Senior Project Manager of PM-Office

Wacker Group; Halle (Saale), Jena; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

International environment

Holiday allowance

Pension plan

Job summary

WACKER is seeking a Senior Project Manager of PM-Office to lead the PMO, govern the project management system, and drive standardization across the division. The role involves coordinating internal and external programs to improve performance, efficiency and transparency in a complex biopharma environment.

Location includes Amsterdam, Halle or Jena; fluent English and German skills are required. The position offers international exposure, carrier development and competitive compensation.

Qualifications

• Formal education in life sciences or a comparable scientific discipline.
• Extensive PMO, project/program/portfolio management experience.
• Knowledge of GMP-regulated processes and pharmaceutical quality requirements.
• Experience with governance, KPI systems, resource management, and reporting.
• Proficiency with SAP, SharePoint and project management tools.

Responsibilities

• Provide PMO leadership and define PMO structure, goals, and priorities.
• Own design and governance of the Project Management System across the division.
• Develop processes, templates, forms, and tools; ensure standardized application.
• Support governance, stage-gate, escalation, and management reporting.
• Lead cross-functional projects with internal and external stakeholders.
• Drive digitalization, standardization, and automation in project management.
• Ensure audit-ready project documentation and data integrity.

Skills

PMO Leadership

Governance & KPI

Stakeholder management

Process optimization

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Life sciences / biotech background

Tools

SAP

SharePoint

MS Project

Job description

Job Title: Senior Project Manager of PM-Office

Job Location (Short): Halle, DEU, 06120
| Jena, DEU, 07745
| Amsterdam, NLD, 1105 BJ

Posting Start Date: 11/5/26

Do you want to take responsibility and make a difference with your work? With your expertise, we can achieve great goals together. We are WACKER - Reliable. Determined. Ambitious. As one of the world's most research-intensive chemical companies, we've been making countless products that are an integral part of your everyday life possible for over 100 years. From vegan food to resource-efficient buildings to solar cells, we develop sustainable solutions that change the future.

Wacker Biotech, as part of WACKER, is a leading global biotechnology organization specializing in the production of biopharmaceuticals. The company has outstanding technologies for the rapid, efficient and thus cost-effective production of therapeutic proteins for clinical and commercial supply. Currently it is the biggest dedicated microbial Contract Development & Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) in the world. lts four dedicated and fast-growing production sites are currently based in Germany (Halle and Jena), The Netherlands (Amsterdam) and The United States (San Diego, CA).

The Senior Project Manager of PM-Office is responsible for the design, implementation, governance, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the business division's Project Management System. The position leads the PM organization and strategically relevant internal and external programs, with the objective of improving project performance, organizational efficiency, process quality, and transparency.

Are you looking for a new challenge?

For our locationAmsterdam, Halle or Jena we are looking for a Senior Project Manager of PM-Office.

Responsibilities

PMO Leadership and Oganizational Management

• Provide functional leadership to the Project Management Office.
• Define the organizational structure, responsibilities, objectives, and priorities of the PMO, strong alignment with all connecting departments (e.g. Operations, Finance)
• Develop and coach PMO employees and project managers.
• Provide functional leadership to cross-functional and international project teams.
• Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Manage organizational interfaces within the Project Management System proactively and effectively.

Project Management System and Governance

• Own the design, implementation, governance, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Project Management System.
• Define and maintain project management processes, standards, roles, templates, forms and tools.
• Ensure consistent application of the Project Management System across the business division.
• Support PM- governance, stage-gate, decision-making, escalation, and reporting structures.
• Conduct project reviews and ensure that corrective measures are defined, assigned, and tracked.

Process and Systems Management

• Design, implement, maintain the Multiprojectmanagement-Tool, evaluate data in the organization.
• Monitor project risks, opportunities, milestones, deliverables, and financial performance based on Multiproject-Managementool.
• Develop and deliver training for relevant processes, systems, standards, and tools.
• Lead the introduction and optimization of systems, processes, and digital tools across the business division.
• Ensure efficient process integration across functions and organizational interfaces.
• Drive standardization, digitalization, and automation within the project management environment.
• Represent relevant projects and programs toward internal and external stakeholders.

Project Performance and Controlling

• Analyze and optimize project performance across the business division using appropriate KPIs.
• Establish transparent project and portfolio reporting for management decision-making.
• Oversee project-specific and cost center controlling, including budgets, forecasts, variance analyses, and corrective actions.
• Provide management with clear performance assessments and actionable recommendations.

Project Administration and Operational PMO Services

• Ensure effective project administration and reliable operational PMO services.
• Oversee invoicing-related project processes and relevant project master data.
• Ensure appropriate use and maintenance of SAP project structures and project-related data.
• Maintain project forms, SOPs, standards, templates, and SharePoint-based information structures.
• Ensure complete, accurate, and audit-ready project documentation

Requirements

Education

• life sciences, biotechnology, biochemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or a comparable scientific discipline.

Professional Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of project, program, and portfolio management.
• Strong knowledge of biotechnological pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Sound understanding of GMP-regulated processes and pharmaceutical quality requirements.
• Strong knowledge of organizational and process management.
• Experience with project governance, project controlling, KPI systems, and resource management.
• Proficiency in relevant project and business systems, particularly SAP, SharePoint, project management tools, and reporting solutions.

Professional Experience

• Extensive experience in project and program management within a complex pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or biopharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Several years of functional leadership responsibility in complex project and matrix organizations.
• Proven experience in leading a PMO or comparable project management organization.
• Substantial experience in designing and implementing organizational processes, governance structures, and project management systems.
• Experience in leading complex cross-functional projects and programs involving internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience working in an international matrix organization.
• Strong leadership capabilities and a clear sense of accountability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Highly structured, analytical, and solution-oriented working style.
• Strong decision-making and implementation capabilities.
• Ability to manage complex organizational interfaces.
• Strong influencing, negotiation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• High level of resilience, reliability, and organizational awareness.
• Ability to communicate effectively with operational teams, senior managment, customers, authorities, and external partners

Language Requirements

• Fluent English, written and spoken.
• German language skills appropriate for the scope of the role and the relevant internal and external interfaces.

What do we offer?

• Employment: A challenging and international position in a professional and informal working environment
• Compensation: Attractive salary, holiday allowance, home-office travel allowance, participation in the company's success, subsidized pension plan
• Work-life balance: Flexible working hours (where possible), 30 days of vacation

As an international company, we welcome the diversity of people. We consciously promote equal opportunities and a diverse, inclusive culture in our teams - this is what makes us successful.

We look forward to receiving your application!