Senior Technical Project Manager - R&D Delivery

Senior Technical Project Manager - R&D Delivery

About Xebia

With over 20 years of experience, our global network of passionate technologists and pioneering craftsmen
deliver cutting-edge technology and game-changing consulting to companies on the brink of transformation.
Since 2001, we have grown from a Java company into a full-service digital consulting company with 5,500+
professionals working on a worldwide ambition.

We are organized in complementary service lines – teams with tremendous knowledge and experience within
particular fields, such as Agile, DevOps, Data and AI, Cloud, Software Technology, Functional Programming,
Intelligent Automation, and Microsoft.

We help the world's top 250+ companies and category leaders overcome digital challenges, embrace innovation,
adopt new technology, and implement new business models. In addition to high-quality consulting, we also
provide offshoring and nearshoring services.

For more details, please visit www.xebia.com

Position Overview

Location: Remote, UK/CAN/Central Europe/Poland preferred
Time Zone Availability: Must be available for UK/US East Coast business hours
Experience: 8+ Years of Technical Project Management Experience

We are seeking a Senior Technical Project Manager to lead strategic R&D delivery initiatives for a leading
pharmaceutical company's digital transformation programs. This senior role requires exceptional technical
literacy, multi-vendor coordination expertise, and the ability to orchestrate complex delivery across platformbased, interconnected systems serving scientific research and drug discovery.

As a Senior Technical Project Manager, you will serve as a delivery orchestrator for large cross-functional
initiatives OR coordinate multiple tactical projects simultaneously. You'll work within a hybrid delivery model
that combines waterfall-style governance with agile/Scrum execution, ensuring seamless integration across the
client's Product Development Lifecycle (PDLC) governance checkpoints.

This is a leadership role requiring strategic thinking, proactive risk management, and strong technical
understanding to bridge engineering complexity with business outcomes. You'll report under client Program
Managers while maintaining accountability for project-level metrics, dependency resolution, and delivery
excellence.

What You'll Do

Strategic Delivery Leadership

• Lead large, strategic cross-functional initiatives spanning multiple engineering teams and vendors
• Orchestrate delivery across platform-based, interconnected R&D systems (data platforms, AI/ML,
  scientific applications, HPC)
• Own end-to-end delivery accountability from planning through launch and operational handoff
• Manage complex dependencies across application engineering, data platform, infrastructure, and support
  teams
• Drive projects through all four PDLC governance checkpoints: Strategy Alignment → Requirements
  Validation → Architecture/Design Review → Launch

Robust Planning & Execution

• Define comprehensive Product Delivery Plans with clear milestones, resource allocation, and risk
  registers
• Commit to accurate story point estimations and sprint velocity targets
• Manage bi-weekly sprint planning, retrospectives, and delivery reviews
• Track sprint health, burndown accuracy, and dependency resolution in Jira
• Ensure on-time milestone delivery tracked via Jira dashboards and Shiproom reviews

Multi-Vendor Coordination & Dependency Management

• Actively coordinate with other vendors across engineering, data platform, and support teams
• Maintain dependency tracking with cross-team and cross-vendor visibility
• Facilitate weekly cross-vendor syncs and proactive dependency mapping
• Resolve bottlenecks to maintain delivery momentum across distributed teams
• Navigate integration points and technical handoffs between vendor teams

Risk & Escalation Management

• Identify delivery risks and blockers proactively with clear escalation pathways
• Escalate critical issues through Program Managers → Shiproom with clear data and recommendations
• Calculate risk scores for stories based on complexity, dependencies, and team capacity
• Implement mitigation strategies and contingency plans for high-severity risks
• Manage scope changes through formal PDP Review process

Technical Literacy & Engineering Partnership

• Strong technical understanding to bridge engineering complexity with business outcomes
• Navigate complex R&D technical architectures (cloud platforms, HPC, data pipelines, AI/ML systems)
• Understand GCP services (BigQuery, Workflows, Batch, Dataproc, Cloud Run, GCS)
• Communicate fluently with engineering teams on technical constraints and trade-offs
• Support technical decision-making on architecture, design approaches, and technology choices

Governance & Stakeholder Communication

• Provide transparent stakeholder updates with timely escalations
• Deliver comprehensive sprint dashboards, milestone tracking, and executive reporting
• Ensure Shiproom readiness with clear status, risks, and decision requirements
• Participate in bi-weekly Program Management Reviews with client Program Managers
• Present monthly portfolio health reporting to client leadership

AI-Powered Project Management

• Leverage Gemini Pro and Atlassian AI for predictive delivery analytics
• Use sprint completion probability forecasting based on historical velocity patterns
• Apply intelligent burndown forecasting and automated JIRA hygiene
• Implement bot-driven ceremony facilitation and automated status reporting
• Co-develop AI use cases for project management optimization (target: 1-2 per quarter)

Knowledge Management & Documentation

• Maintain complete and current Confluence documentation for all projects
• Ensure runbook completeness for operational handoffs (especially for new product launches)
• Integrate knowledge capture into daily workflows
• Create executive-ready PowerPoint materials for business stakeholder reviews

