Senior Project Manager, Healthcare Congresses

Unbridled; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance & Health Savings Plan

401k Plan with Company Match

Paid Time Off & Holidays

Life Insurance

Job summary

Unbridled is seeking an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead planning and execution of domestic and international healthcare congresses and pharmaceutical meetings. You will own full-service program delivery, manage client partnerships, budgets, and on-site operations, coordinating across teams and external partners.

The role requires proactive leadership, strong budgeting and regulatory knowledge, and the ability to guide complex programs from kickoff to reconciliation in a fast-paced,

Qualifications

• 7+ years of healthcare congress or pharmaceutical meeting planning experience.
• Experience managing US and international congresses and related programs.
• Full-service pre-event and on-site planning, including contracting and registrations.
• Experience leading large on-site operations with teams and vendors.
• Knowledge of regulated healthcare environments and industry codes.
• Familiarity with pharma congress cadence and lifecycle terminology.
• Ability to manage high-volume accounts with varying lead times.
• Strong budgeting, forecasting, and cost-savings tracking abilities.
• Cross-functional collaboration across creative, production, travel, and registration streams.
• Proficient in Cvent and MS Office apps; excellent client-facing communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead full-service planning and execution for domestic and international healthcare congresses.
• Build and manage strong client relationships as the primary day-to-day contact.
• Translate objectives into scopes, timelines, and operational standards.
• Manage venue/hotel contracts, menus, decor, attendee registration, and transportation.
• Coordinate regulated planning requirements and industry codes.
• Liaise across departments and subcontracted partners for deliverables.
• Lead timeline management and risk identification across workstreams.
• Own program financials: budgeting, forecasting, and cost tracking.
• Ensure compliance with master service agreements and client requirements.
• Oversee Cvent strategy, website development, reporting, and forward planning.
• Plan site inspections and travel with clients and vendors.
• Direct on-site operations and lead travel directors and staff.
• Produce program resumes, documentation, and post-program deliverables.
• Support quarterly/year-end reporting and client-defined metrics.
• Model senior leadership: set expectations, coach teams, ensure quality.

Skills

7+ years meeting planning

Cvent

Client relationship management

Budgeting

Team leadership

Regulated healthcare knowledge

Travel coordination

Contract negotiation

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Tools

Cvent

Microsoft Office

Job description

At Unbridled, people matter. While we embrace AI as a tool to help us work smarter, we don’t use it to screen resumes or to conduct interviews on our behalf. Applications are reviewed by a real person on our team, and every interview is conducted by a real person(s). We believe every candidate deserves an authentic, respectful hiring experience.

OurCompany

Unbridled is an event management, production, and creative agency delivering intentionally crafted events through our customer-focused approach to creative design, attendee management, program logistics, production, and travel.We believe that in an unbridled atmosphere, talented people are unleashed to imagine and intentionally craft solutions and services that amaze our customers. Our values drive everything we do....and differentiate the Unbridled Brand. We collaborate in each other's destiny, foster a culture of authenticity, and are a business of radical generosity. It's part of why we have a 99% client retention and less than 15% annual employee turnover.You will thrive at Unbridledbecausewe focus on relationships, keep clients first, and put people before process.

Job Description

Unbridled is looking for an experienced Senior Project Manager to lead the planning and execution of domestic and international healthcare congresses and pharmaceutical meetings. This role combines the full-service program ownership, client partnership, financial accountability, and operational leadership expected of a Senior Project Manager with specialized expertise in regulated congress environments.

The successful candidate will be highly self-motivated, proactive, collaborative, and composed under pressure. They will independently manage complex programs with multiple workstreams, short and long lead times, and varied client stakeholders while applying Unbridled's budgeting, contracting, planning, and financial processes. They will serve as a trusted day-to-day client partner, lead internal and external teams, anticipate risk, and deliver an exceptional attendee and client experience.

Successful candidates will have the following:

