Senior Program Manager

Actalent; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 91,000 - 123,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) plan

Paid time off

Onsite parking

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an experienced Program Manager to support multiple interconnected transformation initiatives in Cambridge, MA. The role focuses on process improvement, operational excellence, digital transformation, and Quality Management System enhancements, driving execution and ensuring projects stay on track.

You will partner with leaders, coach workstream leads, manage risks, dependencies, and budgets, and deliver measurable outcomes across complex, matrixed teams in a fast-paced

Qualifications

• Significant experience managing complex, cross-functional programs in regulated or life sciences environments.
• Strong expertise in project and program management methodologies (Integrated planning, critical path, RAID).
• Proven ability to coach and influence teams without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain comprehensive project plans with milestones, dependencies, and budgets across initiatives.
• Partner with leaders and cross-functional teams to deliver on schedule and within budget.
• Provide hands-on coaching to project/workstream leads and identify practical solutions when timelines are at risk.
• Identify risks, constraints, and interdependencies; drive mitigation plans and escalation as needed.
• Facilitate governance, decision-making, and action tracking across concurrent projects.
• Maintain transparent reporting on progress, decisions, risks, and program health for leadership.
• Support implementation of process improvements to drive efficiency and performance.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

RAID management

Budget management

Governance & change control

Risk management

Stakeholder management

Communication & facilitation

Job description

Program ManagerOverview

We are seeking an experienced Program Manager to support multiple interconnected business transformation initiatives focused on process improvement, operational excellence, digital transformation, and Quality Management System enhancements. This individual will play a critical role in driving execution, ensuring projects remain on track, and helping teams successfully deliver strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain comprehensive project plans, including milestones, dependencies, critical paths, resource requirements, and budgets across multiple initiatives.
• Partner with project leaders and cross-functional teams to ensure deliverables are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Provide hands-on coaching and guidance to project and workstream leads, helping identify practical solutions when timelines, milestones, or outcomes are at risk.
• Proactively identify risks, constraints, and interdependencies, driving timely mitigation plans and appropriate escalation when needed.
• Facilitate governance activities, decision-making processes, action tracking, and accountability across concurrent projects and workstreams.
• Maintain transparent reporting on project progress, key decisions, risks, issues, and overall program health for leadership stakeholders.
• Support the implementation of process improvements and transformation initiatives to drive operational efficiency and business performance.

Qualifications & Experience

• Significant experience managing complex, cross-functional programs, preferably within a regulated, highly matrixed, or life sciences environment.
• Strong expertise in project and program management methodologies, including:
• Integrated project planning
• Critical path management
• Risk, issue, action, and dependency (RAID) management
• Resource planning
• Budget management
• Governance and change control
• Demonstrated success recovering at-risk projects and delivering against established scope, schedule, and budget commitments.
• Proven ability to coach, influence, and challenge project teams and stakeholders without relying on direct authority.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, stakeholder management, negotiation, and influencing skills.
• Action-oriented mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Attributes

• Strong problem-solving and organizational skills.
• Ability to anticipate challenges and remove barriers to execution.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving alignment across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Focused on translating strategic objectives into measurable outcomes and successful project delivery.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Cambridge, MA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $75.00 - $80.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Cambridge,MA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 23, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.