Project Manager III (non-IT)

Job Title: Project Manager III (non-IT)

Location: REMOTE ROLE

Duration: 12 month (Possible extension)

Job Description :

Position Overview

This is a senior project/program management role supporting a complex, enterprise-wide manufacturing initiative being deployed across multiple global sites. The individual will manage a portfolio of approximately 15 20 projects, each typically lasting six to eight months.

This is a business and manufacturing program role-not a traditional IT project manager position. The PM will coordinate site leadership, engineering teams, technical SMEs, and other stakeholders to keep deployments on schedule and resolve issues.

Top Candidate Requirements

1. Strong project/program management background
   • Minimum of five years of relevant experience.
   • Must have substantial, dedicated responsibility for managing complex projects or programs.
   • Experience managing a portfolio of multiple concurrent projects, rather than one project at a time.
   • Able to manage schedules, milestones, dependencies, risks, resources, governance, metrics, and executive reporting.
2. Global or enterprise-wide deployment experience
   • Experience coordinating initiatives across multiple locations, business units, or countries.
   • Comfortable managing approximately 15 20 projects involving several manufacturing sites.
   • Able to quickly establish the stakeholder structure, communication plan, governance model, and escalation paths.
3. Strong communication and stakeholder leadership
   • Must be able to influence without direct authority.
   • Comfortable interacting with site leaders and senior stakeholders.
   • Able to hold sites and project teams accountable while maintaining strong working relationships.
   • Capable of making project progress, risks, and performance visible through metrics and reporting.
4. Complex engineering or manufacturing project experience
   • Should understand how technical engineering projects operate, even if not personally performing the technical work.
   • Must be able to recognize dependencies, route problems to the appropriate SME, and escalate issues effectively.
   • Experience navigating projects that encounter resource shortages, technical problems, delays, or competing priorities.

Preferred Technical Background

Manufacturing automation or operational technology experience is highly desirable but not mandatory. Relevant areas include:

• MES
• SCADA
• PLCs
• Ignition
• Shop-floor systems integration
• Manufacturing automation
• ERP or other enterprise-wide technology deployments

The individual will primarily rely on site-level technical SMEs and will not be expected to troubleshoot systems or challenge detailed technical decisions. However, they may occasionally need to step into a workstream to help drive stalled activities to completion.

Industry Background

Pharmaceutical or biotechnology experience is preferred but not required. Candidates from other complex manufacturing environments should be considered, including:

• Medical devices
• Automotive
• Industrial manufacturing
• Other highly regulated or highly automated industries

Regulated-industry experience is beneficial because the candidate will already understand documentation, validation, compliance, and controlled implementation requirements.

Important Screening Guidance

Job title alone does not determine fit. Candidates with titles such as Program Manager, Project Manager, Automation Program Manager, Controls Engineer, or Senior Automation Engineer may qualify-but they must demonstrate substantial project/program management ownership.

Do not submit candidates who:

• Are primarily hands-on engineers who have only informally "led" activities.
• Managed project tasks as a secondary part of an engineering role but did not own the overall program.
• Have only traditional IT project management experience without manufacturing, engineering, or complex enterprise-deployment exposure.
• Have managed only individual site projects without multi-project portfolio responsibility.
• Are too junior to confidently interact with site leadership and independently manage complex problems.

Work Arrangement and Travel

• Fully remote within the United States.
• Candidate must be able to work effectively with U.S. and global teams.
• Posting indicates up to 25% travel, although the manager expects travel to be relatively limited and primarily tied to critical site milestones.
• Potential U.S. travel locations include Chicago, Massachusetts, Texas, Arizona, and California.
• International travel may occur, but the manager is willing to consider candidates who cannot travel globally.

Ideal Candidate in One Sentence

A seasoned program/project manager with at least five years of experience managing a large portfolio of complex, multi-site engineering or manufacturing deployments, who can influence senior stakeholders, establish strong governance, resolve problems, and keep multiple teams accountable-ideally with exposure to automation, MES, SCADA, or related manufacturing technologies.

EEO:
"Mindlance is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of Minority/Gender/Disability/Religion/LGBTQI/Age/Veterans."