Project Startup and Infrastructure (PSI) Lead

PURPOSE
The Project Startup Lead drives the execution of an integrated project management plan and critical path priorities from verbal award through service go-live and the transition to steady-state delivery, ensuring that financial & contractual obligations are prioritized and executed quickly. Upon verbal award, the Startup Lead immediately begins to drive the execution of key tasks and deliverables, working closely with the Safety Lead, functional managers and the customer. The Startup Lead is accountable for establishing core constructs and systems that enable project delivery. The Startup Lead plans, schedules, directs, controls, monitors, and organizes all startup activity to bring about successful project initiation and transition to steady-state.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Accountable for project initiation and transition at the customer account level, across multiple contributing business units for one or more large projects, as assigned by senior management team; drive scope of work, objectives, timelines, quality of deliverables, and other project management activities

• Drive project initiation and transition to seamlessly connect and integrate people, process and technology; efficiently develop and align core legal documents and operating plans; effectively manage project risks and issues, reporting status in a timely manner.
• Ensure consistent standardized processes are implemented globally and department deliverables meet expected quality, financial and productivity targets. Contribute towards achievement of department utilization and realization targets.
• Serve as lead change agent to rapidly establish and configure the systems and infrastructure necessary to deliver; facilitate adoption and change management of core infrastructure systems and tools at the project and leadership team levels.
• Work with project team and customers through the project initiation phase to develop, implement and track key performance indicators (KPIs) and develop timelines and processes for tracking KPIs on an account/portfolio level.
• Provide weekly or bi-weekly project startup status reports; monitor quality of all project initiation deliverables. 
• Attends internal and external project team meetings. 
• Coach and mentor project team around project planning, project review, risk management and systems utilization to ensure global alignment of work practices across the team through the adoption and use of all process and technology tools and improvements by employees.
• Work with functional lead managers to ensure that project budget(s) meet financial and company goals (realization targets), with a focus on proactively ensuring adherence to change control processes.
• Work with functional leads and individual contributors during project startup to identify any quality issues within the project and coaching on resolution of issues, including implementation of corrective action plans and escalation; assist in planning corrective / preventative actions and guidance for improvement, as applicable according to SOPs
• Collaborate with other management and leadership team members to proactively identify project and or individual needs and resourcing solutions to manage project issues and obstacles. 
• Monitor compliance of agreed-upon project startup metrics to provide the highest level of operational excellence and value to our customers.
• Lead internal escalation meetings to ensure quick response to any quality concerns or customer escalations, ensuring appropriate representatives from stakeholders and operational management are involved as appropriate.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop and implement new project initiation and transition capabilities, including both business process and business technology.
• May provide input into the strategy for safety project proposals and RFPs and represent Lifecycle Safety at clinical add-on and/or standalone bid defenses. 

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong Project Management aptitude, experience and technical proficiency required; demonstrated project management experience
• >3 years Safety/Pharmacovigilance experience or equivalent; CRO, pharma, bio-pharma experience preferred
• Project Management certification (PMP) and/or LEAN certification preferred
• Proficient in Microsoft Project and Excel; recent experience preferred
• Involves customer facing tasks; requires confidence, poise; able to present to internal and external stakeholders; MS PowerPoint proficiency preferred
• Good communication skills, written and verbal
• Must be flexible, adaptable, resilient
• Working hours: General shift with flexibility to accommodate global colleagues and customers

At IQVIA, we believe in pushing the boundaries of human science and data science to make the biggest impact possible – to help our customers create a healthier world. The advanced analytics, technology solutions and contract research services we provide to the life sciences industry are made possible by our 70,000+ employees around the world who apply their insight, curiosity and intellectual courage every step of the way. Learn more at jobs.iqvia.com.