Senior Program Manager, Medical Product Development

RTI International; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 160,000 - 215,000; Full time

Job summary

RTI International is seeking a Senior Program Manager to lead a portfolio of therapeutic, medical device, and diagnostic development projects within the Global Health Technologies Group. You will coordinate cross-functional teams, manage milestones and budgets, and ensure timely progress across NIH translational initiatives.

You will partner with RTI scientists, investigators, CROs, and consultants to translate objectives into actionable plans, monitor risks, and foster lasting client

Qualifications

• Bachelors with 20+ years in medical device or therapeutics product dev.
• Master's with 15+ years in relevant development activities or PhD with 12+ years.
• Experience leading complex development programs and multi-project coordination.

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of concurrent medical product development projects.
• Define studies, tasks, milestones, and dependencies with cross-functional teams.
• Develop, maintain, and track project plans and budgets.
• Identify risks and coordinate mitigation with experts and partners.
• Ensure knowledge transfer and continuity during leadership transitions.

Skills

Project leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication

Organizational skills

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree, 20+ years experience

Master's degree, 15+ years experience

PhD, 12+ years experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Project

Job description

Why RTI

RTI International is an independent, scientific research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Our vision is to address the world's most critical problems with technical and science-based solutions in pursuit of a better future. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach—one that integrates expertise across social, statistical, data, and laboratory sciences, engineering, and other technical disciplines to solve the world’s most challenging problems. We believe in the promise of science and technical solutions, and we push ourselves every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses in the US and around the world. If you are looking for the opportunity to make a real difference, RTI is the place for you.

About the Hiring Group

RTI International is seeking a Senior Program Manager with deep experience in therapeutic, medical device, or diagnostic product development to join our Global Health Technologies Group and support the NIH translational program. Catalyze helps advance promising medical technologies addressing heart, lung, blood, and sleep diseases and disorders through scientific expertise, product development support, and coordinated execution.

This position will assume key program and portfolio management responsibilities as part of a planned leadership transition. You will bring scientific understanding, sound judgment, and disciplined program management to a portfolio of concurrent drug, biologic, medical device, diagnostic, and combination product development projects.

Working with RTI scientists, investigators, NIH stakeholders, contract research organizations (CROs), and consultants, you will translate development objectives into actionable plans, guide projects through critical milestones, and address challenges affecting progress. You will also help preserve program knowledge and sustain trusted stakeholder relationships, providing continuity while contributing your own expertise to the program’s ongoing success.

What You'll Do

Program Leadership and Portfolio Management

• Manage a portfolio of concurrent medical product development projects, aligning scientific objectives, project activities, timelines, resources, and budgets.
• Work with multidisciplinary teams to define critical studies, tasks, deliverables, milestones, and dependencies.
• Develop and maintain project plans, track progress, and ensure accountability for commitments and results.
• Identify technical and operational risks, anticipate delays, and coordinate mitigation strategies with scientific experts and project partners.
• Provide experienced judgment on project priorities and execution, escalating issues that require additional expertise, resources, or leadership decisions.
• Support a planned transition of program responsibilities through knowledge transfer, documentation, and continuity of stakeholder relationships.

Scientific Planning and Partner Coordination

• Partner with investigators, RTI scientists, CRO staff, and consultants to plan development activities and finalize study protocols and procedures.
• Coordinate contributions across scientific, technical, regulatory, manufacturing, and commercialization disciplines, drawing on appropriate subject matter expertise.
• Facilitate activities across participating organizations, clarifying responsibilities and managing interdependencies.
• Monitor external partner deliverables and work with project teams to resolve issues affecting quality, schedules, or development objectives.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with clients, investigators, technical experts, and external service providers.

Communication, Reporting, and Financial Oversight

• Maintain clear, timely communication across project teams, support resources, clients, and program stakeholders.
• Prepare and lead project meetings, document decisions, and track action items through completion.
• Research, synthesize, and summarize scientific and program information for external requests, proposals, reports, presentations, and meetings.
• Communicate project status, risks, budget considerations, and decisions needed in a format that supports informed action.
• Help develop and track project budgets, identifying variances and coordinating adjustments with appropriate team members.
• Manage project‑related conference calls, meetings, travel, and other logistics.
• Support technology scouting and ecosystem mapping activities to stay ahead of AI trends and inform strategic investment and partnership decisions.
• Establish success metrics and feedback loops for AI adoption efforts, tracking adoption, value realization, and readiness, and communicating progress to leadership and stakeholders.
• Promote best practices for responsible AI deployment, including human‑in‑the‑loop validation, risk‑aware experimentation, and alignment with governance expectations.

What You'll Need

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific, engineering, or related field with 20 or more years of experience in medical device or therapeutic product development activities; or a master’s degree with 15 or more years of experience; or a PhD with 12 or more years of experience.
• Experience developing therapeutics, medical devices, diagnostics, or combination products.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and coordinate complex development activities and manage multiple projects or competing priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize scientific and technical information and communicate it clearly to varied audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work successfully in multidisciplinary teams and across organizational boundaries.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and consistent follow‑through.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Microsoft Project.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must not require sponsorship for employment visa status, now or in the future.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing NIH-funded translational research or product development programs.
• Experience in preclinical and clinical product development.
• Experience coordinating CROs, consultants, or other external development partners.
• Familiarity with chemistry, manufacturing, and controls (CMC) and its relationship to broader product development plans.
• Experience with technical or scientific writing, including proposals, study summaries, development reports, and stakeholder presentations.
• Experience supporting program transitions, transferring institutional knowledge, or assuming responsibility for established project portfolios.

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EEO & Pay Equity Statements

As a global employer of choice, RTI is committed to equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging in the workplace and the communities and markets where we serve our mission. We value diversity of thought, culture, background and perspective and welcome applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, creed, citizenship status, disability, protected veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable discrimination laws or RTI policy. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Further information is available here. RTI International is an independent, nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition. Clients rely on us to answer questions that demand an objective and multidisciplinary approach and one that integrates expertise across the social and laboratory sciences, engineering, and international development. We believe in the promise of science, and we are inspired every day to deliver on that promise for the good of people, communities, and businesses around the world. For more information, visit www.rti.org. For USA Job Postings Only: RTI participates in the US Government E-Verify program. Further information regarding the E-Verify program and laws that are designed to protect you against discrimination relating to your legal right to work in the US can be found here. For San Francisco, CA USA Job Postings Only: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records. Further information is available here.

Equal Pay Act Minimum/Range

$160,000 - $215,000