Project Manager - MES Implementation & Product Readiness

Automated Systems, Inc.; North Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Automated Systems, Inc. (ASI) is seeking a Project Manager to drive the late-stage implementation of POMSnet Aquila, a web-based MES, at pharmaceutical facilities in North Chicago, IL.

The role focuses on coordinating recipe completion, testing, procedure updates, and training, while managing resources, priorities, and delivery with strong project execution and internal stakeholder alignment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management, Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Biochemical, or related Engineering discipline.
• Minimum 7+ years of experience leading projects in regulated manufacturing environments.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex, cross-functional implementation projects with competing priorities.
• Strong command of scheduling, dependency management, risk and issue management, action tracking, and project recovery.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority, negotiate resource commitments, navigate organizational dynamics, and escalate when needed.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the integrated completion plan, with clear deliverables, task owners, dependencies, milestones, and readiness criteria for each product.
• Secure commitments for subject matter experts, reviewers, testers, and operators; negotiate production windows needed to complete testing, training, and implementation.
• Coordinate internal Manufacturing, MES/IT, Quality, Validation, and Training stakeholders to complete recipes, testing, issue resolution, procedure approvals, and training records.
• Build relationships across functions, understand competing demands, and use persistent follow-up to turn commitments into completed work.
• Identify obstacles early, assess schedule impacts, and drive practical recovery plans; escalate unresolved resource conflicts with clear options and decisions needed.
• Lead focused working sessions and communicate status, risks, overdue actions, and resource needs clearly to team members and leadership.
• Adapt sequencing as production priorities change, protect critical milestones, and confirm required approvals and readiness before transition to routine use.

Skills

Project management

Scheduling

Stakeholder management

Communication

Risk management

Negotiation

Influence without authority

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related field

Tools

POMSnet Aquila

Job description

North Chicago, United States | Posted on 09/22/2026

• Industry Pharma/Biotech/Clinical Research
• City North Chicago
• Country United States

Job Description

Project Manager - MES Implementation and Product Readiness

Schedule: Hybrid| On-site: Tuesday,Wednesday, and Thursday; Remote: Monday and Friday

Position Summary

Automated Systems, Inc. (ASI)is seeking a Project Manager to drive the late-stage implementation of POMSnetAquila, a web-based pharmaceutical manufacturing execution system (MES), at oneof our clients pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities located in NorthChicago, IL. In this PM role, your goal is to bring new products into thesystem by coordinating recipe completion, testing, procedure updates, andtraining. Working exclusively with internal stakeholders, this Project ManagerContractor must secure resources and production time, resolve competingpriorities, and keep teams accountable for delivery. Strong project execution,organizational judgment, and influence without direct authority are essential;manufacturing and POMS experience are preferred.

Key Responsibilities

• Own theintegrated completion plan, with clear deliverables, task owners, dependencies,milestones, and readiness criteria for each product.
• Securecommitments for subject matter experts, reviewers, testers, and operators;negotiate production windows needed to complete testing, training, andimplementation.
• Coordinateinternal Manufacturing, MES/IT, Quality, Validation, and Training stakeholdersto complete recipes, testing, issue resolution, procedure approvals, andtraining records.
• Buildrelationships across functions, understand competing demands, and usepersistent, tactful follow-up to turn commitments into completed work.
• Identifyobstacles early, assess schedule impacts, and drive practical recovery plans;escalate unresolved resource conflicts with clear options and decisions needed.
• Lead focusedworking sessions and communicate status, risks, overdue actions, and resourceneeds clearly to team members and leadership.
• Adapt sequencingas production priorities change, protect critical milestones, and confirmrequired approvals and readiness before transition to routine use.

Requirements

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management,Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Biochemical, or related Engineeringdiscipline.
• Minimum 7+ years of experience leading projects; pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulatedsystem implementation, or operational readiness projects through execution in a highly regulatedenvironment.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex,cross-functional implementation projects with competing priorities and sharedresources.
• Strong command of scheduling, dependency management,risk and issue management, action tracking, and project recovery.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority,negotiate resource commitments, navigate organizational dynamics, and escalat... effect.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, andstakeholder-management skills; able to challenge missed commitmentsconstructively while maintaining productive relationships.
• Persistent, adaptable, and accountable for results,with the judgment to know when to negotiate, when to elevate, and how to keepwork moving.

Preferred Experience

• Pharmaceutical manufacturing, regulated systemimplementation, or operational readiness projects.
• POMSnet Aquila or another MES; familiarity withelectronic recipes, testing/validation, controlled procedures, and operatortraining.
• Experience navigating a large matrix organization;AbbVie experience and PMP certification are helpful.