Manager/ Senior Manager - R&D 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

• Lead end-to-end project governance across the R&D portfolio.
• Track, monitor, and report progress of multiple innovation projects, ensuring timely delivery and quality outcomes.
• Maintain an integrated view of all projects within the R&D pipeline including stage-gate reviews.

2. Project Prioritization

• Establish structured prioritization frameworks to evaluate, score, and rank projects based on business value, feasibility, and strategic fit.
• Facilitate alignment between cross-functional stakeholders to enable resource allocation to high-impact initiatives.
• Support R&D leadership in building annual and mid-term innovation roadmaps.

3. Risk Management

• Identify key risks across projects (technical, regulatory, timeline, budget, etc.) and implement mitigation plans.
• Develop standardized risk registers and contingency plans.
• Proactively escalate critical risks and suggest corrective actions.

4. Innovation Debottlenecking

• Serve as a cross-functional enabler to resolve barriers delaying project progression (e.g., regulatory hurdles, supply chain issues, data gaps).
• Coordinate with internal and external teams (e.g., QA, manufacturing, marketing, regulatory) to ensure timely resolution of dependencies.
• Implement lean governance processes to accelerate decision-making.

5. Governance & Reporting

• Set up and maintain project documentation, dashboards, and performance metrics
• Drive periodic reviews with project teams and leadership
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and industry standards

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in a technical field (e.g., Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences) or Business Administration.
• 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
• Proven track record of successfully managing a portfolio of complex, cross-functional projects from initiation to completion in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience in establishing and running a PMO, including the development of governance frameworks, processes, and performance metrics

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree (MBA or a technical MS/PhD) is highly preferred.
• Direct experience working within an R&D organization in a relevant industry 
• Certified ScrumMaster (CSM), Professional Scrum Master (PSM), or other Agile certification is a strong plus
• Formal training or certification in Change Management 
• Experience in financial modeling and building business cases for technical projects

Technical Proficiencies & Methodologies

• Expert-level proficiency in modern project and portfolio management (PPM) software and collaboration tools (e.g., JIRA, Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello, Planview)
• Strong proficiency in data analysis and visualization tools (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Tableau, Power BI) to create insightful dashboards and reports
• Expertise in risk management techniques and tools
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and financial acumen