Project Director, Healthcare

FWD People is a full-service strategic marketing agency delivering meaningful and measurable results in the health and non-profit sectors. We take pride in being our clients' trusted strategic partner — staying ahead of the curve, and leveraging our expertise and foresight to help them navigate change and seize opportunities. We approach every challenge with a commitment to innovation, excellence, and empathy and we seek the same qualities in our leaders. As a fast-growing, senior team, we're excited to welcome more forward-thinking individuals who will help us drive growth, foster positive change within our client's industries, and have fun along the way.

As Project Director, you will serve as the operational backbone of our most complex and strategic client engagements. In this client-facing role, you'll lead end-to-end program management for large-scale, high-value initiatives—including brand launches, omnichannel campaigns, and integrated marketing programs—ensuring seamless execution, regulatory compliance, and exceptional client partnership every step of the way.

What You'll Do

• Own end-to-end project leadership across large-scale, high-value client engagements, including launch planning and omnichannel campaign execution.
• Translate brand objectives and strategic imperatives into actionable project plans, integrated timelines, and cross-functional delivery models.
• Serve as a senior operations lead and trusted partner to clients, providing visibility into project health, timelines, risks, and deliverables with confidence and clarity.
• Orchestrate workstreams across account, creative, strategy, medical, editorial, and production teams to ensure cohesive, aligned delivery.
• Lead integrated planning sessions to align internal teams and client stakeholders around goals, deliverables, and timing.
• Own development and ongoing management of master project plans, milestone maps, and interdependencies across initiatives.
• Ensure seamless integration between brand and corporate-level initiatives, including launch milestones, field readiness, and MLR dependencies.
• Lead internal status meetings and escalation protocols, ensuring visibility across leadership and rapid resolution of issues.
• Ensure all deliverables meet regulatory requirements and are routed appropriately through MLR, legal, and client review systems.
• Proactively identify risks to delivery or compliance and implement mitigation plans with relevant stakeholders.
• Partner with Account and Finance teams to scope projects accurately, develop budgets, track burn across phases, and identify out-of-scope work.
• Mentor and guide junior project managers and coordinators, helping to grow internal talent and strengthen team capabilities.
• Implement best-in-class tools, workflows, and documentation standards that enable team efficiency and scale.

What You'll Bring

• 7+ years of program or project management experience, ideally in a healthcare marketing agency or pharmaceutical setting.
• Proven track record managing large-scale, complex client programs from concept through execution.
• Deep familiarity with pharmaceutical regulatory processes, including MLR review, OPDP guidelines, and compliance workflows.
• Experience supporting brand launches and/or managing omnichannel campaign execution.
• Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple workstreams, competing priorities, and tight timelines simultaneously.
• Strong client-facing presence—able to anticipate needs, communicate proactively, and build trust with senior stakeholders.
• Collaborative leadership style with experience orchestrating cross-functional teams (creative, strategy, medical, account, production).
• Financial acumen, including experience with budget development, scope management, and resource allocation.
• Proficiency with project management tools and platforms (e.g., Asana, Monday.com, Smartsheet, or similar).
• Adaptable, solutions-oriented mindset with a calm, confident approach to problem-solving under pressure.

Nice-to-Haves

• PMP, Agile, or similar project management certification.
• Experience in rare disease, oncology, immunology, or specialty pharmaceutical categories.
• Background working with biotech or emerging biopharma clients.
• Familiarity with omnichannel marketing strategy and digital campaign workflows.
• Experience managing vendor partnerships and external production teams.
• Strong presentation and storytelling skills for client-facing status updates and strategic reviews.

Who You Are

• A natural orchestrator who sees the big picture while managing the details with precision and care.
• A trusted partner who brings clarity, confidence, and calm to complex situations.
• A proactive problem-solver who anticipates challenges before they arise and mobilizes teams to act decisively.
• A collaborative leader who empowers others to do their best work and builds strong, positive working relationships across teams and clients.

Working at FWD People

We are a senior team that champions integrity, adaptability, excellence, and growth. Here, you'll collaborate with solution-focused colleagues to advance both our clients and our teams.

Our office is located in Brooklyn Heights, and we offer a flexible hybrid work schedule. We value in-person collaboration and connection but also understand the importance of offering the flexibility to work from home.

We are dedicated to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. As an equal-opportunity employer, we welcome differences in race, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, and more. We believe that diversity drives innovation and success, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunities and fostering a culture of respect and collaboration.

Interviewing at FWD People

We Believe In Transparency And Respect For Your Time. Our Hiring Process Is Designed To Be Open, Fair, And As Straightforward As Possible, Giving You a Clear Picture Of What To Expect While Also Giving Us a Chance To Get To Know You. Here's How It Works

• Initial Conversation: A friendly chat to learn about your background, goals, and what excites you about this opportunity (and in general).
• In-Depth Interview: A deeper discussion about your skills, experiences, and how you envision contributing to our team.
• Scenario Conversation: A collaborative discussion where we'll walk through a few real-world scenarios together. This is an opportunity to show us how you think through challenges, make decisions, and approach problem-solving.
• Final Interview: An onsite conversation with some additional folks on our team and leadership to explore how your unique talents align with our mission and values.

We know that interviewing can sometimes feel overwhelming, which is why we're committed to keeping the process clear and communicative every step of the way. We're excited to learn more about you and appreciate you taking the time to get to know us!

Benefits

At FWD, we believe in supporting our team both personally and professionally. We offer excellent benefits, including 25 days off per year + 16 paid holidays, matching 401(k), medical, dental & vision, paid maternity & paternity leave, home office setup, yearly team retreats, and a comprehensive professional development program including executive coaching and a yearly professional development stipend. As we continue to grow, we enhance our benefits package to meet the needs of our team.

This is a full-time position that can be based in NYC (Brooklyn) with a flexible hybrid work schedule, or fully remote depending on location.