Senior Project Manager

Job Overview:

The Senior Project Manager (SPM) serves as a key driver of project success, ensuring projects are strategically planned, expertly coordinated, and flawlessly executed. This role requires hands-on leadership across multiple projects, ranging from short-term, discreet initiatives to complex, long-term programs. The SPM is responsible for delivering projects on time and within scope and budget, while consistently exceeding internal and client expectations. The ideal candidate is an experienced, results-oriented project manager who thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities, including but not limited to:

Tactical Plans, Implementation & Project Facilitation

• Develop and maintain detailed tactical plans across assigned projects, ensuring proactive activation and efficient execution.
• Own project facilitation throughout the lifecycle, expertly navigating ambiguous or complex challenges and driving to clear resolutions and next steps.
• Anticipate risks, identify issues, and determine when escalation is needed; act as an escalation point for PMs.
• Support PMs in their project planning, execution, and facilitation responsibilities.
• Project Schedule, Scope, Budget, Forecasting & Resourcing Health
• Ensure all assigned projects are appropriately scheduled, resourced, and forecasted; escalate risks promptly and provide solutions when delivery is at risk.
• Prepare estimates, change orders, and support the estimating process for complex annual scopes of work.

Own budget management from start to finish—aligning initial estimates to project plans, updating budgets to align with changes in scope, and partnering with finance through revenue reconciliation processes.

• Analyze project health, identifying risks and actionable solutions.

Support PMs in project health best practices and issue resolution. Internal Team Relationships & Communication Champion collaboration and build trust across cross-functional teams, fostering optimism and empathy, particularly in challenging situations. Adapt communication effectively based on the audience, individual, or situation, ensuring clarity and alignment. Mentor PMs through team relationship and communication challenges. Client Relationships Serve as a trusted day-to-day client contact for project-related communication, ensuring accurate and timely updates. Contribute to building client trust by facilitating project execution and supporting project-related presentations or discussions. Support PMs in strengthening client communication and relationship management. Process & Efficiencies 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. Project Management Team Leadership Support onboarding, mentoring, and training of PMs, sharing expertise in tactical planning and execution. Consistently model expected professional behaviors, maturity, and collaboration. May manage direct reports. Required Skills & Experience 4+ years of experience in agency and/or project management at an integrated advertising agency. Experience working with AOR or D/AOR clients within pharma strongly preferred. Multi-channel marketing experience, including media planning and execution preferred. Financial responsibility for up to $3M in revenue and oversight for up to 6M. Proven ability to lead complex projects, integrated campaigns, and large-scale product launches. Collaborative and solution-oriented, with the ability to juggle multiple projects while maintaining professionalism, humor, and tact. Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels, inspire teamwork, and lead with confidence. Strong organizational and prioritization skills, breaking down work into clear, actionable steps. Proactive problem-solver, skilled at anticipating roadblocks, mitigating risks, and driving solutions—especially in fast-paced, high-stakes environments. Experience with project management tools and methodologies, including risk management, scope management, and change management. Skilled in meeting management and facilitation, keeping discussions on track and guiding teams toward clear decisions. Experience with software development life cycles, web technologies, creative design processes, and digital strategy preferred. Strong attention to detail and follow-through in all aspects of project execution. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and other relevant project management software.

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to all of our employees:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance. We cover a generous portion of employee contributions and offer an annual HRA for those enrolled in our PPO plan.

401K plan. We invest in present and future you, which is why we offer a generous match and immediate vesting on our plan.

• Parental Leave. Generous paid time off for parents to bond with their newest addition.
• Hybrid/Remote Work. For those hired in Chicago or San Diego we invite you to join your team in the office twice a week. Fully remote options for those outside of Chicago and San Diego.

Professional Development. Each employee has an annual budget to allocate to professional development opportunities. Employees are encouraged to take a workshop, attend a webinar, join associations, and anything else that will help them grow in their careers.

• Sabbatical Program. Enjoy 4 weeks of paid leave following 6 years of service to pursue travel, time with family, drive in a new hobby, the options are endless!
• And more! We offer life insurance, LTD, a robust employee assistance program, and more!

We are proud to offer a comprehensive benefits package to all of our employees:

Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance. We cover a generous portion of employee contributions 401K plan. We invest in present and future you, which is why we offer a generous match and immediate vesting on our plan Parental Leave. Generous paid time off for parents to bond with their newest addition Professional Development. Each employee has an annual budget to allocate to professional development opportunities. Employees are encouraged to take a workshop, attend a webinar, join associations, and do anything else that will help them grow in their careers. And more! We offer flexible time off, life insurance, LTD, a robust employee assistance program, and more! 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 salary range for this position is $80,000 - $110,000 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. This job posting is intended for direct applicants only; please, no outside recruiters.