Associate Director, Research IT Portfolio Delivery Lead

Role Summary

The Associate Director, Research BI&T Portfolio Delivery Lead is responsible for leading the delivery and management of the Research IT project portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and optimal resource utilization. This role will oversee project execution, financial management, and stakeholder engagement to drive successful outcomes for BMS's R&D objectives. The Associate Director will maintain portfolio governance, resource allocation, risk management, and continuous improvement, with a strong focus on Agile principles to support successful Portfolio execution.

Responsibilities

• Lead the management and delivery of the Research IT project portfolio, ensuring alignment with the prioritized Book of Work (BOW) and supporting effective decision-making and resource allocation.
• Build trusted partnerships with Research IT Leadership, Product Managers, and cross-functional stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and drive portfolio success
• Serve as the primary contact for portfolio-level updates, ensuring clear and transparent communication and translating technical information into business-relevant insights
• Manage financial for both investment projects and ongoing operational (run) support, including budgeting, forecasting, and tracking expenditures to ensure optimal use of resources and value delivery.
• Oversee project planning, execution, monitoring, and closure, ensuring adherence to best practices, regulatory requirements, and that projects remain within scope, schedule, and budget.
• Establish and monitor portfolio-level risks, issues, and dependencies, ensuring timely resolution and escalation as needed.
• Support consistent use of project and program management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, hybrid) and collaborate with stakeholders to define scope, budget, timeline and success criteria.
• Serve as a coach and escalation point for project managers, enabling delivery excellence and risk mitigation.
• Manage objectives and key results to assess portfolio health and value realization, track key performance indicators, and provide regular status updates to Research IT leadership.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by implementing lessons learned and feedback loops.
• Ensure compliance with pharmaceutical industry regulations and BMS policies throughout project delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• Proven experience in managing complex IT project portfolios within a research or pharmaceutical environment.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, and tracking expenditures for both investment projects and ongoing operational support.
• 8+ years of experience in IT project management. At least 3 years in a portfolio or program management role, ideally within pharmaceutical research or life sciences, preferred.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical industry regulations and compliance requirements (e.g., GxP, FDA, GDPR).
• Proven track record of successfully delivering complex IT projects and portfolios on time and within budget, with hands-on experience in Agile environments.
• Demonstrated experience implementing and scaling Agile methodologies (e.g., Scrum, Kanban, SAFe) across teams and portfolios.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience with project management and Agile tools (e.g., Jira)
• PMP, PgMP, Agile certification (e.g., Certified ScrumMaster, SAFe Agilist) preferred.
• Ability to influence and drive change in a matrixed, global organization.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.

Skills

• Portfolio management
• Agile and hybrid methodologies
• Financial management and budgeting
• Stakeholder management
• Risk management
• Communication and facilitation
• Leadership and coaching

Education

• Bachelor's degree in information technology, Computer Science, Business Administration, or related field; advanced degree preferred.