IT/OT SYSTEMS PROJECT MANAGER (473)

About the role

Réalta Technologies is seeking an experienced IT/OT Systems Project Manager to join the global delivery team of one of our large pharmaceutical clients. This role sits at the intersection of IT and OT, managing the planning, governance, and delivery of system deployments across the client's global manufacturing network. The primary focus is the delivery of data integration projects connecting Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) with shopfloor systems (e.g., automation, SCADA, PLC, and historian layers), enabling reliable, validated data flow between the plant floor and enterprise systems.

You will work as part of a global team, coordinating across sites, functions, and time zones, and will need to flex between Agile and Waterfall ways of working depending on project phase and governance requirements. This is a remote role requiring the successful candidate to work either US EST or EU hours.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end project management for IT/OT system deployments across multiple global manufacturing sites, from initiation through to hypercare and closure.
• Own delivery of data integration projects between MES and shopfloor/automation systems, ensuring scope, schedule, budget, and quality targets are met.
• Apply the appropriate delivery methodology (Agile or Waterfall) based on project type, regulatory requirements, and stakeholder needs, and manage hybrid approaches where required.
• Ensure all project activity aligns with GAMP 5 principles and the client's Software/System Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including appropriate validation, documentation, and change control.
• Manage project plans, RAID logs, resourcing, and budgets, and track delivery using Jira (and complementary tools such as Confluence or MS Project).
• Coordinate cross-functional and cross-site teams, including IT, OT/automation engineering, QA, validation, and third-party vendors/system integrators.
• Build and maintain strong stakeholder relationships across global manufacturing, quality, engineering, and IT functions, managing expectations and escalations proactively.
• Provide clear, regular reporting on project status, risks, and issues to steering committees, sponsors, and the wider program team.
• Identify and manage project risks, dependencies, and interfaces with other workstreams within the wider global program.
• Support change management and end-user adoption activities to ensure smooth transition into operational use.

Requirements

• Proven experience as a Project Manager delivering IT and/or OT systems projects, ideally within a pharmaceutical, life sciences, or other regulated manufacturing environment.
• Demonstrable experience managing projects using both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, with the judgment to select and adapt the right approach for the context.
• Hands-on experience with Jira for project and delivery tracking.
• Solid understanding of GAMP5 and SDLC frameworks, including validation and change control practices within a regulated environment.
• Experience managing global, multi-site projects with distributed stakeholders and virtual teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and align stakeholders across IT, OT, quality, and manufacturing functions at all levels.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing and presenting status reports to senior stakeholders and steering committees.
• Comfortable working remotely and independently as part of a distributed, global delivery team.

Desirable Skills

• Experience with data historian platforms (e.g., AVEVA/Wonderware Historian, PI System) and their integration with MES and enterprise systems.
• Direct experience with MES platforms (e.g., POMSnet, PAS-X, Camstar, DeltaV MES, or similar) in a pharmaceutical or biotech manufacturing context.
• Familiarity with shopfloor/automation systems and protocols (SCADA, PLC, batch systems) and how they interface with MES and IT layers.
• Recognized project management certification (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, AgilePM, Scrum Master).
• Experience working within or alongside a consulting/systems integration environment.