Executive Director - Project Management

SUMMARY
The Executive Director, Project Management builds and leads Civia Health’s project-based delivery organisation, including an industry-leading project management team, and is accountable for time, cost, quality and revenue on every study and for every commitment Civia makes to a client. Excellence is expected at all times. This leader sets the tone, pace and example of client excellence across the organisation. This leader implements a project-based methodology across Civia delivered through a multidisciplinary team with clear structure, roles and gates, sets the core and extended project team for each phase, and personally manages, or provides oversight of, key projects while leading all client and internal projects across Civia. The role also builds and owns Civia’s project infrastructure and principles, which carry the same accountability as client deliverables, and leads internal projects that need short sprints. Because Civia works in multidisciplinary teams, delivery is involved earlier and more deeply than in a traditional site network: helping to design studies and working with the commercial team to build client partnerships. It builds one repeatable, scalable project methodology for all Civia and leads multidisciplinary teams that keep project data, KPIs and metrics in place at all times. Every project runs on Civia’s team discipline. The role spans multi-site, multi-country studies in the US and UK.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Project-Based Delivery Methodology

• Build and implement one repeatable, scalable project-based methodology for all of Civia (client studies and internal projects), including structure, roles, phase gates, templates and tools.
• Define clear decision rights and escalation routes so that every project team knows what it owns, and by when.
• Continuously improve the methodology based on lessons learned and delivery performance.
• Build and own the project infrastructure (governance, templates, tools, data and reporting) and hold it to the same accountability as a client deliverable.
• Embed Civia’s team discipline in every project: decide whether it runs as a single-leader unit or a real team, and give every team an understandable charter, defined member roles, good communication, a time-efficient process, reasoned accountability and an environment where people speak up without fear.

Study Delivery: Time, Cost, Quality & Revenue

• Own delivery of every study and every client commitment to time, cost and quality, to an excellent standard every time, from start-up through recruitment, execution and close-out.
• Own study budgets and margin, including forecasting, variance management, change orders and revenue recognition with Finance.
• Identify delivery risks early and lead recovery actions before they affect clients or revenue.

Project Team Structure & Phase Gates

• Set the core and extended project team for each study by phase, drawing on Site Operations, Recruitment, Regulatory, Data, Quality and Medical.
• Run phase-gate reviews that confirm readiness before each study moves to its next phase.
• Ensure cross-functional and in-country teams are aligned on priorities, timelines and responsibilities.

Key Client & Internal Projects

• Personally manage key client studies and act as senior escalation point for clients.
• Own the tone, pace and example of client excellence within Civia, modelling the standard expected of every project team.
• Lead internal projects across Civia using the same project-based discipline.
• Build strong client relationships that support repeat work and growth.

Study Design, Partnerships & Internal Projects

• Bring delivery expertise into study design, so protocols, timelines and budgets are shaped by the teams who will deliver them.
• Work with the commercial team to build client partnerships, so Civia is involved earlier and more deeply than a traditional site network.
• Lead and oversee internal projects, holding them to the same accountability for time, cost and quality as client deliverables.
• Run short, time-boxed sprints where speed is needed, each with a charter, a named team, a defined outcome and a fixed end date.
• Own both the infrastructure and the delivery of these projects, from set-up through close-out and lessons learned.

Planning, Tracking & Reporting

• Maintain a portfolio view of all projects (client and internal), with baselines, forecasts and KPIs.
• Keep project data accurate in Monday.com, CRIO, HubSpot and related systems.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams to keep project data, KPIs and metrics in place and current at all times, so the performance of every project is visible on demand.
• Own the implementation of effective, appropriate executive briefings and information for the COO, SLT and Board on delivery, financial performance and risk.
• Use AI, including Claude, to improve planning, reporting and project documentation.

Project Management Leadership & Capability

• Build, lead and develop an industry-leading project management team, including Global Project Managers.
• Set clear accountability and high standards for project delivery across the US and UK.
• Attract, develop and retain top project management talent, with clear career paths, competency standards and performance measures benchmarked against the best in the industry.
• Coach and instill strong project management principles across Civia, through training, coaching and mentoring, so every team runs projects with the same discipline.

REQUIRED EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree; science-related degree preferred.
• Senior project or delivery leadership experience at a CRO or SMO.
• Track record of delivering multi-site, multi-country studies across the US and UK.
• Proven ownership of study budgets and margin.
• Track record of leading projects beyond client delivery, such as transformation or internal projects, including fast, time-boxed sprints.
• Experience bringing delivery into study design and working with commercial teams to build client partnerships.
• Experience building high-performing multidisciplinary teams with mutual as well as individual accountability.
• Track record of building and developing high-performing project management teams.
• Sets clear accountability and holds teams to high standards.
• Fluency with Monday.com or a comparable CTMS.
• Fluency using AI tools (ideally Claude) in project planning, reporting or documentation.
• Sound understanding of ICH GCP, GDPR and relevant regulatory requirements.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE

• Project management certification (PMP, PRINCE2 or equivalent).
• Experience building a project-based delivery function from the ground up.
• Agile or sprint-based delivery experience (e.g. Scrum).
• Experience with CRIO and HubSpot.
• Experience presenting to executive leadership and the Board.