Director - Project Management

Director, Project Management 

We're looking for a Director, Project Management with significant agency experience, combined with an excellent track record of professional and profitable delivery of a portfolio of projects, to work across our clients in our New York office. In this role, you will oversee projects totalling revenue of approximately $6M to $9M p/a, and will be pivotal in driving the success of our projects from inception to completion. You will be responsible for mentoring, upskilling, and coaching a team of client service professionals in project delivery, overseeing project execution, optimizing resources, and ensuring deliverables are achieved within scope, on time, and on budget 

 
FULL TIME  US 

Location - The position is a US hybrid or remote position, with an office based in Philadelphia.  

ABOUT LIGHTHOUSE  

Lighthouse is a US-based medical communications company and part of The Lucid Group. We partner with pharma and biotech companies to create pioneering solutions that change behavior, improve clinical practice, and advance health outcomes. Our pioneering spirit and people-centric approach allow us to build deep, durable partnerships with our clients, providing strategic and tactical support across all stages of the drug development lifecycle.  

ABOUT THE ROLE  

The Director, Project Management oversees project delivery in our Lighthouse team, and is responsible for the successful delivery of projects for our clients. Collaborating with a central project management team, they will provide in-house expertise as-well as experience managing third-party suppliers, and provide appropriate direction, ensuring projects meet or exceed client expectations and are delivered within scope, on time, and on budget. Responsibilities for the role include:  

• 20% hands on project delivery, 20% traffic management, 60% delivery leadership 
• Leading and ensuring successful, professional, and profitable program delivery  
• Mentoring, upskilling, and coaching a team of client service professionals in project management and delivery 
• Ensuring the client service team follows central delivery processes, including use of correct documentation management - scoping documents, ballparks, developing estimates, creating project plans, briefs 
• Ensuring responsibility among teams for the quality of the work that is delivered - reviewing budgets, project plans etc. 
• Supporting in the development of proposals around project delivery, with specialist knowledge in key areas such as (but not limited to) medical, creative, digital, and motion  
• Ensuring weekly financial reconciliations are completed so that if budget issues arise, they can be addressed with effective solutions early, and mitigation plans can be put in place  
• Ensuring ongoing compliance with Group policies for the financial management of cross-entity collaborations, in partnership with Operations, Finance, and Project Management teams in sister entities  
• Troubleshooting and de-escalating project delivery problems that may arise 
• Resource planning/traffic management  
• Supporting the recruitment of project managers and further building out the functional area capability as the business grows   
• Fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement within project delivery 
• Overall, setting standards for all team members and being an advocate for project management 

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR  

Successful candidates will have:    

• Extensive experience managing projects ranging from creative, digital (web, app, CRM) and motion within an agency setting  
• Strong financial acumen ensuring profitability (accurate budget creation & management) and achievement of utilization targets (project plans laddered to resourcing) for a program of work of $6m+  
• Client facing; providing leadership and direction for project delivery, supporting effective client management  
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, both written and verbal 
• Strong senior stakeholder management skills (clients and internal teams) with the ability to influence, negotiate (scope and finances), resolve conflict and drive agency growth through new business  
• Understanding of agency workflow, with holistic view across the whole organization of the implications to changes in systems, processes etc.  
• Understanding of partnering with sister entities, third-party partners, or stakeholder organizations within clients (IT, Regulatory, Medical Review, etc) to deliver comprehensive plans and solutions 
• Experience developing and implementing risk mitigation strategies that lead to desirable outcomes  
• Evidence of effectively managing project teams of 15-20 people to successfully deliver projects that meet both company and client goals 
• Ability to articulate Project Management methodologies including processes, controls, and delivery frameworks 
• Demonstration of strong leadership skills, developing and retaining the best people for the business  
• Ability to motivate others and support teams, fostering a positive and collaborative working environment  
• Advanced project planning software skills such as Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, etc.  
• Formal project management training (e.g. PMP, CSM) desired, but not required  
• Experience within the medcomms/healthcare industry (desirable, but not essential)  

WHAT YOU’LL BE WORKING ON  

• Program and project delivery 
• Upskilling a team on project management best practices  
• Embedding process change to enable business growth 
• Resource management 
• Project financial management  
• Change management 

WHAT'S NEXT? 

Following your application, a member of our Talent Acquisition team will evaluate your candidacy against the criteria of the role. If members of our TA team see potential in your candidacy, we will then contact you to learn more about you and your experience before sharing your details with our hiring teams. Upon completion and acceptance of this screen call, our interview process will be: 

• Stage 1: Interview with Head of PMO & Head of Business Operations 
• Stage 2: Assignment and question based with Head of Project Delivery & Executive Program Director 
• Stage 3: Meeting with the Lighthouse Senior Leadership Team 

Our first stage involves an opportunity for us to talk a little more about the role and to explore how your experience matches the role we are looking to fill. Application and scenario-based questions will be asked. 

Our second stage includes time to present back a task we will have sent prior to the meeting. It is from this we would like to understand how you apply your practical experience and help embed positive change.  

Our final stage involves meeting the Lighthouse Senior Leadership Team, this will give you the opportunity to really get a feel for the role and Lighthouse culture. 

We then hope to get back to you with an outcome within a few days of your interview! The Talent Acquisition team is on hand throughout your whole interview process for any questions that may arise. 

WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR US TO BE LUCID?  

At Lucid Group, we transform lives. Always. We believe in providing a culture of authenticity where we can all be ourselves, make real connections, and enjoy the work that we do. Together.  

We empower our people to embark on a journey of growth and advancement by offering meaningful learning and development opportunities.  

Central to our ethos is our commitment to cultivating an environment that embraces and respects people of all backgrounds and identities, underpinned by a culture of conscious inclusion and support.  

The Lucid values are not just mere words; they are the culmination of our collective efforts. Co-created by our people for our people, these values serve as our guiding principles, ensuring that every decision we make positively impacts the lives of the clients, patients, healthcare professionals, and colleagues we serve.  

• Compassionately Human: We think about the human impact of our actions  
• Accountable Allies: We are the go-to strategic partners for our clients  
• Invent with Intent: We create meaningful solutions to solve real problems  
• Courageously Curious: We challenge ourselves to think disruptively​  

Equal Opportunity Employer: We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds, regardless of race, color, sex, age, pregnancy, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression or disability.  

We are dedicated to offering an inclusive and accommodating recruitment process. Should you require any accommodations during the interview process, please do not hesitate to reach out.