Strategic Project Director, Pharma Supply Chain Solutions

Initial Therapeutics, Inc.; Rockville (MD); On-site; USD 170,000 - 242,000; Full time

Job summary

USP’s Advanced Manufacturing & Technologies (AMT) team advances medicines by strengthening supply chains and enabling innovative manufacturing. The Project Director leads donor- and customer-funded initiatives, guiding technical and regulatory decisions with senior stakeholders.

You will oversee program scope, timelines, budgets, and deliverables while mentoring staff and expanding USP capabilities in quality, CMC, and manufacturing readiness.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, engineering, or related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience leading technical programs or customer-facing initiatives.
• Minimum of 5 years in an accountable leadership role for externally funded technical work.
• Ability to lead complex initiatives involving multiple contributors, workstreams, decision points, and budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize scientific, manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and supply chain information into practical recommendations.
• Strong communication, judgment, and presence with customers, donors, manufacturers, and senior partners.
• Ability to influence without direct authority and integrate technical, operational, commercial, and programmatic perspectives.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Principal Investigator or senior accountable lead for donor-funded initiatives, with responsibility for scope, quality, timelines, and outcomes.
• Set direction for project planning, delivery cadence, decision-making, risk management, and performance monitoring.
• Translate customer priorities into actionable workplans that are technically credible, financially realistic, and operationally achievable.
• Maintain accountability for implementing contract obligations, donor commitments, internal governance, and sound stewardship of project resources.
• Lead technical work across the AMT solutions portfolio, with emphasis on pharmaceutical supply chain resilience, advanced manufacturing, CMC, and quality.

Skills

Strong communication

Leadership

Stakeholder engagement

People management

Education

Advanced degree in pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, biochemistry, molecular biology, engineering, or related field

Doctoral degree preferred

Job description

USP’s Advanced Manufacturing & Technologies (AMT) team advances medicines by strengthening supply chains and enabling innovative manufacturing. The Project Director leads donor- and customer-funded initiatives, guiding technical and regulatory decisions with senior stakeholders.

You will oversee program scope, timelines, budgets, and deliverables while mentoring staff and expanding USP capabilities in quality, CMC, and manufacturing readiness.