Medical Affairs Project Manager

Project Manager II
(Medical Affairs Project Manager (Advisory Boards & Symposia))
Mettawa, IL (Hybrid: Tuesday–Thursday onsite, Monday & Friday remote optional)
$65–68/hr (depending on benefits)
6-month contract (with potential to extend)
 
Orion Group is seeking a Medical Affairs Project Manager for our pharma client in Mettawa, IL!
 
The Medical Project Office within Medical Program Management drives operational excellence by consolidating and standardizing repeatable activities to ensure high-quality, consistent, and efficient execution.
 
The Project Manager II – Medical Ad Board & Symposium Execution plays a critical role in leading the end-to-end planning and execution of Medical Affairs advisory boards and symposia.
 
This role requires strong project management expertise, cross-functional collaboration, and vendor oversight to deliver impactful, compliant, and well-executed medical events. The Project Manager will serve as a trusted partner to Medical Affairs business owners and internal stakeholders, ensuring alignment, compliance, and timely delivery.
 
Key Responsibilities
 

• Lead and manage the execution of 25–30 programs annually, with a primary focus on Advisory Boards, overseeing planning, budget, timelines, risk management, and stakeholder engagement.
• Coordinate across internal stakeholders, support teams, and vendors to deliver high-quality symposia and advisory boards, ensuring full compliance with company policies and external regulations.
• Review and negotiate vendor proposals, ensuring cost-effectiveness and alignment with program requirements.
• Support additional event types as assigned, applying best practices in project management and execution.
• Maintain and monitor project timelines, action items, and milestones; proactively communicate updates and risks to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with internal support teams (e.g., Business Services, Consultancy Groups) to ensure resource alignment and effective program delivery.
• Conduct post-meeting debriefs and capture lessons learned to drive process improvements for future medical events.

 
Qualifications
 

• Bachelor’s Degree in Health Sciences or Business (required); MBA preferred.
• Project Management Certification (PMP, Six Sigma, or equivalent) strongly preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, with at least 2 years in Medical Affairs or medical education; strong project management experience required.
• Proven ability to manage multi-million-dollar budgets and external vendors.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills; ability to influence without direct authority and collaborate effectively across global, virtual, and matrixed teams.
• High emotional intelligence, strong business acumen, and the ability to think strategically and translate strategy into execution.

 
Top Skills & Experience

1. Strong project management expertise (PMP or equivalent preferred).
2. Bachelor’s Degree required; MBA and/or advanced certifications a plus.
3. Excellent leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
4. Experience in Medical Affairs or medical education (highly preferred).
5. Direct experience executing Medical Advisory Boards and Symposia (preferred).

People are our business worldwide
 
Orion Group was founded in 1987 and is now one of the largest, independent, international recruitment companies. We have a network of 200 employees working from 24 offices, delivering a range of services – Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Outsourcing Services, Retained Search, Global Workforce Solutions, Completions & Commissioning and Materials Management – across 68 countries. As a global leader in workforce solutions, we recruit personnel across the Engineering & Technical, Office & Commercial, Scientific and Skilled Trades disciplines, for sectors including Oil & Gas, Life Science, Power & Utilities, Constructions & Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Renewables.