Client Project Manager (Contractor)

Position Overview

The Senior Client Project Manager (CPM) serves as the primary liaison between assigned pharmaceutical clients and the Indianapolis manufacturing site. This individual will assume full ownership of client programs from bulk product arrival through fill-finish manufacturing, release activities, and final product shipment. The CPM will be responsible for managing client relationships, coordinating cross-functional execution, ensuring operational readiness, and driving successful project outcomes within a GMP-regulated manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned clients and own the day-to-day client relationship.
• As the voice of the client internally while effectively communicating site capabilities, priorities, and timelines.
• Manage product flow from bulk receipt through fill-finish operations, release activities, and final product departure.
• Lead client communications, governance meetings, status updates, and escalation discussions.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestone tracking, action logs, and risk management plans.
• Utilize Smartsheet to manage project schedules, deliverables, milestones, dashboards, and reporting metrics.
• Cook up activities across Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Quality Control, MSAT, Validation, Warehouse, Planning, and Site Leadership teams.
• Ensure operational readiness for manufacturing campaigns through proactive planning and cross-functional alignment.
• Identify and mitigate project risks while driving timely issue resolution.
• Monitor critical path activities and ensure adherence to client commitments and manufacturing schedules.
• Facilitate internal readiness reviews and stakeholder meetings to support successful execution.
• Maintain transparency regarding project status, risks, opportunities, and potential schedule impacts.
• Support change management activities and ensure alignment between client expectations and site execution.
• Operate with a high degree of autonomy while maintaining regular communication with leadership regarding program status and priorities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Supply Chain, Business, or related discipline.
• Minimum 10 years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or biologics industry.
• Direct experience supporting pharmaceutical manufacturing operations.
• Fill-finish manufacturing experience is required.
• Demonstrated success managing external client relationships in a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Strong understanding of GMP-regulated manufacturing and quality systems.
• Proven ability to lead complex cross-functional programs and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Exceptional verbal, written, presentation, and client-facing communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management capabilities.
• Able to work independently and take ownership of multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Professional presence with the confidence and credibility to represent the organization to clients.
• Demonstrated career stability and strong tenure with previous employers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working within a CDMO environment.
• Advanced proficiency with Smartsheet, including schedule development, resource planning, dashboards, reporting, and action-item tracking.
• PMP certification.
• Experience supporting biologics, sterile manufacturing, aseptic processing, injectable products, or parenteral manufacturing.
• Experience managing technology transfers, process validation, PPQ campaigns, product launches, or commercial manufacturing programs.