R&D Program Manager

Job Description

Job Description

Title: R&D Program Manager

Department: PMO

Job Type: Exempt

Location: onsite -  Horsham, PA

Shift: Monday through Friday 1st shift

Company Summary:

NMS Labs has developed an extensive menu of more than 2,500 tests to support clients in forensic, criminalistic, public health and clinical fields. For over 50 years, our clients have relied on NMS Labs for unique testing solutions that demonstrate our company core values of Quality, Integrity, Service, Innovation and Engagement. As we work to increase the company’s positive impact on public health and public safety, we are seeking talented professionals to join us for the journey! We invite you to learn more about our company by visiting NMSLabs.com. 

Your Opportunity:

Bring your program leadership experience to a role that connects scientific innovation with business results. As the R&D Program Manager at NMS Labs, you’ll lead major cross-functional initiatives and bring teams together to turn strategic priorities into practice. From planning and communication to training and deployment, you’ll help teams move initiatives from concept through adoption.

Help bring new tests and services from concept into routine operations. You’ll own the overall management and cross-functional coordination of these initiatives across the full lifecycle, from portfolio planning and scoping through development, validation, operational readiness, launch, and transition into routine operations. The R&D Project Manager will provide dedicated project management support during development and validation, while you maintain overall program management and end-to-end accountability for the initiative.

With R&D portfolio and program responsibilities as your primary focus, you may also lead major company-wide initiatives as capacity allows, including executive-sponsored initiatives, business transformation, organizational change, process improvement, and enterprise system implementations.

This is a program leadership position intended for an established program management professional. Project management experience alone will not meet the requirements of this role.

What You’ll Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, Healthcare Administration, Project Management, or related field
• PMP certification required. PgMP certification (obtained or working toward) is preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive project and program management experience, including demonstrated ownership of complex, cross-functional programs
• Experience supporting R&D, product development, or new test and service development is strongly preferred, including experience supporting initiatives from concept and scoping through development, validation, operational readiness, and launch. Experience in a laboratory, diagnostic, life sciences, or regulated environment is a plus.
• Demonstrated program-level experience managing multiple interconnected initiatives or workstreams, dependencies, risks, resources, and stakeholders
• Experience leading programs involving multiple business functions, competing priorities, and senior-level stakeholders
• Experience supporting organizational change, business process improvement, and operational readiness activities
• Demonstrated experience leading operational readiness, rollout, and adoption activities associated with new products, services, systems, or business processes
• Experience coordinating large-scale implementations, service launches, or business transformation initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and drive outcomes without direct authority

What You’ll Do:

R&D Portfolio & Operational Readiness

• Help shape the R&D portfolio by partnering with leadership and intake teams to plan priorities and align resources.
• Get teams ready for new test and service launches through departmental planning, clear communications, training coordination, implementation planning, and the transition to routine operations.
• Bring new tests and services to launch by leading regulatory approvals, business and operational setup, laboratory implementation, and client-facing rollout.
• Keep R&D, Laboratory Operations, Quality, Client Services, IT, Finance, and executive leadership connected and aligned.
• Follow through after implementation to ensure a successful handoff to operations and delivery of the intended business results.

Enterprise Program Management

• Lead company-wide initiatives with Finance, Client Services, Quality, Toxicology, Commercial Operations, and other business teams.
• Keep assigned programs on track by managing scope, schedules, resources, risks, issues, communications, and stakeholder engagement.
• Build practical program and implementation plans, assess readiness, and keep project documentation, status reports, and executive updates clear and current.
• Identify cross-team risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and organizational impacts, and work with stakeholders on plans to address them.
• Help develop business cases, prioritize initiatives, plan resources, and support informed executive decisions.
• Carry assigned programs through implementation and ensure they deliver the intended business outcomes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Program & Project Leadership

• Ability to lead large, complex initiatives from planning through implementation
• Strong project planning, risk management, issue resolution, and dependency management skills
• Ability to balance strategic objectives with tactical execution
• Experience managing multiple concurrent initiatives and competing priorities

Operational Readiness & Implementation

• Experience leading cross-functional implementation and organizational change initiatives.
• Ability to coordinate training, communications, stakeholder engagement, and adoption planning
• Understanding of change-management principles and implementation best practices
• Experience supporting regulatory, quality, and operational requirements associated with new project launches

Business & Portfolio Management

• Ability to evaluate and resolve business priorities, resource constraints, and organizational impacts
• Strong business process analysis and continuous improvement skills
• Experience supporting and driving portfolio planning, prioritization, and governance discussions
• Ability to identify and lead opportunities for operational efficiencies and process improvements

Communication & Relationship Management

• Strong facilitation, presentation, and communication skills
• Ability to work effectively across all levels of the organization, including executive leadership
• Skilled at building consensus among diverse stakeholder groups
• Ability to translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations

Technical & Analytical Skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Experience using project and portfolio management tools
• Proficient in Microsoft 365 applications, including Excel, PowerPoint, Word, and SharePoint, as well as Jira

• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and support data-driven decision-making

Physical Demands:

Ÿ Ability to talk, hear, stand, reach with the hands and arms, and use the hands and fingers to operate a computer keyboard, office equipment, objects, or tools

Ÿ Ability to travel to remote sites by airplane, ground transportation or driving

Ÿ Moving from one work location to another to sit and stand, sometimes for extended periods of time

Ÿ Specific vision abilities (with correction) including color, distance, peripheral, depth, and the ability to adjust focus

Ready to help bring new tests, services, and company-wide initiatives into practice? Apply to join NMS Labs as our R&D Program Manager.

Offers of employment are made contingent upon nationwide background investigation and urine drug screen with results satisfactory to standards of employment at NMS. 

We are an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, sexual orientation, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, citizenship status, otherwise qualified disability, or protected veteran status (disabled Armed Forces Service medal, recently separated, active duty or campaign badge), domestic violence victim status, arrest record, or predisposing genetic characteristics.