Client Engagement Ops Leader (Associate Director)

Syneos Health Commercial Solutions; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Syneos Health Commercial Solutions seeks an Associate Director, Client Engagement to oversee the engagement manager team and drive operational excellence across projects. The role focuses on coaching, process improvement, budget and utilization oversight, and collaboration with business development for client opportunities.

The position requires 8–10 years in PM/ops, 4+ years managing people, and experience with AI/LLMs. Travel up to 25% is expected with a flexible, strategic leadership focus.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of experience in project management/operations.
• 4+ years of experience as people manager and/or mentoring junior staff.
• 5 years of experience in life sciences/pharma/biotech preferred.
• Experience using AI tools and LLMs to improve project management efficiency.
• 4-year college degree.
• MBA or Master’s Degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manages 3-5 EM team members (FLM and individual contributor) including performance mgmt/review and coaching.
• Uses approved AI tools to support coaching conversations and translate insights into guidance.
• Coaches direct reports on responsible AI use and ensuring confidentiality and compliance.
• Oversees operational processes and initiatives for Learning Solutions.
• Defines and revises operational policies and guidelines for the organization.
• Monitors revenue targets and utilization to maximize profits and ensure resources stay within targets.
• Oversees procurement and resource allocation; monitors delivery capacity.
• Manages onboarding and training for new hires; conducts onboarding sessions.
• Develops standard processes, templates, and tools for the Learning Solutions team.
• Drives process adherence and cross-team collaboration to solve issues.
• Uses AI/LLMs to draft meeting recaps, status summaries, and client/internal communications.
• Validates AI outputs for accuracy and compliance with policies before use.
• Manages budget, utilization, revenue tracking, and forecasting; flags out-of-scope requests.
• Oversees risk analysis and mitigation for EM programs.
• Ensures cross-functional communication and leverages resources across projects.
• Provides project management support to meet client needs when EM capacity is high.
• Identifies potential account opportunities and coordinates with business development.
• Other duties as needed; travel up to 25%.
• Maintains utilization targets (e.g., 40 hours base; 26 hours client billable).

Skills

Direction setting

Effective communication

Problem solving

Organized

Adaptable communication

Team awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master’s degree

MBA

Tools

MS Office Suite

Project Management Software

Job description

Syneos Health Commercial Solutions seeks an Associate Director, Client Engagement to oversee the engagement manager team and drive operational excellence across projects. The role focuses on coaching, process improvement, budget and utilization oversight, and collaboration with business development for client opportunities.

The position requires 8–10 years in PM/ops, 4+ years managing people, and experience with AI/LLMs. Travel up to 25% is expected with a flexible, strategic leadership focus.