Program associate Jobs in Madison, WI

Senior Manager, Program Management

LOCATION: This is a fully onsite position in Madison, WI. Unfortunately, relocation assistance is NOT provided.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with annual revenue exceeding $40 billion. Our Mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Whether our customers are accelerating life sciences research, solving complex analytical challenges, improving patient diagnostics and therapies, or increasing efficiency in their laboratories, we are here to support them. Our team of more than 100,000 colleagues delivers an unrivaled combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience, and pharmaceutical services through our industry-leading brands, including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Unity Lab Services, Patheon, and PPD. For more information, please visit

Seeking an experienced Senior Manager, Program Management to lead a team of Project Managers responsible for driving New Product Introduction (NPI) programs within our Chemical Analysis Division (CAD).

This is a strategic leadership role requiring a proven people leader with experience managing and developing project management teams in a complex, matrixed organization. The ideal candidate will bring a strong background in analytical instrumentation, scientific instruments, chemical analyzers, industrial instrumentation, or related engineered hardware products manufactured in regulated environments.

We are specifically seeking candidates who have successfully led project management organizations supporting the development and manufacturing of sophisticated instrumentation products, from concept through commercialization.

The Senior Manager, Program Management is part of the Chemical Analysis Division (CAD) within the Analytical Instrumentation Group (AIG) and reports to the Director of the CAD Program Management Office. CAD develops and manufactures a diverse portfolio of analytical instruments and associated services serving markets including Environmental, Food Safety, Energy, Mining, Safety & Security, Life Sciences Manufacturing, and Recycling. Our products are highly engineered systems deployed in laboratories, industrial settings, and production environments where performance, reliability, and ease of use are critical.

What You Will Do

PMO Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, mentor, and develop a team of Project Managers, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Drive employee engagement, performance management, talent development, succession planning, and career growth within the PMO.
• Establish best practices and standardized project management methodologies, tools, metrics, and governance processes.
• Build organizational capability by developing project management competencies across the business.

Program & Portfolio Leadership

• Lead a portfolio of complex New Product Introduction (NPI) programs for analytical instrumentation products.
• Ensure successful execution of program objectives through effective management of scope, schedule, resources, risks, and budgets.
• Partner closely with executive leadership, General Managers, R&D, Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Product Management, and Commercial teams.
• Drive cross-functional alignment and decision-making across global, matrixed teams.
• Identify program risks and implement mitigation strategies to ensure successful product launches and business outcomes.
• Manage change control processes and ensure alignment with quality, regulatory, and operational requirements.
• Deliver executive-level program reporting and portfolio reviews.

Minimum Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• PMP certification preferred.
• 8+ years of project/program management experience within a manufacturing environment.
• Required: Minimum 3+ years of direct people management experience leading Project Managers or Program Managers within an analytical instrumentation, scientific instrumentation, laboratory equipment, or related manufacturing environment.
• Experience leading project portfolios and cross-functional teams in a global matrix organization.

Industry Experience

• Analytical instrumentation
• Chemical analyzers
• Scientific instruments
• Laboratory equipment
• Process analytical technologies
• Industrial instrumentation
• Life sciences instrumentation
• Medical devices with complex hardware development and manufacturing

Strong preference will be given to candidates with experience supporting the development and manufacturing of analytical instruments, chemical analyzers, spectroscopy systems, chromatography systems, elemental analysis equipment, or similar engineered products.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Demonstrated success leading and developing high-performing teams.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Expertise in New Product Introduction (NPI) and product development lifecycle management.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations and product commercialization.
• Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to balance strategic priorities with day-to-day operational execution.
• Proven track record of delivering complex programs on time and within scope.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Project, Teams, Excel, and portfolio management tools.