Requirements

Essential Qualifications

Core Project Management Skills

• 8+ years of technical project management experience in software delivery
• Expert in hybrid delivery frameworks combining waterfall governance with agile execution
• Deep experience in dependency management and multi-vendor coordination
• Proven track record leading large, strategic cross-functional initiatives
• Strong technical literacy with ability to navigate complex system architectures
• Expert user of Jira for sprint management, dependency tracking, and delivery reporting
• Comprehensive understanding of agile methodologies (Scrum, Kanban, SAFe)

Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of cloud platforms, with GCP experience required
• Working knowledge of Google Cloud services: BigQuery, Workflows, Batch, Dataproc, Dataflow, Cloud
  Run, GCS
• Understanding of high-performance computing (HPC) concepts and scientific computing environments
• Familiarity with data engineering pipelines, AI/ML platforms, and application architectures
• Ability to read technical documentation and participate in architecture discussions
• Knowledge of DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure as code

Life Sciences & Regulated Environments

• Experience in pharmaceutical or life sciences industries
• Understanding of GxP and compliance-driven environments (21 CFR Part 11)
• Familiarity with scientific research workflows and R&D delivery challenges
• Knowledge of regulated software delivery practices and validation requirements

Leadership & Communication

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Proven ability to lead without direct authority across matrixed organizations
• Strong conflict resolution and negotiation skills
• Executive presence with ability to present to senior leadership
• Demonstrated leadership in coordinating technical teams across multiple time zones

Recommended Qualifications

Certifications & Advanced Skills

• Project Management certification (PMP, PRINCE2, Agile/Scrum certifications)
• Cloud certification (Google Cloud Professional, AWS, Azure)
• ITIL or similar service management framework experience
• Six Sigma, Lean, or continuous improvement methodologies

Advanced Technical Knowledge

• Experience with HPC in cloud environments, particularly GCP's HPC offerings
• Understanding of containerized workloads and orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker)
• Knowledge of scientific computing software stacks and computational workflows
• Experience with infrastructure as code and automation principles for HPC environments
• Familiarity with batch processing systems for large-scale computational workloads

Strategic Delivery Experience

• Experience managing programs with budgets >$5M
• Track record of successful cloud migrations and platform transformations
• Background in portfolio management and strategic initiative prioritization
• Experience with vendor management and contract negotiation
• Capability in capacity planning and resource optimization across vendor teams

Domain Expertise

• Understanding of bioinformatics, cheminformatics, or computational biology workflows
• Familiarity with scientific data engineering and research data management
• Knowledge of data movement challenges specific to large scientific datasets
• Experience with AI/ML platform delivery and MLOps practices

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

You will be evaluated quarterly through 360° reviews (starting at 3 months post-start) and objective delivery
metrics:

360° Review Criteria

• Robust Planning & Delivery Plan Definition: Clear Product Delivery Plans, accurate story point
  commitments
• Clear Communication: Transparent stakeholder updates, timely escalations, proactive risk management
• Comprehensive Reporting: Sprint dashboards, milestone tracking, Shiproom readiness
• Jira Maintenance/Upkeep: Sprint health, burndown accuracy, dependency tracking

Objective Delivery Metrics

• On-time milestone delivery tracked via Jira dashboards and Shiproom reviews
• Sprint velocity consistency and predictability across teams
• Dependency resolution speed: Multi-vendor coordination effectiveness
• Process improvements implemented per quarter (post-onboarding stabilization)

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

• Lead bi-weekly sprint planning, retrospectives, and delivery reviews
• Maintain continuous backlog grooming and sprint health monitoring
• Daily stand-ups and weekly status reporting for assigned projects
• Complete and current Confluence documentation for all projects
• Timely risk identification and escalation through Program Managers → Shiproom
• Proactive dependency tracking with cross-vendor and cross-team visibility
• Active participation in PDLC checkpoints and governance forums
• Monthly portfolio health reporting to client leadership

Why Join Us

• Strategic Leadership: Lead mission-critical R&D delivery initiatives at a top pharmaceutical company
• Complex Technical Challenges: Orchestrate delivery across AI/ML platforms, HPC, data engineering,
  and scientific applications
• Multi-Vendor Coordination: Navigate sophisticated delivery ecosystems with multiple technology
  partners
• Innovation Focus: Drive AI-powered project management practices and process optimization
• Executive Visibility: Present to senior leadership and participate in strategic decision-making forums
• Career Growth: Expand into program management, portfolio leadership, or specialized delivery
  domains
• Global Impact: Enable scientific discovery and drug development at global scale

Our Commitment

• Partnership mindset: Deliver excellence first, then drive process improvements after earning trust
• Delivery-first culture: Proactive communication, transparent collaboration, and no surprises
• AI-native workflows: Embedding intelligent automation into project management from day one
• Continuous improvement: Post-delivery innovation in delivery optimization and efficiency gains

Equal Opportunity Employment

Xebia is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity
employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color,
religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or
veteran status.

Xebia is committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to employees with
disabilities. Xebia complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and all other applicable federal, state, and
local laws regarding disability discrimination and accommodation. Interested Candidates may reach out to
reasonableaccommodations@xebia.com for any assistance needed.

Please feel free to share your preferred pronouns with us during the application process. All persons hired will
be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in North America, and to complete any required
employment eligibility forms.