review.

• Collaborate with medical, legal, regulatory, and client stakeholders to identify compliance issues, claims, fair balance, labeling, and approval risks.

• Maintain an up-to-date understanding of FDA promotional regulations for pharmaceutical and biotech brand communications.

• Create scopes of work, estimates, timelines, and resource plans in conjunction with account leadership.

• Monitor budgets, expenditures, hours, forecasts, and overall project profitability.

• Track changes in project scope and assist with change orders, revised estimates, forecasting, reconciliation, invoicing, and financial reporting.

• Anticipate staffing requirements and address resource limitations in collaboration with department heads and Resource Management.

• Guide, coach, and mentor Project Managers and Senior Project Managers.

• Develop best practices, tools, templates, and training for project management.

• Foster trusted client relationships and provide guidance on project planning, execution, budgets, timelines, and risk management.

• Represent project management in client meetings and planning discussions.

• Support new business efforts through operational planning and resource modeling.

• Contribute to agency initiatives aimed at enhancing Lucid's project planning and delivery processes.

⛳️ Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Business Administration, Project Management, or a related discipline.

• 7–10 years of project management experience within a healthcare, pharmaceutical, biotech, medical communications, advertising, or creative agency setting.

• Experience in supporting commercial communications for pharmaceutical or biotech brands.

• Strong familiarity with Medical/Legal/Regulatory review processes and US promotional communication regulations.

• Proven experience managing complex, integrated projects across various functions, channels, and stakeholders.

• Experience handling project financials, including estimates, scopes of work, budgets, forecasting, burn tracking, and reconciliation.

• Demonstrated experience in leading, mentoring, or developing project management talent.

• Strong understanding of agency workflows, resource planning, and cross-functional team operations.

• Exceptional communication, facilitation, negotiation, and problem-solving abilities.

• Ability to juggle competing priorities, influence without direct authority, and escalate risks confidently.

• Proficient in project management tools such as Smartsheet, Workfront, Asana, or similar platforms, along with Microsoft Office.

• Preferred: experience in supporting new business pitches, launch planning, or large-scale integrated campaigns in a regulated healthcare environment.

• Preferred: willingness to travel occasionally for client meetings, team sessions, or agency events.

🏝️ Benefits

• Significant learning and development opportunities.

• An inclusive and accommodating recruitment process.

• Occasional travel for client meetings, team sessions, or agency events (preferred qualification, not compensation).