Quality Control Scheduling and Planning Project Manager

Quality Control Scheduling and Planning Project Manager

Location: Glen Allen, Virginia – Fully Onsite (100% Onsite)

Duration: Estimated 6-Month Contract

Start Date: January 4, 2027

Pay Rate: $90–$98/hour

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Quality Control Planner/Scheduler to support the startup and operational readiness of its Richmond Quality Control (QC) laboratory organization in Glen Allen, Virginia.

This individual will serve as a key project facilitator, coordinator, and operational readiness lead, ensuring that laboratory startup activities are effectively planned, tracked, and executed. The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in pharmaceutical or biotechnology Quality Control laboratory operations, combined with project management, scheduling, and cross-functional coordination experience.

This is a fully onsite position requiring someone who can independently manage project timelines, identify potential risks, coordinate multiple workstreams, and ensure all necessary activities are aligned for a successful GMP laboratory startup.

Key Responsibilities

Project Planning & Scheduling

• Develop, maintain, and manage integrated project plans, schedules, milestones, and dependencies related to QC laboratory startup.
• Coordinate activities across multiple project workstreams to ensure alignment with overall operational readiness objectives.
• Track project deliverables, action items, deadlines, and critical dependencies.
• Monitor project progress, identify scheduling conflicts, and proactively address potential delays.
• Maintain project trackers, status reports, risk logs, and action-item documentation.

QC Laboratory Startup & Operational Readiness

• Support the startup and operational readiness of a GMP-regulated Quality Control laboratory.
• Coordinate laboratory equipment and instrumentation readiness, qualification activities, and associated timelines.
• Track readiness activities related to SOP development, GMP documentation, quality systems, and training.
• Identify gaps in laboratory readiness and work with appropriate stakeholders to develop action plans.
• Understand and manage dependencies between QC laboratory activities and broader manufacturing, engineering, and site startup schedules.
• Ensure laboratory readiness milestones remain aligned with overall site operational objectives.

Cross-Functional Coordination & Stakeholder Management

• Collaborate with QC laboratory teams, technical subject matter experts, project managers, engineering, manufacturing, and site leadership.
• Gather project updates from functional leads and consolidate information into comprehensive readiness reports.
• Facilitate project meetings, prepare agendas, document meeting minutes, and track follow-up actions.
• Ensure workstream owners understand their responsibilities, deliverables, and deadlines.
• Communicate project updates, challenges, and critical dependencies to relevant stakeholders.
• Build strong working relationships with technical teams and senior leadership to support successful project execution.

Risk Management & Reporting

• Proactively identify project risks, scheduling conflicts, and operational readiness gaps.
• Evaluate potential downstream impacts when manufacturing, engineering, equipment, or site timelines change.
• Develop and maintain risk logs, issue trackers, and mitigation plans.
• Escalate critical issues to leadership when necessary to prevent delays in laboratory startup.
• Provide clear, accurate, and timely reporting on project status, milestones, risks, and overall readiness.

Required Qualifications

• Approximately 5+ years of experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or GMP-regulated industry.
• Direct experience working in or closely supporting a Quality Control laboratory environment .
• Demonstrated experience in project planning, scheduling, coordination, and operational readiness activities.
• Strong understanding of QC laboratory operations, equipment readiness, instrumentation, and qualification activities.
• Familiarity with GMP documentation, SOP development, quality systems, and laboratory compliance requirements.
• Experience managing multiple project workstreams, timelines, milestones, dependencies, and action items.
• Ability to develop and maintain detailed project plans, trackers, meeting documentation, risk logs, and status reports.
• Strong understanding of cross-functional project dependencies and their impact on QC laboratory readiness.
• Proven ability to identify project risks, assess potential impacts, and escalate critical issues appropriately.
• Excellent organizational, communication, problem-solving, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with technical SMEs, functional leads, and senior project stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience supporting a QC laboratory startup, pharmaceutical site startup, or GMP operational readiness initiative .
• Experience with laboratory expansions, technology transfers, or similar GMP readiness programs.
• Background coordinating QC laboratory readiness activities within a large pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
• Experience supporting complex, cross-functional projects involving QC, manufacturing, engineering, and quality teams.
• Strong ability to anticipate scheduling challenges, recognize downstream operational impacts, and proactively develop solutions.