Program manager Jobs in Cambridge, MA

Program Manager

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager to provide strategic program management and business analysis support across R&D Therapeutic Area Units (TAUs).

In this role, you will partner closely with R&D business leaders, DD&T, Finance, Architecture, Data, Technology, and external partners to translate business priorities into coordinated, executable plans.

Location: Cambridge, MA Hybrid preferred (5 days/month in office), with 100% remote possible.

Employment Type: 06+ months with possible extension

Industry: Pharmaceutical / Life Sciences

Experience: 7+ years

The position combines program management, business analysis, portfolio management, investment planning, budget management, and technology delivery coordination.

The ideal candidate is analytical, highly organized, proactive, comfortable working with ambiguity, and able to move seamlessly between senior leadership discussions and hands-on execution.

Key Responsibilities

Program & Portfolio Management

• Lead complex cross-TAU DD&T programs and initiatives from planning through execution.
• Manage milestones, dependencies, risks, resources, priorities, and delivery outcomes.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams including Product Owners, engineers, technical leads, data teams, vendors, and business stakeholders.
• Maintain an integrated view of the TAU DD&T portfolio.
• Establish effective program governance, status reporting, RAID management, decision tracking, and value realization.

Business Analysis & Demand Management

• Lead intake and assessment of R&D business needs.
• Translate business requests into clear problem statements, use cases, requirements, expected value, and actionable plans.
• Facilitate discovery and requirements workshops with business and technology stakeholders.
• Prioritize demand based on business value, strategic alignment, feasibility, capacity, funding, and scalability.
• Identify opportunities to consolidate overlapping initiatives and develop shared or enterprise solutions.

Investment, MRP & Budget Management

• Support TAU DD&T MRP and annual investment planning.
• Develop and coordinate investment requests and business cases.
• Evaluate solution options, resource requirements, costs, benefits, and timelines.
• Track approved funding, forecasts, actuals, commitments, and budget variances.
• Partner with Finance and initiative owners to maintain portfolio financial transparency.
• Identify opportunities to reduce duplication and optimize build, buy, or partner decisions.

Executive Governance & Communication

• Lead cross-TAU and portfolio governance forums.
• Prepare executive-level dashboards, roadmaps, investment views, presentations, and status reports.
• Facilitate senior leadership discussions and ensure decisions and actions are followed through.
• Proactively identify risks, trade-offs, funding requirements, resource constraints, and escalation points.

Digital, Data & Technology Delivery

• Coordinate technology delivery across Product, Engineering, Data, Architecture, and external partners.
• Support digital, analytics, automation, and AI-enabled initiatives within R&D.
• Ensure business requirements are translated into executable delivery plans.
• Drive initiatives through planning, investment approval, delivery, and value realization.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in program/project management, business analysis, portfolio management, transformation, or related roles.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional programs involving senior business and technology stakeholders.
• Experience in pharmaceutical R&D, life sciences, healthcare technology, or a similar environment preferred.
• Working knowledge of R&D processes such as clinical development, therapeutic areas, regulatory, data, or related functions.
• Experience with:
• Business requirements and analysis
• Demand management and prioritization
• Portfolio management
• Investment/business case development
• Budgeting and financial tracking
• Resource and capacity planning
• Executive governance
• Technology delivery
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent executive communication, presentation, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to influence and drive alignment across organizational boundaries without direct authority.
• Comfortable working independently in ambiguous and fast-changing environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• PMP, PgMP, Agile, Business Analysis, or comparable certification.
• Experience with digital transformation, data & analytics, automation, or AI initiatives.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary technology delivery teams.
• Experience with portfolio planning and financial management in a large enterprise environment.

Key Attributes

• Strategic and enterprise mindset
• Strong business and analytical acumen
• Program and financial discipline
• Executive presence
• Hands-on ownership
• Proactive execution
• Strong collaboration and influencing skills
• Digital, data, and AI fluency

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to play a key role at the intersection of R&D business strategy and Digital & Data Technology, helping shape and execute initiatives that support pharmaceutical R&D priorities.

You will have significant exposure to senior leadership, cross-functional transformation, portfolio investment decisions, and emerging digital/data/AI capabilities.

If you have a strong background in program management, business analysis, portfolio/investment management, and pharmaceutical R&D or life sciences technology, we would be interested in hearing from you.