Director, Program Management (AI/ Strategy Exp needed) - Morrisville, NC or NYC (Hybrid)

Syneos Health® is a leading fully integrated biopharmaceutical solutions organization built to accelerate customer success. We translate unique clinical, medical affairs and commercial insights into outcomes to address modern market realities.  

Every day we perform better because of how we work together, as one team, each the best at what we do. We bring a wide range of talented experts together across a wide range of business-critical services that support our business. Every role within Corporate is vital to furthering our vision of Shortening the Distance from Lab to Life®.

Discover what our 29,000 employees, across 110 countries already know.

WORK HERE MATTERS EVERYWHERE

Why Syneos Health

• We are passionate about developing our people, through career development and progression; supportive and engaged line management; technical and therapeutic area training; peer recognition and total rewards program.
• We are committed to our Total Self culture – where you can authentically be yourself. Our Total Self culture is what unites us globally, and we are dedicated to taking care of our people. 
• We are continuously building the company we all want to work for and our customers want to work with. Why? Because when we bring together diversity of thoughts, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives – we’re able to create a place where everyone feels like they belong. 

Job Responsibilities

Job Description Summary

We are seeking a visionary and results-driven Director, Program Manager to partner with leadership and AI Strategic Lead to development and execution of our enterprise AI strategy. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of AI across the organization, ensuring alignment with business, operational, and strategic priorities. The ideal candidate will bring deep expertise in AI and digital transformation, particularly within healthcare, and a proven track record of launching and scaling impactful AI initiatives in complex environments. This position will drive cross-functional collaboration, establish governance frameworks, and ensure measurable outcomes through robust performance metrics. This role will also oversee vendor relationships, manage budgets, and champion organizational readiness through education and change management.

• Develop and execute the enterprise AI strategy and ethical guidelines, aligned with business, operational, and strategic enterprise priorities.
• Parter with Product and Portfolio leads to identify and prioritize high-impact use cases.
• Lead cross-functional teams through the full lifecycle of AI initiatives—from concept to deployment and scaling.
• Partner to establish AI governance, Center of Excellence, KPIs, and delivery frameworks to ensure transparency and measurable impact.
• Manage AI vendor and consulting relationships, including contract negotiations and performance oversight.
• Collaborate with Strategy and Operations teams to refine and adopt effective processes and ways of working.
• Prepare and present reports on Technology Operations performance including key metrics, project status and operational issues.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership, translating AI capabilities into business value.
• Drive organizational readiness through education, communication, and change management initiatives.
• Monitor and manage technology budgets including forecasting, expense tracking, and cost control.
• Ensure technology expenditures are aligned with budgetary constraints and financial goals.
• Communicate effectively with stakeholders at all levels including Senior Management to provide updates and resolve issues.
• Identify and manage risks associated with technology operations including security, compliance, and operational risks.
• Analyze operational data to identify trends, issues and opportunities for improvement.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field.
• 10–15 years of experience in program management, with at least 5 years leading AI, data science, or digital transformation initiatives in healthcare.
• Proven ability to launch and scale new programs within complex environments.
• Strong understanding of AI/ML technologies and their application in life sciences.
• Familiarity with cloud-based AI platforms (e.g., Azure Health Data Services, AWS HealthLake).
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills with strong interpersonal communication, and stakeholder management abilities.
• Experience with budget management, vendor management and contract negotiations.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to derive actionable insights from complex data.

Preferred Attributes

• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for improving life sciences through technology.
• Commitment to ethical AI, patient privacy, and advancing life science outcomes.

At Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance.   The benefits for this position include Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, eligibility to participate in Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and individual performance, and flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time.  Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.

Disclaimer:

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive.  The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities.  Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description.  The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above.   Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract.  Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms.  Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees.  The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.

At  Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance. The benefits for this position may include a company car or car allowance, Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, eligibility to participate in Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and individual performance, and flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time.  Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.

Salary Range:

The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.

Get to know Syneos Health

Over the past 5 years, we have worked with 94% of all Novel FDA Approved Drugs, 95% of EMA Authorized Products and over 200 Studies across 73,000 Sites and 675,000+ Trial patients.

No matter what your role is, you’ll take the initiative and challenge the status quo with us in a highly competitive and ever-changing environment. Learn more about Syneos Health.
 

http://www.syneoshealth.com

Additional Information

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive.  The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description. The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above.   Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract.  Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms. Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees.  The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.