PHL_Program Manager-NPI

LSNE Contract Manufacturing; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

PCI Pharma Services is seeking an experienced NPI Program Manager to lead end-to-end programs from tech transfer to commercial handoff at our Philadelphia site.

The role requires 7+ years in pharma program management, strong leadership, and expertise in cGMP and FDA regulations. You will manage budgets, drive on-time delivery, and coordinate across Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a technical, engineering, or science discipline.
• 7+ years in pharmaceutical project or program management, overseeing multi-million dollar NPI or capital programs.
• Experience managing concurrent programs across multiple clients in a CDMO or contract manufacturing environment.
• Working knowledge of cGMP, FDA 21 CFR 211, and regulatory inspection readiness.
• Experience acting as primary client point of contact, including participation in JSC meetings.
• People management experience, including performance management and coaching.
• Proficiency with project management and reporting tools, including Smartsheet and Microsoft 365; ability to build dashboards and reporting infrastructure.
• Strong communication across all levels, including executives.
• Strategic thinking and ability to translate direction into executable plans.
• Ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a matrixed environment.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Dependability, integrity, attention to detail, customer-centric mindset.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of NPI programs spanning tech transfer, process development, engineering runs, training runs, process validation, and commercial handoff.
• Compile and maintain integrated program timelines identifying critical path activities and milestones; drive mitigations.
• Manage program-level budgets including CapEx tracking and variance analysis.
• Ensure all NPI activities comply with cGMP and regulatory standards.
• Define and report on NPI performance metrics and cadence to site leadership.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder communication

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Problem solving

Client relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical/science field

Master's degree in technical/science field

Tools

Smartsheet

Microsoft 365

Dashboards/Reporting

Job description

Life changing therapies. Global impact. Bridge to thousands of biopharma companies and their patients.

We are PCI.

Our investment is in People who make an impact, drive progress and create a better tomorrow. Our strategy includes building teams across our global network to pioneer and shape the future of PCI.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The essential duties and responsibilities include the following but other duties may be assigned.

Program Execution and Delivery

• Own end-to-end delivery of NPI programs spanning tech transfer, process development, engineering runs, training runs, process validation (PPQ), and commercial handoff, coordinating across Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, and Supply Chain.
• Compile and maintain integrated program timelines identifying critical path activities, key milestones, and interdependencies. Proactively identify risks and drive mitigation plans through completion.
• Manage program-level budgets on behalf of site leadership, including Capital Expenditure (CapEx) tracking, benefits realization reporting, and variance analysis.
• Ensure all NPI activities comply with PCI procedures, cGMP requirements, and applicable regulatory standards (FDA 21 CFR 211, ICH guidelines).
• Define and report on NPI performance metrics including launch on-time performance, validation success rate, budget variance, and cycle time from award to commercialization. Own the reporting cadence to site leadership and identify trends requiring corrective action.

Client Management

• Serve as the primary PCI point of contact for assigned NPI clients throughout the program lifecycle, representing PCI in Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meetings, on-site reviews, and steering committee sessions.
• Drive Right First Time (RFT) and On Time In Full (OTIF) delivery across all client programs, proactively managing expectations and communicating status, risks, and escalations through structured governance cadences.

Team Leadership

• Directly manage and develop a team of NPI Project Managers, setting clear performance expectations, providing coaching and mentorship, and building program management capability within the NPI function.
• Promote engagement and accountability at all levels of the program team, ensuring individuals understand their contributions to program success and client outcomes.

NPI Strategy and Function Development

• Partner with the Director of NPI to define and evolve the NPI operating model, including program tiering frameworks, phase-gated process design, resource allocation models, and standardized governance structures (JSC cadences, kickoff protocols, handoff criteria).
• Lead the implementation of NPI strategic initiatives across the Philadelphia site, translating directional strategy into executable plans, standard work, and measurable outcomes.
• Contribute to the development of NPI client onboarding standards, training and readiness frameworks, and internal playbook documentation that codify how the function operates at scale.
• Design and own the Business Development-to-NPI handover process, defining documentation standards (TKO from Engineering, product detail sheets, launch questionnaires), technical inputs, billing setup, and internal launch preparation steps to ensure programs are fully scoped and resourced before customer kickoff.
• Develop and maintain an NPI training curriculum and on-the-job training (OJT) framework for Project Managers and Associate Project Managers, including standard work definitions that establish consistent execution expectations across the team.