• 7+ years of domestic and international meeting or event planning experience, including complex healthcare congresses or pharmaceutical meetings
• Demonstrated experience managing US and international congresses, satellite symposia, exhibitions, ancillary meeting space, and related HCP or customer engagement programs
• Full-service pre-event and on-site planning experience, including hotel contracting, menu planning, meeting space, registration, rooming lists, transportation and manifests, vendor sourcing, and contract negotiation
• Experience leading large-scale on-site operations, including staff, travel director, vendor, and partner management
• Working knowledge of regulated healthcare environments, including hotel spend caps, HCP reporting and reimbursements, regulatory review and sign-off, EFPIA requirements, and applicable pharma codes
• Familiarity with pharmaceutical congress cadence, drug-development lifecycle, congress strategy alignment, and common industry terminology
• Experience managing high-volume accounts and programs with a mix of short and long lead times
• Strong budget creation,financial management, reconciliation, cost-savings tracking, and reporting capabilities
• Experience collaborating across creative, content, production, video, travel, gifting, registration, and other program workstreams
• Proficiencyin Cvent and Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, Outlook, and database management
• Excellent written, presentation, and client-facing communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships at all organizational levels
• Ability to lead teams, delegate effectively,maintainquality standards, manage multiple deadlines, and remain calm under pressure
• Comfort learningnew technologyand adapting to client-specific systems and processes
• Ability to stand for extended periods and lift or move boxes as needed during program operations
• Ability to travelapproximately 2-10daysper month on average; actual travel varies based on client requirements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Industry affiliations such as MPI, PCMA, SITE, or similar organizations
• Additionalexperience with hybrid or virtual events in a regulated healthcare environment

What you would be doing at Unbridled:

• Lead full-service planning and execution for domestic and international healthcare congresses and pharmaceutical meetings from kickoff through reconciliation
• Build and manage strong client relationships, serving as the primary day-to-day contact and providing proactive, consultative guidance throughout each program
• Translate clientobjectivesand congress strategy into detailed scopes, timelines, workplans, and operational standards
• Manage all program elements, including venue and hotel contracts, meeting space, menus and decor, ancillary meetings, attendee registration, rooming lists, transportation and manifests, and vendor sourcing
• Coordinate regulated planning requirements, including spend caps, HCP reporting and reimbursements, regulatory review and sign-off, and applicable industry codes
• Serve as the liaison across Unbridled departments and subcontracted partners responsible for creative, content, production, video, gifting, travel, and registration deliverables
• Lead detailed timeline management across all program workstreams,identifydependencies and risks, and drivetimelydecisions and follow-through
• Own program financials, including budget creation,accurateforecasting, change management, cost-savings tracking, invoice review, reconciliation, and reporting
• Understand and execute within applicable master service agreements, statements of work, and client-specific operating requirements
• Oversee Cvent strategy and execution, including sourcing, registration, website development, reporting, and forward planning
• Plan and conduct site inspections and planning trips with clients, venues, vendors, and internal partners
• Direct on-site operations, act as the primary client contact, manage changes, and lead travel directors, staff, vendors, and cross-functional teams
• Create andmaintainaccurateprogram resumes, operational documentation, status reporting, and post-program deliverables
• Support quarterly and year-end reporting, including congress activity, destinations, attendance, program costs, cost savings, and other client-defined measures
• Model senior-level project leadership by setting clear expectations, delegating effectively, coaching team members, and holding contributors accountable for quality and deadlines
• Learn, understand, and clearly representUnbridled'sfull suite of services whileidentifyingopportunities to strengthen the client experience
• Embody the Unbridled brand and culture

Comprehensive Benefit Package

Unbridled provides a comprehensive benefits package to all Unbridled employees, as well as other perks and work-life integration. The package includes:

• Salary Range: $75K - $85K
• Health & Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance, FSA & HSA Plan Options
• Life, Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance
• 401k Plan with Discretionary Company Match
• Employee Loan Program
• Generous PTO Including:
  • 4 Weeks of PTO/Sick Leave
  • 7 Holidays
  • 3 Floating Holidays
  • Flex Holiday Week
  • 3 Days Community Service Leave
• Milestone Anniversaries & Sabbaticals
• PTO Exchange Program
• Paid Family & Medical Leave
• Monthly Parking Pass
• Professional Therapy Benefits
• Voluntary Pet Insurance
• Cell Phone Allowance

In addition to our extensive benefits package and the ability to take up to 37 days of paid time off per year, we also offer things like a company advocate program for new hires, wellness days, company social events, awards to empower employees to recognize colleagues, and more. We also have monthly Friday Forums where employees have a chance to hear from different members of the company regarding important updates and communications.

AN UNBRIDLED COMMUNITY TAKES ALL KINDS

We hire top talent from various backgrounds and intentionally cultivate a workplace of belonging where every team member is celebrated for who they are and where differing perspectives are valued. We are committed to creating a diverse, caring community where everyone can feel like they belong, no matter their race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, or ability. Come “Be you” with us.

Wage differential is based on seniority, merit, geographic location, education, training and experience. Talk with your recruiter to learn more.

There is no application deadline for this position.

Unbridled provides reasonable accommodation and/or modification to disabled individuals to assist in the application process. Any individual requiring accommodation/modification to complete this application should contact us at [e-mail].