Senior Director

Build a career powered by innovations that matter!  At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible.  We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.

Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific.  Looking for a great place to work?  You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment.  Come explore Novanta.

This position is part of Novanta’s Advanced Surgery business unit. Specialized in the field of Minimally Invasive Medicine, WOM develops devices and accessories so that doctors can operate with small cuts. We produce Cameras, Insufflators, Medical Pumps, and tubing that makes diagnosis and treatment easier for everyone. Our insufflators and pump systems dilate cavities in the body and turn previously complicated surgeries into minor procedures. Together with customers, doctors, and technical experts, our teams continuously search for new ways to innovate.

Role Summary

The Senior Director, Project Management Office (PMO) is a senior leadership role accountable for predictable, high‑quality project execution across the portfolio, with a primary focus on direct ownership of Project and Program Manager performance and delivery outcomes.

The role leads a Directive PMO, owning delivery results, governance, and project management effectiveness, ensuring that projects—particularly NPI and customer‑critical initiatives—are delivered on time, to commitment, and with a sustained PTQ above 80%.

This leader serves as a business partner to senior leadership, translating strategy into executable portfolios, resolving priority conflicts, and building a disciplined, accountable, and results‑driven Project Management organization.

Key Accountabilities

1. Leadership & Accountability of Project Managers (Core Focus)

• Has direct ownership of the performance, effectiveness, and accountability of Project and Program Managers
• Establishes clear delivery expectations, execution standards, and accountability rules linked to PTQ, milestone reliability, and commitment adherence
• Actively manages performance through clear consequences, including corrective actions, increased governance, reassignment, or escalation in cases of sustained underperformance
• Ensures Project Managers operate with a full ownership mindset, proactively identifying risks, escalating constraints, and driving recovery actions
• Builds Project Management capability primarily through expectation setting, performance management, and assignment to increasingly complex delivery challenges
• Ensures succession readiness and capacity planning for Project Management roles in line with portfolio and business needs

2. Portfolio Delivery & Performance Ownership

• Accountable for predictable portfolio delivery outcomes, including milestone reliability, schedule adherence, and PTQ/WAS performance
• Owns PTQ and WAS KPIs, with a clear target of sustaining PTQ above 80%
• Drives early identification and mitigation of delivery risks using leading indicators, not only lagging metrics
• Resolves cross‑functional priority conflicts and capacity constraints that threaten delivery commitments
• Ensures consistent execution discipline across all projects in scope

3. Project Governance & Standard Work

• Defines, implements, and enforces project management standard work, including governance cadence, escalation models, templates, and best practices
• Ensures consistent governance across NPI and non‑NPI projects as defined by MIS Leadership
• Leads key project governance forums (e.g., weekly project reviews, leadership reviews), focusing on decisions, accountability, and outcomes
• Ensures clear role clarity and decision rights between PMO, Product Management, R&D, Manufacturing, and Commercial functions

4. Stakeholder & Customer Alignment

• Ensures customer expectations and commitments are translated into realistic, executable project plans
• Oversees preparation of clear, concise, outcome‑oriented project status reporting for customers and senior management
• Ensures timely and high‑quality responses to customer and leadership inquiries
• Escalates delivery risks decisively when commitments are at risk

5. Continuous Improvement & PMO Maturity

• Continuously improves PMO effectiveness through data‑driven insights, lessons learned, and maturity assessments
• Leverages NGS tools, systems, and processes to enhance transparency, predictability, and execution discipline
• Drives a culture of ownership, accountability, and delivery excellence aligned with Novanta values

People Leadership & Organizational Responsibilities

• Recruits, hires, and develops PMO leadership and Project Management talent
• Oversees the operational effectiveness and organizational health of the PMO
• Conducts regular, outcome‑oriented performance evaluations
• Builds an engaged, resilient, and accountable PMO organization with a strong delivery mindset

Compliance, Safety & Operational Excellence

• Ensures strict compliance with quality, occupational safety, and environmental regulations
• Responsible for maintaining safe and compliant working conditions within the PMO’s scope of responsibility
• Implements and enforces all applicable quality, environmental, and occupational safety standards

Required Experience, Education & Competencies

• 8–12+ years of progressive experience in project, program, or portfolio leadership roles
• Managing technical product development: Hardware/Software with regulated products is a must have
• Proven track record leading Project Managers and delivering complex, cross‑functional portfolios
• Strong business acumen with experience balancing delivery performance, financial accountability, and strategic priorities
• Ability to synthesize complex inputs, anticipate risks, and make decisive, outcome‑oriented decisions
• Demonstrated leadership courage to enforce accountability and address underperformance
• Deep understanding of project management methodologies and governance in matrixed organizations

Travel Requirements

• Domestic and international travel as required (customer and internal meetings)
• Valid passport required

Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.

Please call +1 781-266-5700 if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.