Project Manager - Director/Senior Director - Project Farma

PerkinElmer; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

PerkinElmer, through its Project Farma division, seeks a Project Management Office Director / Senior Director. The role involves leading high-value capital projects exceeding $200M in the Life Sciences sector, providing strategic leadership and mentorship while driving operational excellence and compliance.

Ideal candidates will possess a Bachelor’s Degree, extensive experience in capital project management, and a commitment to patient-focused values. The position is full-time and may require travel.

Qualifications

• Minimum 13 - 20+ years of capital project experience with 10+ years leading large-scale life sciences projects >$200M TIC.
• Expert knowledge of GMP-regulated capital delivery and project governance.
• Willingness to travel as required for client project assignments.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, high-value capital projects exceeding $200M.
• Guide clients through capital investments and ensure operational excellence.
• Mentor and develop project managers across the portfolio.

Skills

Capital project management

Leadership

Risk management

Operational readiness

Financial stewardship

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Construction Management or related field

MSCM, MEM, or PMP certification

Job description

This is a full-time salaried position with Project Farma, a PerkinElmer company. The successful candidate will reside in one of Project Farma's primary markets and be willing to travel domestically to meet client project requests.

Project Farma’s purpose is to improve patient lives by accelerating the delivery of life-changing therapies. We accomplish this through the successful execution of high-quality life sciences projects across the full project lifecycle. Project Farma (PF) team members collaborate with cross-functional teams to build trusted client relationships, deliver an exceptional customer experience, and contribute to business growth by identifying opportunities and applying data-driven insights to support project planning, cost, schedule, and performance management.

This role contributes to organizational success by supporting financial performance, operational efficiency, and continuous improvement, while also investing in people through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and professional development.

All team members are expected to embody Project Farma’s values by being curious, personable, and unselfish, while maintaining a strong commitment to a Patient Focused and People First mindset.

The Project Management Office Director / Senior Director is a senior leader responsible for setting direction, driving execution, and delivering results across a function, portfolio, or business segment. This role provides strategic leadership, oversees multiple teams or initiatives, and partners cross-functionally to align people, processes, and priorities with company objectives. At more senior levels, this role is accountable for shaping strategy, leading leaders, and driving sustained business impact across a significant area of the organization, while influencing enterprise-level decisions, ensuring operational excellence, and developing leadership talent to balance short-term execution with long-term growth objectives.

Key Responsibilities

This role leads the most complex, high-value capital projects and portfolios within the firm for the Life Sciences and Advanced Manufacturing sectors, typically exceeding $200M in total installed cost. This role demands strategic insight, technical depth, and cross-functional leadership to guide clients through capital investments that reshape operations, expand capacity, and deliver long-term business value.

The Senior Project Director acts as a senior advisor and owner’s representative, directing projects from concept through startup and transition to operations. They report to the Regional Vice President and maintain a dotted-line connection to the VP, Project Management for best practice alignment and strategic integration across PF’s capital projects portfolio.

Executive Leadership & Governance

• Define project governance structures and act as the executive interface for client leadership.
• Provide strategic guidance on capital deployment, risk mitigation, and value delivery.
• Oversee project controls, vendor management, team leadership, and regulatory compliance.
• Navigate complex stakeholder environments, including global teams and regulatory authorities.
• Mentor and guide other Project Directors and senior project personnel across the portfolio.
• Drive consistent use of PF methodologies and alignment with best practices championed by the VP, Project Management.

Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Oversight

• Lead all phases of mega-projects (> $200M TIC), including FEL, design, procurement, construction, CQV, and operations integration.
• In collaboration with the VP, Project Management, manages a portfolio of large-scale capital projects across multiple geographies.
• Develop long-term capital planning strategies to further client growth and operational goals.
• Influence enterprise-level decision-making and investment prioritization.

Governance & Executive Engagement

• Serve as a key advisor to client executive leadership on project risks, opportunities, and strategic direction.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks, steering committees, and executive reporting structures.
• Represent the client in high-level negotiations and stakeholder engagements.

Program Management & Integration

• Oversee integration of multiple projects, ensuring consistency in execution, standards, and performance.
• Drive alignment across engineering, operations, quality, regulatory, and commercial functions.
• Lead cross-functional teams in resolving complex technical and operational challenges.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Anticipate and mitigate strategic, financial, and operational risks across the project portfolio.
• Ensure compliance with global regulatory standards (GMP, FDA, ISO, EHS).
• Champion a culture of safety, quality, and continuous improvement.
• Financial Stewardship
• Oversee multi-million dollar capital budgets, ensuring financial discipline and value optimization.
• Lead capital planning, forecasting, and investment analysis.
• Drive cost-saving initiatives and value engineering across projects.
• Talent Development & Team Leadership
• Mentor and develop project managers and cross-functional leaders.
• Build high-performing teams and foster a culture of accountability and collaboration.
• Lead succession planning and capability development for project delivery functions

Experience Required

• Education: Bachelor’s Degree (and/or Masters) in Engineering, Construction Management or related field.
• Years of Experience: Minimum 13 - 20+ years of capital project experience with 10+ years leading large-scale life sciences projects >$200M TIC.
• Expert knowledge of GMP-regulated capital delivery, operational readiness, and project governance.
• MSCM, MEM, or PMP or other advanced certifications are strongly preferred.
• Executive presence with strong financial, commercial, and organizational leadership skills.
• Willingness to travel as required for client project assignments.

Project Farma is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability status, age, or veteran status or any other characteristics protected by applicable law. PerkinElmer is committed to a culturally diverse workforce.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. We will not sponsor applicants for current or future work visas for this position. This position may require significant travel to support project and business needs. We cannot employ anyone with an invalid driver's license.