R&D Project Manager

About the role

At Elanco, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. As a global leader in animal health, we foster a diverse and inclusive work environment where new ways of thinking and diverse skills are valued.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Project & Scope Management: Independently manage all project management activities for complex, high-impact development programs. Guide the execution of deliverables by managing schedules, costs, and performance risks, facilitating scenario planning to develop realistic milestones, and maintaining all scope documentation to ensure alignment with strategic goals.
• Timeline & Performance Oversight: Develop and maintain up-to-date timelines and process maps. Identify, manage, and communicate the critical path and leading indicators of progress, monitor performance-to-plan, and proactively guide team action to keep the project on track, ensuring data completeness and quality across all systems.
• Budget & Financial Partnership: Manage the team's overall development budget. Consult with the development team to understand and report on variances, drive re-forecasts, update budget data in the appropriate tools, and provide the team with a clear understanding of the cost of different development options.
• Proactive Risk & Contingency Planning: Assess development risks, establish robust mitigation and contingency plans with clear ownership. Identify and communicate risks that may affect the critical path and independently trigger the implementation of contingency plans to avoid or mitigate those risks.
• Process Improvement & Shared Learning: Advocate for a culture of quality and continuous improvement by generating ideas for new processes and sharing learnings with the team and function. Identify methods to streamline effectiveness, decrease development cycle times, and ensure the consistent application of PM tools and concepts to ultimately maximize business value.

Requirements

• Education & Experience: A Bachelor's or Master's degree in a scientific or related field with 8-10 years of relevant experience in project management or a related scientific role.
• Comprehensive Scientific & Regulatory Expertise: Deep understanding of the veterinary drug development process, including regulatory submission processes/requirements and a strong grasp of GCP, GLP, and GMP quality principles.
• Advanced Project Management & Technical Proficiency: Mastery of core project management fundamentals and processes as defined by the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Strong technical proficiency with project management software, the Microsoft Office Suite, and emerging AI platforms is essential.
• Cross-Functional Influence & Team Leadership: Ability to influence without direct authority and guide global, cross-functional teams through complex and ambiguous situations. Possesses strong interpersonal and team-building skills, with a demonstrated ability to develop effective teams with diverse interpersonal styles and deliver effective coaching and feedback.
• Proactive Problem-Solving & Adaptability: Proactive and anticipatory approach to problem-solving, with the proven ability to anticipate and recognize systemic problems, diagnose root causes, and take corrective action to prevent recurrence. Must be flexible and adjust quickly to frequent change and altered priorities.

Qualifications

• PMP or CAPM certification, demonstrating a strong foundation in project management principles.
• Direct experience in the Animal Health industry.
• A growth mindset and curiosity, with an eagerness to ask questions and learn rapidly.
• Proven ability to work effectively both on your own and as a highly collaborative team member.

Benefits

• Multiple relocation packages
• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
• 8-week parental leave
• Annual bonus offering
• Flexible work arrangements
• Up to 6% 401K matching