ProjectManager: Portfolio & Launch Readiness
Commercial
Cape Town – Western Cape – South Africa
Our client, a leader in the global pharmaceutical sector, is looking for an experienced Project Manager to oversee Portfolio and Launch Readiness. This critical role is key to driving product development, ensuring that everything is in place for successful registration, and leading effective commercial launches. As the Project Manager, you will guide cross-functional projects throughout the entire product lifecycle, fostering teamwork across diverse departments, proactively managing risks, and ensuring that both new and existing products are delivered on time within a highly regulated landscape.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage and prioritise product development and launch readiness projects from development through approval and commercialisation.
- Develop and maintain detailed project plans, trackers, timelines, and dashboards to monitor progress and risks.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, and Global teams to ensure launch readiness.
- Identify, escalate, and de-bottleneck cross-functional risks and issues impacting registrations, launches, or supply continuity.
- Coordinate launch readiness activities, ensuring all approvals, materials, and operational requirements are in place.
- Chair and participate in project, launch readiness, and post-commercialisation meetings, ensuring follow-through on actions.
- Provide accurate project reporting and communication to senior stakeholders and leadership forums.
- Support the development and implementation of business and project management processes.
- Track and manage project-related budgets, CAPEX/OPEX inputs, and cost controls.
Minimum Requirements
- BPharm, BSc or relevant technical degree.
- Project Management qualification or diploma.
- Minimum 5 years’ experience within the pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare industry, with exposure to product development and/or project management.
- Proven experience managing cross-functional projects across multiple stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of product development, registration, and launch processes.
- Solid financial awareness with experience tracking project costs and budgets.
- Strong organisational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Core Competencies
The ideal candidate must be detail-oriented, solution-driven, and resilient, with the ability to influence across functions and effectively manage complexity in fast-paced environments. Strong judgment, collaboration, adaptability, and a proactive approach to risk and problem-solving are non-negotiable for success in this role. Apply through the link below to access the complete job specification.