Associate Director Project Management

Syntra Antwerpen en Vlaams Brabant (Syntra AB); Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision coverage

401k with Company match

Adoption Assistance

Life Insurance

Disability (Short-Term / Long-Term)

Parental Leave

Summer Fridays

Flexible Time Off

Learning and Development

Free lunch Wednesdays

Wellness Program

Job summary

AbelsonTaylor Group in Chicago seeks an Associate Director, Project Management to lead the day-to-day PM operations for one large brand or a couple smaller ones, ensuring on-time delivery and budget adherence. You will guide PMs and APMs and partner with account leads to meet client needs.

Responsibilities include budget/timeline management, risk mitigation, SOW development, and cross-functional collaboration. Hybrid onsite Tue–Thu; pharma advertising experience preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in communications, marketing, or business administration.
• 7+ years in an advertising agency PM/leadership role, pharma preferred.
• Strong project leadership and ability to manage complex programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead highly visible and complex projects requiring unique technology or workflows.
• Supervise Associate Project Managers on routing, approvals, and documentation.
• Manage budgets and timelines; monitor scope and communicate variances.
• Engage with clients, partner agencies, and third parties on deliverables and risks.
• Develop conference reports, meeting recaps, and close-out actions with recommendations.
• Identify risks and collaborate with cross-functional teams to mitigate them.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Cross-functional collab

Analytical thinking

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications/Marketing/Business

Tools

WMJ

Workfront

Excel

Job description

Summary

At AbelsonTaylor Group, work that makes you feel good isn't just what we do—it's who we are. We believe that when you feel good about your work, and where you work, you bring your best self to it. That's why we create an environment where creativity thrives, teamwork flourishes, and inclusivity is more than just a value—it's a way of life.

Here, you'll help propel brands that inspire health and brighter futures, all while finding the support, inspiration, and growth opportunities to reach your own potential. Together, we dream boldly, collaborate deeply, and make a meaningful difference—one idea at a time.

Now, we are currently seeking an Associate Director Project Management to join our team. The Associate Project Management Director role provides leadership to their brands (typically one large one or two smaller ones) and ultimately accountable and responsible for the effective and efficient day to day operations of the project management function, ensuring all work is delivered on time and within agreed upon budget, without compromising quality. You will work with their respective Account Management leads to ensure client needs and expectations are met and ensure a cohesive client service experience their brands. They provide guidance, support, and counsel to the PMs and Associate Project Managers assigned to their brands.

What You'll Do

• Project Leadership: Lead highly visible and complex projects requiring unique technology, processes, or workflows. Develop timelines, estimates, and scenarios as needed. Monitor and adjust workflows and resources to optimize project efficiency.
• Team Oversight: Supervise Associate Project Managers (APMs) on routing, approval processes, and documentation of client changes and requests. Escalate issues to the Project Director as necessary.
• Budget and Timeline Management: Manage project budgets and timelines rigorously to ensure projects stay within budget. Monitor scope progress, identify work breakdowns, and proactively estimate for project changes. Communicate overages to internal and client teams.
• Client and Partner Engagement: Lead discussions with clients, partner agencies, and third parties on project deliverables, contingencies, and implications of scope changes. Provide insights and information related to project estimates and overarching budgets.
• Reporting and Documentation: Develop and review conference reports and meeting recaps internally and externally. Lead all project close-out meetings, communicate action items, and provide recommendations for future project optimization.
• Risk Management: Proactively identify, assess, and mitigate risks for assigned accounts. Collaborate with Account, Creative, and other departments on project-related escalations.
• SOW Development: Collaborate with PM leadership to develop annual Statements of Work (SOWs) from a project management perspective. Identify assets, dependencies, resources, costs, and timelines needed for project execution.
• Financial Oversight: Oversee client financial reporting and brand health, including monthly billing summaries and financial analysis. Provide internal financial updates to leadership as required.
• Technology Utilization: Leverage Project Management Software (e.g., Workamajig, Workfront, Excel) to automate tasks, ensure quality, and promote process efficiencies. Ensure consistent adoption within the PM team.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Lead internal cross-functional status meetings and provide project management insights to clients as needed on scopes and individual projects.
• New Business Participation: Participate in new business efforts as needed, including developing proposed SOWs, timing, estimates, and presenting to clients.

Management, Mentorship, and Leadership

• Lead by Example: Be proactive, solution-oriented, and a curious learner.
• Team Management: Manage the entire employee lifecycle for APMs, including recruiting, onboarding, training, development, and performance reviews. Proactively address team HR needs and elevate issues as required.
• Hire, Coach, and Develop Team Members: Assign projects to balance workloads and challenge team members' skills, ensuring projects showcase the agency's capabilities.
• Provide Regular Feedback: Offer both formal and informal feedback to team members to help grow their creative sensibilities and progress in their craft.
• Perform Team Evaluations: Participate in performance reviews and provide coaching to create growth plans for team members as needed.
• Infuse Psychological Safety into Teams: Facilitate participation, inclusion, and diversity of perspectives on your team and throughout the agency.

What Makes You A Great Fit

• Education: Minimum of a bachelor's degree with an emphasis in communications, marketing, and/or business administration.
• Experience: Preferably 7+ years of experience in an advertising agency, particularly in account management, project management, or senior marketing roles within the pharmaceutical industry. Minimum 2+ years of mentorship/leadership experience.
• Project Management Skills: Proven track record in producing best-in-class tactics and programs. Strong understanding of product lifecycle milestones (e.g., label changes, campaign launches).
• Multimedia Experience: Experience managing a wide variety of projects across multiple mediums including digital, video, etc.
• Critical Thinking: Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to address complex project challenges.
• Software Proficiency: Experience with Project Management tools such as WMJ, Workfront, and Excel.
• Leadership and Communication: Established leader with a track record of building trust with clients, IT departments, and partner agencies. Adaptive leadership style with strong emotional intelligence.
• Problem Solving: Ability to adapt leadership style and problem-solving skills to navigate uncertainty and changing priorities.

Benefits and Perks

• Medical, Dental and Vision coverage
• 401k with Company match of 50% on the first 6%
• Adoption Assistance – Up to $2,500 of financial assistance
• Company Paid Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Short-Term Disability providing 100% of salary coverage
• Paid Parental Leave for birth and non-birth parents (4 weeks)
• Summer Fridays
• Flexible Time Off (FTO)
• 11 Holidays and End of Year Office Closure
• Company provided Learning and Development opportunities
• Free lunch Wednesdays
• Wellness Program

Compensation Range

$115,000 - $135,000. The starting salary offer will depend on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. The company reserves the right to adjust this pay range at any time.

At AbelsonTaylor Group (ATG), we love science, art, and data. Since our beginnings in 1981, ATG has been singularly focused on health, wellness, and pharma products – not sneakers, beer, or cars (though we like those things, too). Besides being passionate about our purpose, we are dedicated to our people and their professional growth and fulfillment. We value a diverse and inclusive workforce and strive to bring together people with unique skills and varied backgrounds to work toward common goals. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without discrimination regarding age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position follows a hybrid schedule, requiring employees to be onsite Tuesday-Thursday each week in our Chicago office. We make reasonable accommodations for employees and applicants with disabilities who require schedule accommodations.

We are an E-Verify employer

https://www.abelsontaylorgroup.com/pdfs/IER_RightToWorkPoster_Eng_Es.pdf

https://www.abelsontaylorgroup.com/pdfs/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_Eng_Es.pdf