Research and Development Program Manager

NMS Labs; Horsham (PA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

NMS Labs seeks an experienced R&D Program Manager to lead cross-functional initiatives from portfolio planning through deployment, with end-to-end accountability for projects from concept to routine operations.

You will coordinate across R&D, Quality, Laboratory Operations, IT, Finance, and executives to ensure regulatory compliance and successful product launches. A PMP and 7+ years’ experience are required for this senior role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a business, life sciences, healthcare administration, project management or related field.
• PMP certification required; PgMP preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive project and program management experience across cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience supporting R&D, product development, or new test/service development in a regulated environment preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning and prioritization for the R&D portfolio with leadership and intake teams.
• Coordinate cross-functional rollout of tests and services from concept to routine operations.
• Drive regulatory approvals, operational setup, laboratory implementation, and client-facing rollout.
• Ensure alignment across R&D, Laboratory Operations, Quality, IT, Finance and executive leadership.
• Manage scope, schedules, resources, risks, issues, and communications across programs.
• Build implementation plans, assess readiness, and maintain project documentation and executive updates.
• Identify risks and dependencies, and develop plans with stakeholders.
• Develop business cases and prioritize initiatives for executive decisions.
• Carry programs through implementation delivering intended business outcomes.

Skills

Program leadership

Cross-functional teamwork

Stakeholder management

Regulatory approvals

Change management

Risk management

Project portfolio planning

Executive communication

Data-driven decision making

Ability to influence without authority

Jira

Microsoft 365 (Excel/PowerPoint/Word/?

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, Healthcare Administration, Project Management, or related field

Tools

Jira

Microsoft 365

Excel

Job description

NMS Labs has developed an extensive menu of more than 2,500 tests to support clients in forensic, criminalistic, public health and clinical fields. For over 50 years, our clients have relied on NMS Labs for unique testing solutions that demonstrate our company core values of Quality, Integrity, Service, Innovation and Engagement. As we work to increase the company’s positive impact on public health and public safety, we are seeking talented professionals to join us for the journey! We invite you to learn more about our company by visiting NMSLabs.com.

Bring your program leadership experience to a role that connects scientific innovation with business results. As the R&D Program Manager at NMS Labs, you'll lead major cross-functional initiatives and bring teams together to turn strategic priorities into practice. From planning and communication to training and deployment, you'll help teams move initiatives from concept through adoption.

Help bring new tests and services from concept into routine operations. You'll own the overall management and cross-functional coordination of these initiatives across the full lifecycle, from portfolio planning and scoping through development, validation, operational readiness, launch, and transition into routine operations. The R&D Project Manager will provide dedicated project management support during development and validation, while you maintain overall program management and end-to-end accountability for the initiative.

With R&D portfolio and program responsibilities as your primary focus, you may also lead major company-wide initiatives as capacity allows, including executive-sponsored initiatives, business transformation, organizational change, process improvement, and enterprise system implementations.

This is a program leadership position intended for an established program management professional. Project management experience alone will not meet the requirements of this role.

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Life Sciences, Healthcare Administration, Project Management, or related field
• PMP certification required. PgMP certification (obtained or working toward) is preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive project and program management experience, including demonstrated ownership of complex, cross-functional programs
• Experience supporting R&D, product development, or new test and service development is strongly preferred, including experience supporting initiatives from concept and scoping through development, validation, operational readiness, and launch. Experience in a laboratory, diagnostic, life sciences, or regulated environment is a plus.
• Demonstrated program-level experience managing multiple interconnected initiatives or workstreams, dependencies, risks, resources, and stakeholders
• Experience leading programs involving multiple business functions, competing priorities, and senior-level stakeholders
• Experience supporting organizational change, business process improvement, and operational readiness activities
• Demonstrated experience leading operational readiness, rollout, and adoption activities associated with new products, services, systems, or business processes
• Experience coordinating large-scale implementations, service launches, or business transformation initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and drive outcomes without direct authority

What You'll Do:

• Help shape the R&D portfolio by partnering with leadership and intake teams to plan priorities and align resources.
• Get teams ready for new test and service launches through departmental planning, clear communications, training coordination, implementation planning, and the transition to routine operations.
• Bring new tests and services to launch by leading regulatory approvals, business and operational setup, laboratory implementation, and client-facing rollout.
• Keep R&D, Laboratory Operations, Quality, Client Services, IT, Finance, and executive leadership connected and aligned.
• Follow through after implementation to ensure a successful handoff to operations and delivery of the intended business results.
• Lead company-wide initiatives with Finance, Client Services, Quality, Toxicology, Commercial Operations, and other business teams.
• Keep assigned programs on track by managing scope, schedules, resources, risks, issues, communications, and stakeholder engagement.
• Build practical program and implementation plans, assess readiness, and keep project documentation, status reports, and executive updates clear and current.
• Identify cross-team risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and organizational impacts, and work with stakeholders on plans to address them.
• Help develop business cases, prioritize initiatives, plan resources, and support informed executive decisions.
• Carry assigned programs through implementation and ensure they deliver the intended business outcomes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills You'll Put to Work:

• Ability to lead large, complex initiatives from planning through implementation
• Strong project planning, risk management, issue resolution, and dependency management skills
• Ability to balance strategic objectives with tactical execution
• Experience managing multiple concurrent initiatives and competing priorities

Operational Readiness & Implementation

• Experience leading cross-functional implementation and organizational change initiatives.
• Ability to coordinate training, communications, stakeholder engagement, and adoption planning
• Understanding of change-management principles and implementation best practices
• Experience supporting regulatory, quality, and operational requirements associated with new project launches
• Ability to evaluate and resolve business priorities, resource constraints, and organizational impacts
• Strong business process analysis and continuous improvement skills
• Experience supporting and driving portfolio planning, prioritization, and governance discussions
• Ability to identify and lead opportunities for operational efficiencies and process improvements

Communication & Relationship Management

• Strong facilitation, presentation, and communication skills
• Ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization, including executive leadership
• Skilled at building consensus among diverse stakeholder groups
• Ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Experience using project and portfolio management tools
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and SharePoint, as well as Jira
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and support data-driven decision-making

Physical Demands:

• Ability to talk, hear, stand, reach with the hands and arms, and use the hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, office equipment, objects, or tools
• Ability to travel to remote sites by airplane, ground transportation or driving
• Moving from one work location to another to sit and stand, sometimes for extended periods of time
• Specific vision abilities (with correction) including color, distance, peripheral, depth, and the ability to adjust focus

Ready to help bring new tests, services, and company-wide initiatives into practice? Apply to join NMS Labs as our R&D Program Manager.

Offers of employment are made contingent upon nationwide background investigation and urine drug screen with results satisfactory to standards of employment at NMS.

We are an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, sexual orientation, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, citizenship status, otherwise qualified disability, or protected veteran status (disabled Armed Forces Service medal, recently separated, active duty or campaign badge), domestic violence victim status, arrest record, or predisposing genetic characteristics.