Client Project Manager (Contractor)

Planet Pharma; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Planet Pharma seeks a Senior Client Project Manager (Contractor) in Indianapolis, IN. You will own client programs from bulk arrival through fill-finish, release, and final shipment, interfacing with site leadership and external clients.

The role requires 10+ years in pharma, direct client relationship experience, and strong GMP know-how. Accountability for revenue, timelines, and risk management with high autonomy and potential for permanent conversion.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum 10 years of pharma/manufacturing and client-facing experience.
• Direct experience with fill-finish manufacturing and GMP environments.

Responsibilities

• Own the day-to-day client relationship and serve as primary client liaison.
• Lead cross-functional execution and governance meetings.
• Manage product flow from bulk receipt to release and shipment, including timelines and risk logs.
• Develop and maintain project plans, milestones, and dashboards; manage change and escalation.

Skills

Project management

Client relationships

Cross-functional leadership

GMP knowledge

Verbal/written communication

Independent work

Risk management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Life Sciences/Pharmaceuticals/Supply Chain/Business

Tools

Smartsheet

MS Office

Job description

Senior Client Project Manager (Contractor)

Location: Indianapolis, IN (Onsite 5 days/week)
Duration: 6-Month Contract
Employment Type: Contract with potential for permanent conversion
Start Date: ASAP
Expenses: None. Local candidates only or those willing to relocate independently.

Position Overview

The Senior Client Project Manager (CPM) serves as the primary liaison between assigned pharmaceutical clients and the Indianapolis manufacturing site. This individual will assume full ownership of client programs from bulk product arrival through fill-finish manufacturing, release activities, and final product shipment.

The CPM will be responsible for managing client relationships, coordinating cross-functional execution, ensuring operational readiness, and driving successful project outcomes within a GMP-regulated manufacturing environment. This is a highly visible role that requires strong pharmaceutical manufacturing knowledge, exceptional client-facing communication skills, and the ability to operate independently with minimal oversight.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned pharmaceutical professional who can immediately take ownership of strategic client relationships and become a trusted partner to both the client and internal site leadership.

While initially structured as a six-month engagement, there is potential for conversion to a permanent employee role after initial contract.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned clients and own the day-to-day client relationship.
• Act as the voice of the client internally while effectively communicating site capabilities, priorities, and timelines.
• Manage product flow from bulk receipt through fill-finish operations, release activities, and final product departure.
• Lead client communications, governance meetings, status updates, and escalation discussions.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestone tracking, action logs, and risk management plans.
• Utilize Smartsheet to manage project schedules, deliverables, milestones, dashboards, and reporting metrics.
• Coordinate activities across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, MSAT, Validation, Warehouse, Planning, and Site Leadership teams.
• Ensure operational readiness for manufacturing campaigns through proactive planning and cross-functional alignment.
• Identify and mitigate project risks while driving timely issue resolution.
• Monitor critical path activities and ensure adherence to client commitments and manufacturing schedules.
• Facilitate internal readiness reviews and stakeholder meetings to support successful execution.
• Maintain transparency regarding project status, risks, opportunities, and potential schedule impacts.
• Support change management activities and ensure alignment between client expectations and site execution.
• Operate with a high degree of autonomy while maintaining regular communication with leadership regarding program status and priorities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Supply Chain, Business, or related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or biologics industry.
• Direct experience supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.
• Fill-finish manufacturing experience is required.
• Demonstrated success managing external client relationships in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of GMP-regulated manufacturing and quality systems.
• Proven ability to lead complex cross-functional programs and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Exceptional verbal, written, presentation, and client-facing communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Professional presence with the confidence and credibility to represent the organization to clients.
• Demonstrated career stability and strong tenure with previous employers. Candidates with a history of frequent job changes or short-term tenures will not be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working within a CDMO environment.
• Advanced proficiency with Smartsheet, including schedule development, resource planning, dashboards, reporting, and action-item tracking.
• PMP certification.
• Experience supporting biologics, sterile manufacturing, aseptic processing, injectable products, or parenteral manufacturing.
• Experience managing technology transfers, process validation, PPQ campaigns, product launches, or commercial manufacturing programs.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior-level pharmaceutical project manager who can be entrusted with a key client relationship from day one. They possess deep manufacturing knowledge, strong fill-finish experience, and the executive presence necessary to effectively manage client expectations while driving internal execution.

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

• Deep pharmaceutical manufacturing expertise
• Direct fill-finish experience
• Strong client ownership and relationship management skills
• Experience operating in highly regulated GMP environments
• The ability to independently manage complex programs with minimal oversight
• Advanced planning and organization skills, preferably utilizing Smartsheet
• A collaborative leadership style with strong cross-functional influence
• Career stability, demonstrated through meaningful tenure and progression with previous employers
• CDMO experience is highly preferred

Must-Haves: Pharmaceutical manufacturing experience, fill-finish experience, senior client-facing PM experience, strong tenure, and ability to independently own client relationships.

Preferred: CDMO experience, advanced Smartsheet expertise, PMP certification.