Senior Program Manager
Amgen
Summary
The Senior Program Manager partners closely with an R&D Quality Associate Vice President for Clinical & Research Quality and Senior Directors for R&D GxP Audit and Operational Excellence to drive execution of strategic priorities. This role integrates strategic planning, operational excellence, organizational effectiveness, communications, portfolio coordination and transformation to enable leadership focus on business priorities.
Job description
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Planning & Execution
- Partner with capability leaders in Clinical & Research Quality, R&D GxP Audit and Operational Excellence to develop and execute annual strategic priorities, operating plans and measurable deliverables
- Coordinate execution of RDQ priorities across supported capabilities through standardized templates, governance, and business processes to ensure consistent delivery
- Monitor organizational objectives, milestones and dependencies
- Identify operational risks and recommend mitigation strategies
- Support the Operational Excellence Senior Director in centrally coordinating and tracking emerging and ongoing business initiatives and due diligence/mergers & acquisitions to enhance RDQ visibility and inform functional resource planning across RDQ
Business Operations
- Partner with capability leaders in Clinical & Research Quality, R&D GxP Audit and Operational Excellence to co-lead planning and execution of leadership team meetings and organizational forums (e.g. Therapeutic Area portfolio reviews, performance management reviews)
- Assist in development presentations for governance, dashboards, decision materials, and meeting content
- Drive follow-up of leadership decisions and action items
- Coordinate preparation of standardized business materials, executive updates, operating review content, and leadership communications using common RDQ templates and formats to promote consistency and efficiency
- Serve as the primary operational liaison between supported capability leadership and the Strategic Performance & Operations Director to coordinate information flow, deliverables, and business planning activities
Functional Transformation and Program Management
- Coordinate key functional initiatives related to Clinical & Research Quality, R&D GxP Audit and Operational Excellence
- Partner with the Strategic Planning & Operations Director to operationalize enterprise initiatives within supported capabilities, ensuring strategic direction is translated into actionable implementation plans
- Monitor timelines, deliverables, and interdependencies
- Facilitate strategic workshops and planning sessions for key functional initiatives
- Support implementation of transformation (e.g. new operating models, organizational changes)
- Engage with Continuous Improvement for Organizational Change Management strategies and best practices
- May support special projects, as assigned by manager
Operational Excellence
- Improve organizational effectiveness for Clinical & Research Quality, R&D GxP Audit and Operational Excellence through standardized processes by implementing standardized business processes, governance practices, templates, and tools that enable consistent execution across RDQ
- Build and/or manage organizational knowledge repositories (e.g. SharePoint, MS Teams)
- Support workforce planning and organizational capacity planning
- Monitor organizational health metrics and recommend improvement actions
Leadership Support
- Serves as a trusted partner to capability leadership by translating strategic direction into coordinated execution plans, tracking progress, and facilitating alignment across functions
- Collaborates closely with the Strategic Performance & Operations director and peer Program Managers to ensure enterprise priorities, governance activities, and leadership requests are executed consistently across RDQ
- Thinks strategically while executing operationally
- Applies continuous improvement mindset and problem-solving skills in proactively identifying opportunities to improve operational excellence
- Ability to navigate ambiguity and changing priorities with agility in a fast-based, dynamic environment
- Influences without authority
Requirements
- Doctorate degree and 2 years of relevant experience (program management, business operations, quality assurance, R&D)
- Master's degree and 4 years of relevant experience (program management, business operations, quality assurance)
- Bachelor's degree and 6 years of relevant experience (program management, business operations, quality assurance, R&D)
- Associate's degree and 10 years of relevant experience (program management, business operations, quality assurance, R&D)
- High school diploma/GED and 12 years relevant experience (program management, business operations, quality assurance, R&D)
- Experience supporting leadership teams
- Advanced skills in program or portfolio management in a matrixed organization
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail
- Experience developing strategic roadmaps and operating plans
- Proven track record with successfully integrating global teams with effective collaboration and high emotional intelligence
- Proficiency with collaboration and AI tools (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, Teams, SharePoint, ChatGPT, Copilot)
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or healthcare industry experience, including knowledge of R&D quality and risk management, preferred
- Lean Six Sigma and PMP (Project Management Professional Certification)
Benefits
- 401(k) Matching
- Medical, Dental & Vision
- Life & Disability Insurance
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Annual Bonus Program
- Stock-Based Long-Term Incentives
- Flexible Work Models
- Paid Time Off
Company overview
Amgen Inc. is a leading American multinational biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California, founded in 1980. As one of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, Amgen specializes in discovering, developing, manufacturing, and delivering innovative human therapeutics. The company focuses on six key therapeutic areas: inflammation, oncology/hematology, bone health, cardiovascular disease, nephrology, and neuroscience. Amgen's portfolio includes blockbuster drugs such as Enbrel for autoimmune diseases, Prolia and XGEVA for osteoporosis, Repatha for cholesterol management, Otezla for psoriasis, and Neulasta for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. With approximately 28,000 employees worldwide, Amgen operates as a component of both the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Nasdaq-100 indices. The company maintains a robust research and development pipeline with numerous clinical programs across various stages, leveraging cutting-edge biotechnology and human genetic data to address some of the world's most challenging diseases. Amgen's manufacturing capabilities span multiple global locations, and it distributes products through pharmaceutical wholesale distributors and direct-to-consumer channels.