Associate Director, Project Management

Associate Director, Project Management

In the journey of life, your career should make a difference.

At Inizio Evoke, we come together—to do the best work, in the best possible place. We're all in. Because it's everyone's role to make health more human™.

About the Role

Project Management is at the heart of how we deliver exceptional work at Inizio Evoke. Our Project Management team drives operational excellence, connects cross-functional teams, and ensures our work is delivered with the highest levels of quality, efficiency, and accountability.

The Associate Director, Project Management is a strategic operational leader responsible for overseeing complex projects, managing a portfolio of business, and driving successful execution across multidisciplinary teams. Serving as a key partner to Account Leadership and internal department leads, this individual provides direction and oversight across project scope, process, timelines, budgets, and resources.

Beyond project delivery, the Associate Director plays an integral role in strengthening operational processes, identifying opportunities for efficiency, developing talent, and ensuring alignment between agency capabilities and client business objectives.

This is a remote position reporting to the Director, Project Management.

What You'll Do

Project & Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight and leadership across a portfolio of complex projects and client accounts, ensuring successful execution from initiation through completion.

• Serve as a senior operational partner to Account Leadership, providing guidance on project strategy, scope, timelines, budgets, resources, and delivery expectations.

• Lead complex, high-priority initiatives that require coordination across multiple functional teams, agency partners, and external vendors.

• Establish project management standards, workflows, and best practices to ensure consistency, quality, and operational efficiency.

• Anticipate project challenges, proactively identify risks, and develop solutions to mitigate potential impacts to scope, timelines, budgets, and deliverables.

• Ensure projects follow established business processes, while exercising sound judgment to adapt workflows when business needs require flexibility.

• Oversee quality control throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring deliverables meet agency standards and client expectations.

• Provide oversight of medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) submission preparation and processes, ensuring compliance with client-specific requirements.

• Maintain visibility into project health and provide clear, proactive communication and reporting to internal leadership and clients.

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance project execution, team collaboration, and overall agency operations.

Financial & Resource Management

• Provide financial oversight across assigned accounts and projects, ensuring work is appropriately scoped, staffed, and delivered within established budgets.

• Develop and oversee project staffing plans, resource forecasts, and budget projections in partnership with Account Leadership, Finance, and Resource Management.

• Monitor project and campaign financials, identifying budget risks, scope changes, and opportunities to improve profitability.

• Lead monthly financial reconciliation and forecasting discussions, ensuring alignment between project progress, resource utilization, and financial performance.

• Partner with Finance to develop and present accurate budget reporting and financial updates to clients and internal stakeholders.

• Oversee resource planning and allocation, partnering with Resource Management and department leads to prioritize competing business needs.

• Evaluate resource needs across the portfolio and proactively identify staffing gaps, capacity constraints, and opportunities for operational efficiencies.

• Manage external agency and vendor relationships, ensuring alignment on scope, timelines, budgets, and deliverables.

Client & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Build strong relationships with Account Leadership, Creative, Strategy, Medical, Technology, Operations, Finance, and other internal partners.

• Serve as a trusted operational advisor, providing recommendations and solutions that support client objectives and agency goals.

• Communicate project status, risks, financial performance, and key milestones with transparency and confidence.

• Partner with Account Leadership to establish realistic expectations around scope, timing, resources, and deliverables.

• Lead internal and external project discussions, ensuring teams remain aligned, accountable, and focused on successful delivery.

• Present project management capabilities, processes, and operational recommendations to internal stakeholders and clients as needed.

• Foster a collaborative environment that promotes accountability, proactive communication, and strong cross-functional partnerships.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide day-to-day leadership, mentorship, and development to Project Management team members, including Senior Project Managers and Assistant Project Managers, as applicable.

• Manage, coach, and develop direct reports through regular one-on-ones, performance feedback, and ongoing professional development.

• Support the growth of Project Management talent by sharing best practices, providing guidance, and identifying opportunities for increased responsibility and ownership.

• Help establish clear expectations, accountability, and consistent execution standards across the Project Management team.

• Identify opportunities to improve team structure, workflows, and processes to support evolving business needs.

• Foster a positive, collaborative team culture that encourages problem-solving, ownership, and continuous learning.

What You'll Need

• 7+ years of project management experience, preferably within a pharmaceutical advertising, healthcare communications, or life sciences agency.

• Pharmaceutical marketing agency experience required; Agency of Record (AOR) experience strongly preferred.

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional projects and managing large portfolios of business.

• Proven ability to provide operational leadership and strategic guidance to Account Leadership and multidisciplinary teams.

• Experience overseeing project financials, including budget development, forecasting, reconciliation, resource planning, and financial reporting.

• Demonstrated success managing multiple vendors and agency partners, including oversight of timelines, budgets, deliverables, and execution.

• Experience leading, mentoring, and developing project management professionals.

• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical marketing workflows, including medical, legal, and regulatory review processes.

• Advanced proficiency with project management and financial management platforms.

• Experience with Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, or comparable project management tools.

• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.

• Demonstrated ability to lead process improvement initiatives and implement operational efficiencies.

• Exceptional organizational, problem-solving, communication, and leadership skills.

• Ability to navigate competing priorities, influence stakeholders, and make sound decisions in a fast-paced agency environment.

What Sets You Apart

• You are a strategic thinker who can balance big-picture business objectives with the operational details required to execute successfully.

• You take ownership, anticipate challenges, and bring forward solutions rather than simply identifying problems.

• You are comfortable influencing senior stakeholders and driving accountability across teams.

• You understand the relationship between operational excellence, client satisfaction, financial performance, and agency growth.

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