Launch Planning Manager

Location: Wilmington, DE

Duration: until 12-31-25 with possibility of extension based on performance and business needs.

Pay rate: $60-63 per hour

Description:

The Launch Planning Manager is responsible for delivery of high-quality launch planning program management to Commercial teams across US Respiratory & Immunology. This role reports into the Launch Planning Director. He/she will work closely with key stakeholders across all launch activities including Franchise Heads, Brand Directors, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Commercial Excellence and multiple cross functional Leads/Partners. This role requires excellence stakeholder and relationship building skills and experience working in a matrix environment delivering complex, highly visible projects against tight deadlines. Experience in project management practices will be vital and the successful candidate will be self-motivated, resilient, and highly organized, with an understanding of how to prioritize effectively in high-pressure environments.

Major Responsibilities:

• Mobilize - Assemble and collaborate with pre-identified cross-functional leads launch requirements, baseline launch plan and key milestones, establish ways of working including:
• Launch strategy and objectives - Establishing and aligning core and extended cross-functional launch teams on the strategy and objectives for launch.
• Launch Kickoff/Onboarding - Design and facilitate launch kickoff approach.
• Act as the primary point of contact for key stakeholders, including senior management, clients, partners and external vendors.
• Manage stakeholder expectations, solicit feedback and address concerns in a timely and professional manner.
• Maintain - On-going oversight of the launch plan; change control governance, risk management, dependency communication and management including:
• Develop and validate comprehensive project plans outlining timelines, milestones, tasks and resource allocation.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders, including product development, marketing, sales, and operations teams, to ensure alignment and commitment to project goals.
• Proactively identify and mitigate risks, issues, and bottlenecks that may impact project progress or outcomes.
• Facilitate and communicate - Schedule and facilitate recurring launch meetings. Proactively support Launch Readiness Reviews with leadership including:
• Coordination of core team meetings, Launch Readiness Review Meetings and Day 0 meetings.
• Provide clear direction and leadership to project teams, fostering a collaborative and results-driven work environment.
• Facilitate effective communication and coordination among team members, ensuring everyone is informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle.
• Conduct regular meetings, status updates, and progress reviews to track performance against project objectives and adjust plans as needed.
• Day 0 coordination - Work with function leads to capture specific activities that need to happen on Day 0, when they need to happen, and track their progress.
• Community of practice, quality and compliance - Active participation and sharing (overall feedback, pain points, process improvements, etc.) in regular sessions including:
• Implement rigorous quality assurance processes to ensure that all deliverables meet established standards and specifications.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations, industry standards, and company policies throughout the launch process.
• Actively participate in Launch Excellence Community of Practice providing learnings and experiences from existing launch assignments for the continued optimization of launch processes.
• Insights management - Post launch, gather and document learnings, track against initial agreed KPIs, lead post-mortem session. Develop recommendations and action plans to optimize future launch processes and enhance overall project management effectiveness.

Key skills and experience:

Essential:

• Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of experience. Experience in product launch and knowledge of launch strategies and best practices
• Proven track record with multifaceted projects or programs in the past with multiple stakeholders from varied functions
• Global change and/or project management experience
• Understanding of risk management frameworks and mitigation steps
• Strong leadership abilities, with a demonstrated track record of successfully managing cross-functional teams and driving results, sometimes without authority
• Excellent communication and relationship building skills
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Bachelor's degree
• Self-motivated, resilient, and highly organized; with an understanding of how to prioritize effectively
• Managing and driving excellence and continuous improvement
• Familiarity with or ability to learn project management tools and software.
• A tactical mindset and a proactive approach to anticipating challenges, identifying opportunities, and driving innovation throughout the project lifecycle.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and negotiating skills
• Confident and professional at all times
• Commercially driven
• Ability to work in a team matrix environment
• Able to work in a changing environment as no two launches will be the same!
• Ability to think quickly and work well under pressure

Preferred:

• Experience in the pharmaceutical launch space and knowledge of launch strategies and best practices

• Previous AstraZeneca experience

• Understanding of scientific and/or commercial marketplace respective to oncology and/or biopharmaceutical therapeutic area(s)

• 3-5 years of Pharmaceutical Marketing or Agency related experience

• Good knowledge of project delivery methodologies e.g. PMP and Agile