Senior Project Manager: Portfolio & Launch Readiness

Purpose:

Portfolio development & launch readiness Project Managers are responsible for effectively prioritising and project managing product development and launch projects through seamless integration of functions across the project’s lifecycle from development to approval along with proactive risk mitigation measures. The project manager is responsible for the profitability checking, accuracy of the COGs communicated into the business and the full ownership of product launches in its entirety.

Moreover, the Project Manager is responsible for working with the various functions in developing appropriate Cipla Medpro South Africa, SSA, NA & CGA business processes where applicable and managing all ad hoc Cipla Medpro South Africa, SSA, NA & CGA projects as they arise.

Key Accountabilities:

• Portfolio Development Project Management 
  • Drives and oversees successful product development by supporting product development strategy and providing a detailed work plan (tracker) to ensure successful project delivery within the laid down parameters of time and cost
  • Create detailed product development work plan with milestones and timelines (tasks, resources, due dates, budgets, and cross-functional dependencies) in line with the corporate project plans
  • Communicate and align all involved stakeholders to the project plan
  • Oversee and collaborate with portfolio staff to track and determine the progress of projects
  • Inform SA team for execution and align them to the plan
  • Participate in project review meetings post-filing also to provide inputs where required to assist team with ensuring that product approval comes through in a timely manner
  • Subsequent to the PSC (Apex) meetings (i.e. Post-Apex), ensure that all products approved for SA receive PMA entry
  • Ensure that all products that received PMA entry are kicked-off in a timely manner
  • Collaborate closely with Cipla India IPD project management to follow and monitor new product developments for Cipla South Africa through all stages of development
  • Liaise with CI team to address bottlenecks
  • SA chair for monthly project management meetings between Cipla SA and respective parties involved with launches.
  • Ensure that launch tracker is up-to-date and a true reflection of the current status of projects
  • Provide feedback to CSA re status of launch projects during monthly Portfolio Steering Committee meeting
  • Communicates dropped projects to the SA IL team
  • Develop and implement project management frameworks and reporting capabilities by working with stakeholders across the business to ensure the implementation thereof
• Launch Readiness Project Management
• Collaborate closely with NBD and RA South Africa to identify those products awaiting registration that will qualify for launch within the next 12 months
• Actively and individually project manages each product to ensure successful commercialization of the above-mentioned products:
• Collaborate closely with RA South Africa to address issues pertaining to registration and launch of the above-mentioned products
• Collaborate with marketing, sales, and creative teams to ensure that launch readiness activities are completed in timely fashion to facilitate on-time launches
• Develop and maintain a tracker that accurately reflects the current status of near-registration products (including detail regarding outstanding approvals and provisional launch dates).
• • Publishes monthly dashboard to reflect the above during the Operations Steering Committee governance session
  • De-bottleneck cross-functional issues related to new launches as they arise
  • Collaborate closely with QA South Africa to ensure that all quality-related concerns are addressed in timely fashion to facilitate on-time launches of all identified products
  • Collaborate closely with Cipla India Corporate Project Management to ensure successful launches of new products in South Africa:
  • SA chair for weekly Launch Readiness meetings
  • Ensure that all action points identified in these meetings are addressed / dealt with in a timely fashion and that all timelines are adhered to
  • Collaborate closely with SA IL team, Regulatory Affairs and Product Managers to ensure that all IL products proceed to launch in a timely manner subsequent to formal notification of signed contract
  • De-bottleneck cross-functional issues related to launches of IL products as they arise
  • Post-Commercialization Activities
  • • Chair and minute ad hoc Post-Commercialization Meetings (PCMs) to ensure on-time delivery and/or continuous supply of existing products affected by new developments (e.g. new packaging material)
    • Escalate all identified and quantified risks to the Quality and Risk Steering Committee
    • Collaborate closely with marketing, sales, creative, QA and RA teams to ensure that all action points from post commercialization meetings are addressed / dealt with in a timely fashion
    • Collaborate with regulatory, marketing, sales, and creative teams to ensure that launch readiness activities are completed in timely fashion for all line extensions of existing products
    • Provide early warning / notification to all relevant role players about issues that may negatively impact on continuous supply of launched and commercialized products
    • Maintain Product Progress and Pending Registration Project Management sheets
    • Conduct regular follow-up of individual products to ensure that timelines are adhered to
    • De-bottleneck cross-functional issues related to continued supply of existing products affected by new developments, where applicable
    • Business Process Management
    • • Drive process management and work with functional heads to develop Cipla Medpro specific business processes
      • Provide insights into the development and implementation of a business process management framework for Cipla Medpro
      • Continuously investigate processes and find innovative ways to improve process management and launch efficiency
    • Risk Management
    • • Proactively mitigate risks and monitor project progress against identified risks by tracking delivery against plan, reviewing milestones and providing feedback and information to the execution team to ensure seamless execution
      • Manage conflict and bring quick resolution to difficult problems through timely intervention and by facilitating and strengthening the interaction between Functional Heads
      • Project Communication and Reporting
      • • Drive project communication by sharing timely and consistent information across stakeholders thus enabling sound decision making where required
        • Ensure timely analysis and reporting  to enable accurate information sharing
        Disseminate detailed project information in various organizational forums and share monthly updates with the Senior Leadership Team
      • Financial Management
      • • Annual input into Function/Departmental CAPEX /OPEX business plan/budget 
        • Tracks monthly cost centre spend through overall financial business partner
        • Active reporting and management of project costs
        • Owning the profitability of launches involved in, understanding the COGs and full P&L of the product
        • Ensuring accurate communication into business regarding product cost, margins and alignment and understanding with finance department before each step in the launch process
    • Customer and Stakeholder Management
    • • Coordinates adherence to all stakeholder policy and procedure
      • Provides support and guidance to stakeholders
      • Engages and consult with all stakeholders to determine timelines for projects and reporting requirements
      • Cross Functional Integration
    • • Acts as a champion and ambassador for the service culture
      • Determines how individual can service the business optimally
      • Measures stakeholder satisfaction and reflect in IDP
      Works across functions and with multiple functional heads to ensure that projects relating to product development and launch are achieved and on track