Freelance Senior Project Manager (Pharma)

Job Overview

The Freelance Senior Project Manager (SPM) is responsible for leading projects from initiation through completion, ensuring work is delivered on time, within scope, and on budget while consistently meeting or exceeding client and internal expectations. The SPM serves as a trusted client contact and strategic partner across Account Management, Creative, Strategy, and Production, driving seamless collaboration and high-quality execution across integrated marketing initiatives. This role requires strong leadership, adaptability, and the ability to navigate ambiguity in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities, Including But Not Limited To

Delivery Standards & Workflow Management

• Lead and manage large-scale, complex projects including integrated campaigns, product launches, digital and print tactics, websites, email programs, social media initiatives, and multi-channel marketing efforts.
• Develop and maintain detailed project plans, timelines, scopes, budgets, forecasts, and resource allocations to support proactive execution and successful delivery.
• Own project facilitation throughout the lifecycle, driving alignment, resolving ambiguity, and ensuring clear next steps across teams.
• Manage the full project lifecycle, including project documentation, scopes of work, estimates, status reports, change orders, and budget reconciliation.
• Monitor project health, identify risks and dependencies, escalate issues when necessary, and implement actionable solutions to maintain delivery timelines.
• Ensure all projects adhere to agency standards, processes, and quality expectations.
• Conduct internal and client-facing meetings, including kickoff meetings, status updates, project reviews, and working sessions.
• Maintain accurate project documentation and reporting using project management tools such as Smartsheet, Hive, Workfront, SharePoint, Microsoft Project, or similar platforms.
• Lead routing and review workflows across cross-functional teams, ensuring deliverables are assigned to the appropriate stakeholders, feedback is consolidated efficiently, approvals are secured on schedule, and final assets are delivered accurately and on time.
• Track progress across projects, manage reporting updates, and oversee day-to-day project communications and deliverables.

Client & Stakeholder Communication

• Act as a trusted client contact for project communications, providing timely updates, setting clear expectations, and fostering strong client relationships.
• Build and maintain trusted client partnerships through proactive communication, collaboration, and executional excellence.
• Stay informed on client processes, procedures, and business needs, adapting communication and workflows accordingly.
• Support project-related presentations, discussions, and strategic planning initiatives.
• If and as needed, attend client meetings to track deliverables, align on priorities, and ensure deadlines and expectations are met.

Budget, Forecasting & Resource Management

• Develop, manage, and reconcile project budgets from initiation through completion, ensuring accurate financial tracking and resource optimization.
• Prepare estimates, support forecasting activities, and align project plans with evolving scope and business needs.
• Partner with finance and department leadership on revenue reconciliation, staffing alignment, and budget management.
• Manage finance and project health reviews, including burn reports and delivery risk assessments.
• Ensure projects are appropriately staffed, scheduled, and resourced to support successful execution.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

• Mentor, support, and provide guidance to Project Managers and Associate Project Managers and/or Project Coordinators, fostering professional development and project management best practices.
• Support onboarding, training, and development initiatives for project management team members.
• Serve as a collaborative leader across cross-functional teams, building trust, promoting accountability, and encouraging effective communication.
• Adapt communication style based on audience and circumstances to drive alignment and productive collaboration.
• Assist department leadership with workload management, team support, and quality oversight for deliverables.
• Model professionalism, maturity, collaboration, and solution-oriented leadership across teams.
• May manage direct reports.

Process Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Apply established processes, templates, and tools consistently across projects, ensuring alignment with departmental standards.
• Act as a process champion and internal resource, supporting process improvement initiatives in partnership with department leadership.
• Contribute to departmental initiatives, business development efforts, and agency-wide operational improvements.

Qualifications And Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field.
• Minimum 5+ years of project management experience within an integrated advertising, marketing, or digital agency environment.
• Experience working with AOR Pharma Launch.
• Proven ability to manage complex, integrated campaigns and large-scale initiatives across multiple channels.
• Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
• Skilled in project planning, facilitation, budgeting, forecasting, risk management, and issue resolution.
• Experience managing project budgets and financial tracking processes.
• Strong meeting facilitation and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Collaborative, adaptable, and solution-oriented with strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Experience with software development life cycles, digital production, creative workflows, and web technologies preferred.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and project management tools such as Workfront, Smartsheet, Hive, Microsoft Project, SharePoint, or similar platforms.
• PMP, Six Sigma, or related certifications are a plus.

Compensation and Benefits

At CG Life, we recognize that attracting the best talent is key to our strategy and success as a company. As a result, we aim for flexibility in structuring competitive compensation offers to ensure we are able to attract the best candidates. As required by law in this state, the estimated hourly rate range for this position is $75 - $85 USD and represents our good faith estimate as to what our ideal candidates are likely to expect. We tailor our offers within the range based on organizational needs, internal equity, market data, geographic zone, and the selected candidate’s experience, education, industry knowledge, location, technical and communication skills, and other factors that may prove relevant during the selection process. At CG Life, it is not common for individuals to be hired at the higher end of the range, and compensation decisions depend on a variety of factors. This position is eligible to participate in a discretionary bonus program, subject to the rules governing the plan. CG Life offers a variety of benefits, including health benefits, 401K retirement with a generous company match and immediate vesting, and flexible time off.

A Note To Candidates

It has come to our attention that some candidates are being contacted by individuals falsely claiming to represent CG Life. Please note that all official communications from CG Life will come from an email address ending in @cglife.com. If you are contacted by anyone using a different domain, please consider it fraudulent. CG Life will never ask candidates to pay fees or share financial information at any stage of the hiring process. This job posting is intended for direct applicants only; please, no outside recruiters.

Key skills/competency

• Project Management
• Pharma Launch
• Integrated Campaigns
• Client Communication
• Budget Management
• Risk Management
• Team Leadership
• Workflow Management
• Agile Methodologies
• Stakeholder Management