Project Manager - Budgeting (Associate) - II

About the Role

The contractor will provide dedicated budgeting and financial coordination support for Project X, a highly confidential enterprise initiative involving internal stakeholders across global functions, as well as third-party vendors and agencies. The contractor will support Strategic Access, Policy & Communications (SAPC) budget planning, tracking, forecasting, reporting and related coordination activities to help ensure effective management of assigned project funds. As such, this contractor must be a great collaborator as they will partner closely with the SAPC Project X core team, the PMO and other key stakeholders across the enterprise. The contractor must also handle all Project X information as confidential and restrict access to those who have been unblinded. Only approved systems, tools and communication channels for project-related financial information can be used.

Scope of Work and Core Responsibilities

Budget Tracking and Administration

• Maintain and update budget trackers and related financial records
• Track planned, committed, actual and forecasted spend across supported workstreams
• Monitor budget availability for internal teams, third-party vendors and agency partners
• Flag potential overages, gaps or timing risks in spend planning

Forecasting and Variance Analysis

• Support recurring budget forecasting cycles
• Analyze variances between budgeted, forecasted, committed and actual spend, and identify changes in assumptions, emerging risks and opportunities for reforecasting
• Support scenario planning as needed, including potential advertising or external announcement costs

Reporting and Materials Preparation

• Prepare budget summaries, dashboards, status reports and other materials for SAPC and Global Communications leadership and finance partners for budget review meetings and leadership updates
• Maintain clear documentation of budget changes, assumptions, approvals and open actions
• Respond to ad hoc reporting requests related to project budgeting

Stakeholder and Vendor Coordination

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders, finance partners, procurement contacts and vendor/agency representatives to gather required inputs
• Follow up on outstanding invoices, estimates, statements of work, or other budget-related inputs as needed
• Assist in aligning budget information across global teams and external partners
• Support timely communication of budget issues and dependencies to the project lead

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, or a related field
• 5+ years of experience supporting budgets, financial operations, project management, procurement, agency management, or related business functions, with a preference for experience in pharma, biotech or a highly regulated industry
• Experience supporting annual budgeting, forecasting and financial reporting processes; identifying budget risks and recommending solutions
• Ability to track planned, committed, actual and forecasted spend and reconcile variances
• Experience preparing budget summaries, dashboards and leadership reports
• Ability to manage multiple budgets, projects or workstreams simultaneously
• Experience working with external agencies, vendors, procurement teams and finance partners
• Familiarity with SAP, Ariba, Power BI, or similar financial and reporting systems
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint
• Proven track record in working on projects with multiple stakeholders across functions and regions, achieving results that meet objectives within timelines and budgets
• Exceptional collaboration skills with the ability to work across all levels of the organization to drive strong business outcomes
• Meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Positive attitude and proactive approach to finding compliant solutions to challenges

Schedule

• 100% remote role
• 30-40 hrs/week (flexible)
• EST shifts (anytime between 8-5/9-5pm EST)
• Travel may be once/twice in a year