Senior Director, Global Project Management Office

About us

Based in Parma, Italy, Chiesi is an international research-focused pharmaceutical and healthcare group with over 90 years’ experience, operating in 31 countries with more than 7,000 employees (Chiesi Group). To achieve its mission of improving people’s quality of life by acting responsibly towards society and the environment, the Group researches, develops and markets innovative drugs in its main therapeutic areas: Discover more here

We are proud to to have been awarded with B Corp Certification, a recognition of high social and environmental standards. We are a reliable company that adopts and promotes a transparent and ethical behavior at all levels.

We believe that the success of Chiesi is built and shaped by our people and our strong set of shared Values and Behaviors. Our people make a critical difference to our success, which is why it is vital that we attract and retain the right talent who will continue to enrich our culture by living and breathing our values and behaviors.

We are committed to embrace diversity, inclusion and equal opportunities. In fact, we are a global family made up of different cultures, different genders, generations, ethnicities, abilities, sexual identities and many other enriching diversities. 

Chiesi Corporate Functions

At Chiesi, the Corporate Functions serve as drive and support for the Group’s business operations. Encompassing key areas such as Global Finance, Global Procurement, Global ICT, Global Human Resources, Global Legal, Compliance & IP, and Global Communications & Public Affairs, these functions ensure consistency, efficiency, and operational integrity.

Complementing these functions, the Transformation Office is responsible for ensuring the strategic alignment of the organization. It promotes an integrated, digital, and customer-centric approach, supporting growth, efficiency, and value creation in an increasingly data-driven world. The Transformation Office ensures coherence between vision and execution, acting as a catalyst for change across the entire organization.

The Strategy, Sustainability & Growth Department is also part of the Corporate Functions. It includes areas such as Global Strategy, SV&S and Business Development, Competitive Intelligence, and other key capabilities. It is accountable for defining the ‘One Chiesi’ Strategy and allocating resources to create long-term, sustainable, shared value for the Group and its stakeholders.

Who we are looking for

Purpose:

We are currently looking for a Senior Director, Global Project Management Office to join our Transformation Office, reporting to the Senior Vice President Chief Transformation Officer.
The Project Management Office leads the orchestration of company-wide, large scale programs, ensuring seamless implementation and impactful outcomes.

Responsibilities:

PROJECT PLANNING

• Generate alignment on and communicate a clear vision of the project’s objectives and motivate the project team to achieve them
• Accountable to critically define, communicate and update a clear, integrated, cross-functional project plan
• Define clear governance for Project management, including updates to Senior Leadership
• Clarify assignments and deliverables of each involved function / Team members
• Analyze risks, establish contingency plans and identify trigger events and responsibilities for initiating mitigating action

PROJECT EXECUTION

• Coordinate cross-functional Project Team in the execution of Program activities, reviewing quality of work and integrating deliverables in unique project deliverables
• Manage relationship with project stakeholders, including internal and external clients, keeping stakeholders informed of progress and issues
• Proactively identify changes in work scope and ensure appropriate planning measures are taken with internal and external stakeholders to reassess and amend the scope of work requirements, budget and timeline
• Accountable of tracking project progression and communication of project status against key project milestones and budget baseline to involved Team and main stakeholders on a regularly scheduled basis
• Promote the project management culture and tools within the company, and the development of lean processes and tools to ensure that projects are executed effectively and efficiently and ensure that current project governance processes are followed

PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT

• Develop and implement project portfolio management strategies and enhance portfolio management framework to achieve overall strategic objectives and business goals
• Responsible for risk assessment and management and balanced resource allocation, including budget, personnel and time, across various projects and initiatives to ensure strategic prioritization and efficient projects implementation
• Ongoing monitoring to track progress, identify potential issues and ensure that the portfolio remains aligned with its strategic intent and delivers expected value
• Foster strong relationships with other departments to ensure cohesive and comprehensive investment strategies
• Stay updated with regulatory changes and ensure compliance with industry standards and best practices
• Support and coordinate the prioritization process for corporate programs across all functions and regions

Experience and Skills:

• At least 10 to 15 years’ experience in Project Management. Experience in large cross-functional, cross-business and cross-country transformation programs. Experience in  projects within the commercial area is required
• Previous experience in managing cross-functional projects in consulting is strongly preferred
• Experience in direct team management
• Proven ability to complete projects according to outlined scope, budget, and timeline
• Strong computer skills, proficient with Microsoft Office applications. Other project management software knowledge is a preference criteria

Soft Skills:

• Strong ability to synthesize complex and diverse inputs to a problem, and drive and accelerate critical decisions to recommend solutions/ preferred options
• Experience navigating highly matrixed environments, with proven track record in managing cross-functional and multicultural teams, and teams collaborating with external partners
• Inclusive leader who builds strong relationships and develops a deep understanding of diverse stakeholder groups to enable well-informed decisions and share the benefits they yield
• Strong influencing skills and ability to drive consensus, aligning different perspectives and inspiring team members to collectively define and achieve critical milestones, identify and mitigate risks which may impact successful delivery of projects
• Resilient, flexible, ability to deal with ambiguity, proactive and fast-learner
• Strong executive communications and presentation skills, including written and oral communication of executive level information

Education:

• Master degree required
• Certified as Project Management Professional through an international certification (PMI, Prince2) and consulting background will be a plus

Language:
Fluent in English 

Location:
The position can be based in one of our affiliates in Europe. Availability to travel to the HQ and for business required

What we offer

You would join a dynamic, fast-growing, challenging and friendly environment.
In Chiesi we firmly believe that our people are our most valuable asset, that is why we invest in continuous training, learning and development. Therefore, we strive to continuously promote and satisfy development needs, paying particular attention to the quality of our working environment and to collective well-being. 
We want our people to come to work happy every day, and we know how important it is to find the right work-life balance in order to be able to give our best. That is why we offer flexible working approach, remote working, support in the relocation process, tax assistance service for foreign colleagues and many other people-care services.