2. Must-Have Qualifications
Prior project management experience, not just coordination or task tracking
Cybersecurity project experience or strong cybersecurity terminology fluency
Experience working on IT-specific projects, ideally involving cybersecurity initiatives
Ability to create project plans, project charters, kickoff decks, status reports, steering materials, and governance documentation
Ability to run meetings, kickoff sessions, governance meetings, and steering committee updates
Strong communication skills with both IT/security teams and business stakeholders
Ability to understand the nuances of working with technical IT teams
Local to NJ, NY, Eastern PA, or nearby commute range and willing to be onsite at least 1 day per week, possibly 2
Approximately 7 to 10 years of relevant experience preferred
Approximately 4 to 5 years of project management experience preferred
W2 candidates only
Stable work history preferred, with fewer short 3-month engagements
3. Nice-to-Have / Preferred
Pharmaceutical or life sciences experience
Bachelor s degree, ideally in IT, cybersecurity, or a related field, but not mandatory
Experience managing cybersecurity initiatives such as identity management, Zero Trust, NIST, business continuity, crisis management, security governance, or vendor-led security implementations
Familiarity with portfolio management or project management tools
Organizational change management experience in a cybersecurity context
Experience with GxP or regulated IT environments
RFP or vendor evaluation experience
4. Ideal Candidate Profile
The best fit is a true IT Project Manager who has managed cybersecurity-related work and understands how security teams operate. This person does not need to be a hands-on cybersecurity engineer and will not be implementing tools directly. The HM emphasized that project management capability is more important than hands-on technical implementation, but cybersecurity understanding is needed to build rapport, communicate effectively, and support the team.
The ideal profile is someone local, polished, structured, and comfortable owning PM fundamentals: charters, project plans, kickoff decks, team formation, status reporting, steering committee materials, and risk escalation. Pharma or life sciences experience is a plus, but the HM confirmed she would consider candidates without pharma experience if their cybersecurity background is strong.
5. Interview Process
Likely panel interview with approximately 4 people
Expected participants: Janine, Janine s manager, Ron Yerwood, and one additional IT-side stakeholder
6. Submission & Process Notes
W2 candidates only
Submission requires candidate address
Submission requires DOB month and day
Submission requires last 4 digits of SSN
Bill rate: $125/hour W2
Max pay rate: $90/hour W2
Do not oversell FTE conversion as guaranteed. Transcript indicates it is a contract role, strong contractors are often kept for up to 2 years, and conversion depends on the person and team availability
Screen carefully for local commute commitment. HM specifically warned against candidates who say they will come onsite but do not follow through
Screen out heavy job hopping where the resume shows many 3-month assignments without a clear reason
Resume should clearly show project ownership, cybersecurity project exposure, stakeholder communication, PM artifacts, and meeting/governance leadership
7. Selling Points & Hooks
High-priority cybersecurity initiatives kicking off soon
Opportunity to work with cybersecurity, IT, business, and governance stakeholders
Strong visibility through steering committees, project status reporting, and cross-functional execution
Good fit for a PM who likes structure, ownership, and technical partnership
Pharma/life sciences exposure at a public global biopharmaceutical company
Local hybrid role with clear onsite rhythm
Cybersecurity domain experience without needing to be hands-on implementation engineer
Potential long-term contract and possible conversion pathway, pending fit and team availability
8. Additional Notes
Governance means project governance and execution, not designing the cybersecurity governance framework from scratch
Candidate should know how to build the project team, create the kickoff deck, understand stakeholders, prepare steering status reports, and run steering committees if needed
Smaller projects may not require every artifact, but larger ones will follow the defined project management lifecycle
Strong cybersecurity understanding is required, but the emphasis is on managing the project, not configuring or implementing software
Identity management experience, such as Okta-related project work, would be relevant
Pharma is helpful but not a hard requirement
Local availability and stable work history are important screening filters