Cross-Functional Coordination and Continuous Improvement

• Work cross-functionally to evaluate and coordinate resource allocation across programs, ensuring appropriate capacity within each functional team and that deliverables are tracked to completion.
• Identify opportunities for process improvement throughout the NPI lifecycle and collaborate with PCI Global sites to harmonize ways of working on large-scale programs.
• Manage change at varying levels, ensuring site procedures are followed and change controls are raised with the appropriate approvers engaged from the outset.
• Own portfolio-level health monitoring across all active NPI programs, including schedule risk assessment, resource prioritization when constrained, validation readiness tracking, and revenue impact analysis for site leadership reporting.
• Build and maintain NPI reporting infrastructure in Smartsheet, including operational dashboards for program managers and executive-level dashboards for SLT, with standardized RAID logs and lessons learned integrated into every program provision.

Scope and Authority

• Direct management of NPI Project Managers with responsibility for performance management, development, and workload allocation.
• Responsible for adherence to SOPs, Health & Safety, cGMP, and regulatory guidelines for themselves, their team, and any contractors under their direction.
• Accountable for managing and maintaining NPI program and capital project budgets.
• Authority to escalation program-level risks and issues to the Director of NPI and site leadership.

This role requires occasional travel for vendor, supplier, or client engagements, including potential travel to PCI Global sites.

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor's degree in a technical, engineering, or science discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in pharmaceutical project or program management, including oversight of multi-million dollar NPI, tech transfer, or capital programs.
• Proven experience managing concurrent programs across multiple clients in a CDMO or contract manufacturing environment.
• Sound working knowledge of cGMP, FDA 21 CFR 211, and regulatory inspection readiness.
• Experience serving as the primary client point of contact, including participation in JSC meetings and steering committees.
• Direct people management experience, including performance management, coaching, and team development.
• Proficiency with project management and reporting tooling, including demonstrated ability to build dashboards, trackers, and reporting infrastructure in Smartsheet or equivalent platforms, plus Microsoft 365 suite.
• Effective communication across all levels, including executive stakeholders and external clients.
• Strategic thinking with the ability to translate high-level direction into executable plans, standard work, and scalable processes.
• Ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a matrixed, cross-functional environment.
• Ability to build trusted relationships with both internal stakeholders and external clients.
• Dependability, reliability, integrity, and attention to detail.
• Customer-centric mindset with a commitment to quality, ethics, and professionalism.

Preferred

• Master's degree in a technical, engineering, or science discipline.
• PMP, PRINCE2, or equivalent project management certification.
• Experience with tech transfer, process validation (PPQ), and commercial manufacturing readiness.
• Experience contributing to or building operational strategy, including process design, governance frameworks, or organizational operating models within a GMP manufacturing environment.
• Understanding of facility, engineering, and equipment qualification processes.
• Familiarity with Focus Factory or dedicated manufacturing line operating models.
• Experience with portfolio-level program oversight, including resource prioritization, schedule risk management across multiple concurrent programs, and executive-level reporting.
• Experience designing or improving commercial handover processes between Business Development and operational functions.

Join us and be part of building the bridge between life changing therapies and patients. Let's talk future

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement

PCI Pharma Services is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. We do not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital or domestic or civil union status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetics, disability, military eligibility or veteran status, or any other protected status.

At PCI, Equity and Inclusion are at the core of our company's purpose: Together, delivering life-changing therapies. We are committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace by holding ourselves accountable to the highest standards of understanding, fairness, respect, and equal opportunity - at every level. We envision a PCI community where everyone can belong and grow, and we strive to bring this vision to reality by continuously and intentionally assessing our people practices, policies and programs, marketing approach, and workplace culture.