Back to jobs
New

Sr. Project Manager

Chicago, IL

Merge Storytelling and Technology

We bring together the minds and passions of creative pioneers, tech innovators, and data explorers to help ambitious clients solve business challenges and rise to the top. MERGE has enduring client partnerships with American Express, T-Mobile, LG, Subway, Kate Spade NY, Coach, The North Face, Meta, Adobe, BlueCross BlueShield, Abbott, Astellas, Supernus, CSL, GE Healthcare, Broward Health, Indiana University Health, Nationwide, and Morgan Stanley. With offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Kansas City, Montreal, New York City and Los Angeles. MERGE uses a talent-to-task process that enables clients to think higher and feel deeper about their customers. 

Promote Health, Wellness & Happiness

We are committed to promoting health, wellness and happiness in the world by partnering with purpose-driven clients in purpose-driven industries in healthcare, life science, and consumer products. Our deep vertical expertise and category insights stem from decade-long partnerships with our top clients.

Emerge to the Top of Your Career

At MERGE, we strive to create a superior work experience where talented and ambitious people grow. An experience that encourages people to think higher and feel deeper. An experience where people engage their minds and hearts to do the best work of their careers.

As our Sr. Project Manager, you will…

Be responsible for the internal management of assigned projects from inception to completion within the agency. You will be the internal hub for all projects within the assigned client and will organize, schedule, and communicate with team members to deliver the work to complete a project within the defined scope, quality, timeframe, and budget. You must be able to manage large, multi-faceted projects/accounts/campaigns and multiple projects at the same time across all execution mediums within the Pharma and/or Life Science industries

Be Accountable and Responsible

  • Serve as an independent liaison and communication hub among all agency team members
  • Organize, manage, and oversee each step of the strategy and creative development process, including legal reviews and Veeva uploads from project setup to delivery across all mediums
  • Schedule and facilitate key touchpoint meetings, including kick-offs, internal reviews, and development checkpoints
  • Scope projects, estimate resource time, create detailed project plans and schedules, and manage timelines throughout each project's lifecycle
  • Manage and prioritize team assignments with clear tasks for daily deliverables using agency tools and effective verbal communication
  • Collaborate with Project Managers, Broadcast Producers, Print Production, Media, and Analytics to coordinate schedules, budgets, deliverables, and approval processes
  • Forecast future deliverables based on project scope and schedules
  • Review and comprehend media plans and communicate necessary specifications to creative and studio teams
  • Notify the team if a project deviates from scope or original parameters
  • Lead contingency planning, problem resolution, and recommend solutions to maintain schedules, budgets, and quality deliverables
  • Track actual hours against estimated project plans and generate reports as needed
  • Oversee workflow capacity based on project plans, staff assignments, and capabilities, collaborating with the Department Director to manage resources
  • Manage project out-of-pocket estimates and purchases within assigned budget parameters
  • Develop, manage, and enforce a rigorous internal approvals process throughout the project lifecycle
  • Ensure adherence to proofing processes, brand guidelines, and quality standards on all projects
  • Keep the Department Director informed of project progress and raise concerns promptly
  • Maintain the Webvantage database with up-to-date records of each project's lifecycle and share information as necessary
  • Implement agency workflow processes and quality assurance procedures to ensure successful execution aligned with agency goals and client satisfaction
  • Provide insights on process improvements and resource/tool opportunities
  • Update the status of projects on the Agency status report and ensure proper organization of project naming in the Studio Server archive
  • Set up, attend, and actively participate in all necessary weekly status meetings

These are the qualifications we’re looking for

  • 5-7 years of project management experience in pharma or life sciences, preferably from an advertising agency 
  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience
  • Excellent understanding of all production disciplines: print, digital, media (including social) & broadcast/video
  • Excellent experience in media and analytics strategy and execution
  • Experience using project management software (Smartsheet), Veeva, and the PRC review process
  • Self-motivated, quick, and assertive
  • Detail-oriented and organized, with exceptional time management skills
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Proficient in Google Suite and Adobe Acrobat Professional
  • Working knowledge of InDesign, Photoshop, and Illustrator is a plus

 

At MERGE, we’re committed to fostering an environment where our team members can thrive in both their careers and personal lives, ensuring they feel supported and empowered to succeed.

MERGE believes in transparency and equity. In accordance with state regulations, we’re proud to include salary ranges in our job postings to ensure fair compensation practices.

The salary range for this role is $86,000 - $104,000, based on the individual’s skills, experience, qualifications, location, and other relevant factors. The salary pay range is subject to change and may be modified at any time.  

MERGE is proud to invest in benefits that include meaningful Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401K, Lifestyle Spending Account, Employer Paid Life & Disability Insurance, Flexible Time off & Holidays, plus many other benefits and rewards.

Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States.

 

#LI-DP1

#LI-HYBRID

And here’s how we live our values at MERGE

  • Ability. Mastering our craft
  • Agility. Delivering with a growth mindset
  • Humility. Collaborating for shared success

MERGE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer

MERGE welcomes and celebrates diversity regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran status or people with abilities. We believe that the more diverse we are, the more creative our work will be!

Create a Job Alert

Interested in building your career at MERGE? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Apply for this job

*

indicates a required field

Resume/CV*

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Cover Letter

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Select...
Select...
Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey. Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

As set forth in MERGE’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

Select...
Select...
Race & Ethnicity Definitions

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measure the effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categories is as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305
Page 1 of 1
OMB Control Number 1250-0005
Expires 04/30/2026

Why are you being asked to complete this form?

We are a federal contractor or subcontractor. The law requires us to provide equal employment opportunity to qualified people with disabilities. We have a goal of having at least 7% of our workers as people with disabilities. The law says we must measure our progress towards this goal. To do this, we must ask applicants and employees if they have a disability or have ever had one. People can become disabled, so we need to ask this question at least every five years.

Completing this form is voluntary, and we hope that you will choose to do so. Your answer is confidential. No one who makes hiring decisions will see it. Your decision to complete the form and your answer will not harm you in any way. If you want to learn more about the law or this form, visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) website at www.dol.gov/ofccp.

How do you know if you have a disability?

A disability is a condition that substantially limits one or more of your “major life activities.” If you have or have ever had such a condition, you are a person with a disability. Disabilities include, but are not limited to:

  • Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
  • Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
  • Blind or low vision
  • Cancer (past or present)
  • Cardiovascular or heart disease
  • Celiac disease
  • Cerebral palsy
  • Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
  • Diabetes
  • Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
  • Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
  • Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
  • Intellectual or developmental disability
  • Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
  • Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
  • Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
  • Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Neurodivergence, for example, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
  • Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
  • Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
  • Short stature (dwarfism)
  • Traumatic brain injury
Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.