Associate Project Director

Syneos Health/ inVentiv Health Commercial LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 180,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Syneos Health, Inc. in Chicago seeks an Associate Project Director to provide leadership and operational oversight for First Line Leaders and Sales Professionals within the franchise.

The APD is accountable for driving program results, ensuring execution, and developing talent in alignment with client and company expectations. Responsibilities include partnering with the National Business Director, coaching leaders, guiding performance improvement, talent selection, retention, and budget

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree is required; MBA or Master's degree preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical sales with leadership responsibilities.
• 5+ years managing sales representatives and 2+ years managing First Line Leaders; cross-functional experience preferred.
• Strong cross-functional influence, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in interpreting performance data and translating insights into actions.
• Working knowledge of promotional compliance in regulated environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach First Line Leaders and Sales Professionals to improve performance.
• Partner with National Business Director and stakeholders to achieve project goals and client expectations.
• Set retention strategies and manage talent development and onboarding.
• Translate data into clear, actionable recommendations for regional plans and analytics.
• Monitor budgets and promotional spend; support profitability improvements.
• Travel to support Syneos Health events and client needs.

Skills

Sales leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Data interpretation

Communication

Negotiation

Regulatory compliance awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA preferred

Job description

Reporting to the Syneos Health National Business Director, the Associate Project Director (APD) provides leadership and operational oversight for assigned First Line Leaders and Sales Professionals within the franchise.

The APD is accountable for delivering program results by driving business performance, ensuring operational execution, and developing and retaining talent in alignment with client and Syneos Health expectations.

Essential Functions

• Partner closely with the National Business Director, First Line Leaders, and cross-functional stakeholders to deliver project goals and client expectations.
• Lead, coach, and develop First Line Leaders through regular feedback, clear expectations, and targeted capability building to improve individual and team performance.
• Guide leaders in diagnosing performance gaps and executing timely action plans to optimize business results.
• Drive talent selection, onboarding, evaluation, and retention for Sales Professionals and First Line Leaders; conduct objective performance assessments and support development planning.
• Establish and execute retention strategies aligned to franchise objectives and workforce plans.
• Set a culture of ownership, accountability, and engagement by routinely communicating priorities, performance outcomes, and next-step actions; recognize results and reinforce expected behaviors.
• Provide strategic input to regional and territory plans; ensure alignment to brand/franchise strategy, analytics, and customer needs.
• Translate data and insights into clear, actionable recommendations by partnering with internal strategy and analytics resources.
• Proactively identify risks and opportunities; apply rigorous problem framing to recommend solutions that improve effectiveness and efficiency.
• Maintain operational oversight and ensure adherence to all promotional, legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements.
• Monitor budgets (including promotional and T&E spend) in alignment with client policies; prepare analyses and summaries to support budget neutrality.
• Recommend solutions to client issues that maximize revenue, improve efficiency, and control costs; understand management fee structures and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
• Travel is required to support Syneos Health events, client needs, and home office priorities.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree or MBA preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in pharmaceutical sales and sales leadership, including: (a) 5+ years managing sales representatives and (b) 2+ years managing First Line Leaders; experience leading cross-functional workstreams or functional roles (e.g., Operations, Training, Marketing) strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to identify high-impact strategies, develop business plans within an approved strategy, and engage teams to execute.
• Strong cross-functional influence, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in interpreting performance data and translating insights into clear actions and recommendations.
• Working knowledge of promotional compliance expectations and ability to operate effectively in regulated environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $180,000-190,000. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. In addition, some positions may include a company car or car allowance and eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and / or individual performance.

At Syneos Health, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.

Why Syneos Health?

Here, the work is challenging, and the pace is exhilarating. By joining one of our commercial teams, you're empowered to succeed with the support, resources, and autonomy that you need. The diversification and breadth of our new and existing partnerships create a multitude of career paths and employment opportunities. Syneos Health has launched more sales teams in the last 5 years across all major therapeutic areas than the top 25 pharma companies combined. Join our game-changing, global company dedicated to creating better, smarter, faster ways to get biopharmaceutical therapies to patients. Experience the thrill of knowing that your everyday efforts are contributing to improving patients' lives around the world.

W o r k H e r e M a t t e r s E v e r y w h e r e | How are you inspired to change lives?

Syneos Health companies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled)

At Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance. The benefits for this position will include a competitive compensation package, Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time. Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos Health complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.