IT Program Manager - Global Biotech Firm

Company Overview
Global Biotech - rapid growth environment!

Job Description
POSITION TITLE: IT Program Manager
BUDGET: Base = 9m-13m + Target Bonus and LTI Bonus
CLIENT: Global Biotech Firm
FUNCTION: IT
REPORTS TO: Head of IT, Japan
LOCATION: Shiodome, Minato-Ku

Company Overview:
The client are leaders in antibody biology and innovation and committed to improving the lives of cancer patients
They are a publicly traded, international biotechnology company specializing in the creation and development of differentiated antibody therapeutics for the treatment of cancer. Their headquarters is in Copenhagen, Denmark with sites in Utrecht, the Netherlands, Princeton, New Jersey, U.S. and Tokyo, Japan. We are the creators of three marketed products and have a broad clinical and pre-clinical product pipeline. The client’s technology consists of validated and proprietary next-generation antibody platforms for generation of bispecific antibodies; effector-function enhanced antibodies; and enhancement of potential potency of bispecific antibodies through hexamerization.

Their core purpose is to improve the lives of patients with cancer by creating and developing innovative and differentiated antibody products. We are also highly committed to building a sustainable and socially responsible biotech.

SUMMARY:
The Program Manager is responsible for a variety of IT projects and programs, optimizing our client’s worldwide business processes, with a focus on their Go To Market business. The position will be located at their Tokyo, JP office. The position involves:

• Overseeing the planning and execution of Global IT projects and the delivery of projects results
- Directing project managers and cross-functional teams to achieve defined outcomes aligned with business strategy
- Managing individual projects that are deemed key strategic initiatives.
• Responsibility for internal stakeholder management and communications and the management of external IT vendors and establishing a strong partnership with stakeholders inside and outside the organization
• Reporting
• Program financial management
• Working closely with the Business Sponsors in order to ensure proper alignment and governance
• Ensuring the proper handover to the users and to the support colleagues in IT Operations.
• The role will report directly to the Finance and Portfolio Tower Lead within Global IT.

Essential Functions

Main Responsibilities:
• Leads the development of the overall approach for the program, its major time frames and the definition of its major deliverables to address and meet the desired goals and outcomes.
• Partners with the executive sponsor to communicate program goals, objectives and potential outcomes.
• Leads regular interactions with the executive sponsor to inform, alert, negotiate and maintain a continuing good relationship and shared vision for the program outcome.
• Establishes and ensures appropriate governance functions for the program in accordance with enterprise policies, practices and on behalf of the executive sponsor or senior responsible owner.
• Directs the creation and maintenance of the required program documentation and artifacts.
• Develops and controls the program budget and manages expenditure within agreed spending plans.
• Ensures and balances the availability of the required skills and competencies across project teams within the program.
• Leads reviews with the executive sponsor and stakeholders to identify organic or specific program needs and changes and directs the development of appropriate approaches to address.
• Leads the development and maintenance of stakeholder mapping, communications and reporting.
• Acts as an advisor and builds and maintains relationships across the wider stakeholder community.
• Leads the oversight of program projects’ execution, their progress compared with the plan and the production of agreed deliverables.
• Monitors and coordinates dependencies across the projects in the program and resolves conflicts.
• Directs or approves the establishment of a framework or guidelines for the use of contractors and professional service providers and determines their use across the program. Supports and facilitates agenda setting for program committee/board meetings.
• Responsibilities Project Manager
• Identifies and schedules project deliverables, milestones and required activities and tasks.
• Provides leadership and motivation to project team members throughout the project life cycle and confer with project staff to outline work plan.
• Establishes work plan and staffing for project activities, iterations or phases, and arrange for recruitment or assignment of project personnel.
• Reviews project proposals or plans to determine time frame, funding limitations, procedures for accomplishing projects, staffing requirements and allotment of available departmental resources to various project phases.
• Analyzes project proposals to determine time frame, funding limitations and appropriate process for accomplishing projects.
• Creates and manages the MS Teams collaboration site
• Reviews/approves work plan of external service provider or consultancy contracted to execute project.
• Implements project communication plan.
• Conducts risk assessment and mitigation. Maintains Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies log.
• Monitors project activities, ensuring the currency, quality and integrity of the information, while providing consistency in content and "look and feel" across the enterprise.
• Ensures that project goals are accomplished and in line with business objectives.
• Assigns duties, responsibilities and scope of authority to project personnel.
• Directs and coordinates activities of project personnel to ensure project progresses on schedule and within budget.
• Reviews status reports prepared by project personnel and modify schedules or plans as required.
• Establishes standards and procedures for project reporting and documentation.
• Continuously benchmarks project management performance to identify improvements and achieve higher capability maturity in PPM.


Minimum Requirements:

Education / Experience / Skills/Competencies:
Requirements :
• Master's or Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related technical field of study, or equivalent experience
• Five or more years’ experience in a business facing IT Program/Project Management role
• Pharma/Biotech experience is required (other Healthcare fields might be considered)
• Commercial experience is a must have
• Experience in Commercial, Drug Safety, Pharmacovigilance, and Medical Affairs areas of Life Sciences is preferred
• 7 or more years of experience in IT business/industry
• Substantial consulting leadership experience
• Demonstrated experience in managing “upward” among senior leadership
• Demonstrated experience in leading diverse teams
• PMI or Prince2 certification is highly desired
• Fluency in Japanese and English languages

Skills :
• Exceptional leadership skills, with the ability to develop and communicate the program objectives, inspire and motivate staff, and maintain alignment with the business strategy.
• A high degree of political sensitivity, astuteness and the ability to use the informal power structure of the organization to achieve program success and overcome obstacles.
• A high level of empathy and the ability to vary styles of interaction to match the needs of a variety of temperaments and personalities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain and “sell” the program goals and objectives to the business, as well as technical leadership.
• Strong business acumen, including industry- and domain-specific knowledge of the organization and its business units. Familiarity with industry trends and innovation.
• Influencing and negotiation experience and skills in an environment with high competition for resources.
• Excellent analytical, strategic planning and execution skills.
• Ability to develop programs and deliver them with financial and resource constraints.
• Experience with at least one project/program management methodology, such as:
- The Project Management Institute’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMI PMBOK)
- PRINCE2
- Managing Successful Programs (MSP)
• Experience across a range of project types.
• Experience managing niche life sciences vendors.
• Knowledge of project planning tools, such as Microsoft Project, with evidence of practical application.
• Deep understanding of:
- Current and emerging technologies.
- How other organizations are employing current and emerging technologies to drive digital business.
- How other organizations can use current and emerging technologies to drive digital business.

Organizational Relationship/Scope:
• Entire team in Japan including both Commercial & R&D
• Global IT team
• External partner vendors

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