Senior Project Manager

About the role

The Senior Project Manager provides leadership and oversight for complex programs consisting of multiple related projects, strategic customer initiatives, or major cross-functional engagements within the automation and logistics industry. This role is accountable for overall program performance, including scope, schedule, budget, resource coordination, risk management, customer satisfaction, and achievement of business objectives.   The Senior Project Manager works across Project Management, Engineering, Operations, Finance, Quality, vendors, and customer organizations to ensure projects align with overall program objectives. The role provides leadership and guidance to Project Managers assigned to the program, establishes program-level priorities, manages dependencies and escalations, and ensures consistent execution in accordance with company project management standards. The Senior Project Manager  serves as a senior point of contact for customers and internal leadership and is expected to identify risks proactively, resolve complex issues, drive decisions, and maintain visibility of overall program health. Responsibilities and Duties: Lead and oversee multiple related projects or large, complex customer programs from initiation through execution, commissioning, and closeout. Establish overall program objectives, execution strategies, governance structures, priorities, and success criteria in alignment with customer commitments and business goals. Provide leadership and guidance to Project Managers and project teams assigned to the program, ensuring alignment across individual project schedules, budgets, risks, resources, and deliverables. Develop and maintain integrated program schedules, identifying dependencies, critical paths, resource constraints, and potential impacts across projects. Maintain overall financial accountability for assigned programs, including budgets, forecasts, revenue projections, cost performance, margin, invoicing milestones, and financial risks. Partner with Finance and Project Managers to review project financial performance, identify variances, and develop corrective actions to protect program profitability. Coordinate resource requirements across Engineering, Operations, Project Management, Quality, and other functional groups; identify resource conflicts and work with functional leadership to establish priorities. Establish and maintain program-level risk and issue management, including identification, prioritization, mitigation planning, escalation, and monitoring of risks that may impact multiple projects or strategic objectives. Lead resolution of complex project and program issues requiring coordination across multiple functional groups, customers, vendors, or leadership teams. Serve as a senior customer-facing point of contact for assigned programs, maintaining strong relationships with customer leadership and ensuring expectations, priorities, risks, and commitments remain aligned. Facilitate program governance meetings, executive reviews, customer status meetings, and internal leadership reviews. Provide regular program-level reporting to leadership and customers, including overall program health, schedule performance, financial performance, resource requirements, risks, issues, key decisions, and corrective actions. Manage scope changes and significant program changes in coordination with Project Managers, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and customers, ensuring impacts to schedule, cost, resources, and contractual commitments are understood and documented. Support commercial discussions, change orders, project recovery plans, and customer negotiations when required. Monitor execution across individual projects and proactively intervene when project performance, customer commitments, financial objectives, or program milestones are at risk. Support field execution activities, including installation, FAT/SAT, testing, commissioning, and customer acceptance, particularly where coordination is required across multiple projects or workstreams. Mentor and provide guidance to Project Managers, Project Manager I/II team members, and project coordinators, promoting consistent project management practices and professional development. Support the Head of PMO in improving project management processes, tools, templates, reporting standards, lessons learned, and governance practices. Participate in project and program recovery efforts as needed, developing corrective action plans and coordinating execution with appropriate stakeholders. Ensure adherence to applicable quality, regulatory, compliance, contractual, and safety requirements throughout the program lifecycle. Support lessons learned and program closeout activities to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and application to future programs. Requirements Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, Project Management, or related field, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. 10+ years of progressive project management experience, preferably within engineering, industrial automation, controls, logistics, manufacturing, pharmaceutical/life sciences, or related technical industries. Demonstrated experience independently managing large, complex projects and/or multiple concurrent projects with significant customer, schedule, budget, and resource responsibilities. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in a matrix organization without relying solely on direct reporting authority. Experience providing leadership, mentoring, or functional guidance to Project Managers and project teams. Strong understanding of project financial management, including budgeting, forecasting, revenue planning, cost control, margin management, and change control. Demonstrated ability to identify and manage program-level risks, dependencies, resource conflicts, and competing priorities. Strong customer-facing skills with experience managing senior-level customer relationships, escalations, and difficult project situations. Proficiency in Microsoft Project and Microsoft Office Suite; experience with project management, reporting, and collaboration tools such as SharePoint, Project Online, Power BI, or similar platforms. Strong organizational, analytical, financial, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with technical teams, customers, functional leaders, and executive leadership. Preferred/Desirable Skills: Experience within industrial automation, control systems, robotics, logistics, pharmaceutical/life sciences, or regulated manufacturing environments. Technical or engineering background with the ability to understand automation system architecture, technical documentation, engineering deliverables, and system integration activities. Experience managing programs involving PLC, SCADA, DCS, MES, vision systems, robotics, or other industrial automation technologies. Experience working within regulated or validated environments, including GxP or similar quality frameworks. PMP certification or equivalent project/program management certification. Experience managing strategic customer accounts or multi-project customer portfolios. Experience developing and mentoring Project Managers and supporting PMO standards and governance. Experience with project recovery, commercial negotiations, change management, and executive-level reporting. This Role Requires: Ability to travel up to 50%. Flexibility regarding working hours during critical project stages, customer activities, installations, commissioning, and escalations. Benefits At Catalyx we understand that our people are our greatest asset. For this reason and many others, we take care of them. The team in Catalyx benefits from a Total Rewards package. This includes great personal benefits and professional growth opportunities. Catalyx is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all individuals are valued, respected, and supported. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of background, and strive to create a welcoming environment for everyone.