Designation: MANAGER
Location: India UTTAR PRADESH Noida
Group: DS Group
Entity: Dharampal Satyapal Foods Limited
SBU: DS FOODS
Department: PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
Function: COORDINATION
Job Description: R&D Project Management Office (PMO) Lead
Position Title
R&D Project Management Office (PMO) Lead
Reporting Line
Reports to the Vice President of Research & Development
Position Summary
The R&D Project Management Office (PMO) Lead is a strategic partner to the R&D leadership team, responsible for establishing and managing a collaborative PMO that balances agile innovation with disciplined execution. This role is pivotal in driving the operational excellence of the entire R&D pipeline, from ideation to launch. The PMO Lead will architect and implement best-in-class frameworks for portfolio management, data-driven prioritization, proactive risk mitigation, and continuous process improvement (innovation debottlenecking).
Key Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the R&D PMO Lead are organized under the four core mandates of the office:
1. Project & Pipeline Management
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Lead end-to-end project governance across the R&D portfolio.
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Track, monitor, and report progress of multiple innovation projects, ensuring timely delivery and quality outcomes.
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Maintain an integrated view of all projects within the R&D pipeline including stage-gate reviews.
2. Project Prioritization
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Establish structured prioritization frameworks to evaluate, score, and rank projects based on business value, feasibility, and strategic fit.
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Facilitate alignment between cross-functional stakeholders to enable resource allocation to high-impact initiatives.
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Support R&D leadership in building annual and mid-term innovation roadmaps.
3. Risk Management
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Identify key risks across projects (technical, regulatory, timeline, budget, etc.) and implement mitigation plans.
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Develop standardized risk registers and contingency plans.
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Proactively escalate critical risks and suggest corrective actions.
4. Innovation Debottlenecking
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Serve as a cross-functional enabler to resolve barriers delaying project progression (e.g., regulatory hurdles, supply chain issues, data gaps).
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Coordinate with internal and external teams (e.g., QA, manufacturing, marketing, regulatory) to ensure timely resolution of dependencies.
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Implement lean governance processes to accelerate decision-making.
5. Governance & Reporting
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Set up and maintain project documentation, dashboards, and performance metrics
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Drive periodic reviews with project teams and leadership
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Ensure compliance with internal policies and industry standards
Required Qualifications & Experience
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Bachelor's degree in a technical field (e.g., Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences) or Business Administration.
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A minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience in project or program management, with at least 3-5 years in a leadership role within a formal PMO
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Proven track record of successfully managing a portfolio of complex, cross-functional projects from initiation to completion in a fast-paced environment.
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Demonstrated experience in establishing and running a PMO, including the development of governance frameworks, processes, and performance metrics
Preferred Qualifications
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Master's degree (MBA or a technical MS/PhD) is highly preferred.
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Direct experience working within an R&D organization in a relevant industry
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Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), or other Agile certification is a strong plus
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Formal training or certification in Change Management
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Experience in financial modeling and building business cases for technical projects
Technical Proficiencies & Methodologies
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Expert-level proficiency in modern project and portfolio management (PPM) software and collaboration tools (e.g., JIRA, Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello, Planview)
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Strong proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Power BI) to create insightful dashboards and reports
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Expertise in risk management techniques and tools
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Strong analytical, problem-solving, and financial acumen
Skills:
Project Coordination
Project Manaagement
