Traveling Project Manager (Owners Rep)

Actalent; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 69,000 - 117,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental & vision

401(k) Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Disability insurance

Health Spending Account (HSA)

Transportation benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Paid time off

Job summary

Actalent is seeking an experienced Project Manager for a major pharmaceutical capital expansion in Lebanon, Indiana. The role acts as an owner's representative, coordinating owners, engineers, and contractors to drive schedule, cost, and quality outcomes on a multi-billion-dollar program.

The position is onsite at a large industrial campus, with six-day workweeks during construction, and a minimum one-year assignment with potential for extension. GMP and CQV oversight experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of project management experience on large, complex capital projects.
• Projects with budgets of $100M+ managed or led.
• Strong schedule management, with recovery capabilities.
• Robust cost management, forecasting, and project controls support.
• Experience as an owner's representative, or with EPCM/EPC or large GC organizations.
• Willingness to work onsite in Lebanon, Indiana regularly.
• Biotech/pharma project experience in large manufacturing or expansion programs.
• Experience in GMP-regulated facilities or environments with quality/regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Act as an owner's representative, providing leadership and oversight to support project execution and delivery.
• Monitor contractor performance and progress against milestones, escalate issues, drive corrective actions.
• Coordinate with owners, engineering, construction managers, contractors, and stakeholders to maintain alignment.
• Identify schedule risks and develop mitigation strategies to keep the project on track.
• Provide regular updates on project status, safety, and key metrics to leadership.
• Assist with cost awareness, forecasting, and change management coordination.
• Ensure activities align with objectives, quality, and safety throughout the lifecycle.
• Support commissioning, startup, turnover, and closeout for smooth operations transition.

Skills

Project management

Schedule management

Cost management

Owner's representative / EPCM

Onsite construction management

Pharma/biotech industry experience

GMP/regulatory compliance

Stakeholder coordination

Turnover/commissioning oversight

Job description

Job Description

This role supports one of the largest pharmaceutical manufacturing expansion programs in the United States, focused on a major capital construction initiative at a highly complex industrial campus in Lebanon, Indiana. Serving as an owner's representative, the Project Manager will help improve project execution, recover schedule performance, coordinate diverse stakeholders, and drive successful delivery of large-scale capital projects. The assignment is expected to last a minimum of approximately one year, with strong potential for longer-term involvement on this multi-billion-dollar investment program.

Responsibilities

• Act as an owner's representative, providing leadership and oversight to support project execution, schedule recovery efforts, and overall project delivery.
• Monitor contractor performance and progress against key project milestones, escalating issues and driving corrective actions when needed.
• Coordinate closely with owners, engineering teams, construction managers, contractors, and other project stakeholders to maintain alignment and effective communication.
• Identify schedule risks, execution challenges, and potential project impacts, and develop practical mitigation strategies to keep the project on track.
• Provide regular updates on project status, progress, safety performance, and key project metrics to project leadership and stakeholders.
• Assist with cost awareness and forecasting discussions, support change management processes, and collaborate on project controls coordination.
• Ensure construction activities align with project objectives, quality expectations, and safety requirements throughout the project lifecycle.
• Support commissioning, startup, turnover, and closeout activities as required to enable a smooth transition to operations.
• Participate in project meetings and collaborate with cross-functional teams to resolve project issues and remove barriers to progress.
• Help maintain accountability across multiple contractors and project participants, promoting disciplined execution and adherence to commitments.
• Promote successful delivery of complex capital projects within schedule, budget, and operational objectives, contributing to the overall success of the manufacturing expansion program.

Essential Skills

• Minimum of 7+ years of project management experience, preferably on large, complex capital projects.
• Proven experience leading or managing large capital projects, including projects with budgets of $100M or more.
• Strong schedule management experience, including developing, monitoring, and recovering project timelines.
• Robust cost management experience, including forecasting, cost awareness, and supporting project controls.
• Experience as an owner's representative, or with EPCM, EPC, or large general contractor organizations.
• Willingness and ability to work onsite in Lebanon, Indiana on a regular basis.
• Biotech and pharmaceutical project experience, particularly in large-scale manufacturing or expansion programs.
• Experience in one or more of the following industries: pharmaceutical, biotech, semiconductor, power generation, chemical processing, refining, or advanced manufacturing is a plus
• Startup and commissioning oversight experience, including coordination of field activities and readiness for operations.
• Turnover experience, supporting the transition from construction to operations and facility handover.
• Experience working in GMP-regulated facilities or environments subject to strict quality and regulatory requirements.
• Exposure to CQV (Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation) activities and processes.
• Cost control experience, including working closely with project controls teams to manage budgets and forecasts.
• Interest in long-term contract work supporting a high-profile, nationally significant manufacturing investment.

Work Environment

This position is based onsite in Lebanon, Indiana and requires working six days per week from a project trailer located at the construction site. The environment is a large, active capital construction program within a complex industrial and pharmaceutical manufacturing campus. Offering the opportunity to contribute to one of the largest pharmaceutical investment and construction projects in U.S. history.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Indianapolis, IN.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $50.00 - $85.00/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 Indianapolis, IN.

Application Deadline: This position is anticipated to close on Sep 5, 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.