• Role Summary:

  • Accountable for generation and maintenance of study/project schedules and study/project resource forecasts within the company system to support entire global Research Unit (RU) and Business Units’ entire portfolio.
  • Ensure project plans are created the company system based on defined global configuration, standards & target timing goals.
  • Interface with protocol team members as well as others lines within DevOps and Alliance Partners, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Drug Safety Research & Development and across Worldwide Research and Development and the Business Units.
  • Responsible for maintaining accurate schedule, resource and budget information within systems used for portfolio metrics, resource management, and portfolio reporting.
  • Produce various levels of schedules/plans and other related reports to support project teams as well as management.
  • Responsible for performing project critical path analyses, scenario planning of timelines & resource demand within & across protocols to enable optimum use of resources & efficient delivery of project milestones. 
  • Play a key supportive role in scenario planning, building schedules and forecasting associated development costs that depict various development options

  Responsibility:

  Responsible for performing important project planning activities in support of team deliverables and the GPD portfolio. To effectively execute the primary responsibilities, Project Planner Assistant may work within a cross-functional team environment supporting moderately complex projects but may also assist a more senior Project Planner or CPM in support of more complex project deliverables.  The colleague partners with the CPM and team members in support of Development, Operations, and Commercial project team members and partner line representatives to create project schedules that enable effective planning and ensure project delivery.  The colleague must possess knowledge of the principles and concepts of project management.  The colleague is expected to apply technical and team knowledge along with scheduling knowledge to contribute to the achievement of team and GPD deliverables.

  Planning/Controlling (Scheduling and Resource Management)

  • Partners with Project Planner Manager and Project Manager in Alliance Partners to create study/project plans that enable effective planning and forecasting of FTE and dollar resources, (including high level and detailed schedules as appropriate) in the company system.
  • Directly accountable for coordinating, monitoring and reporting study/project schedule to enable alignment of line and project resources.
  • Accountable for accurate and timely updates to study level project schedules and resource information to enable the preferential use of resource in Pfizer Clinical Research Units (PCRUs), Alliance Partners (AP) and biometrics functions at CRDC.
  • Raises schedule conflict issues appropriately for resolution.
  • Directly participate in and contribute to functional and cross-functional teams to discuss, review, and optimize protocol/project/program schedules, and resource management plans.
  • Monitors progress of project activities towards next project milestone, anticipates and highlights potential variances, supports line/team in critical path analyses and understanding the impact, works with the DD/COSTL/OL/Asset Planner and the project team to identify/recommend solutions to schedule risk.
  • Performs scenario planning of project timelines within and across protocols and across disease area/portfolio to enable optimum use of local, global, and outsourced resources to ensure efficient delivery of project milestones

  Analysis and Reporting

  • Produces what-if scenario analyses (base, optimistic and pessimistic development) based on context obtained from project team members (e.g. PPM, Medicinal Sciences, CS&O, DSRD, Commercial).  Decisions taken by the team based on these analyses may impact project delivery, costs, and resource requirements.
  • Produces what-if scenario analyses (base, optimistic and pessimistic development) based on context derived from the Operations Lead and project team members (e.g. Pharmaceutical Sciences, Clinical, DSRD, Development Operations, Commercial GIP/GEP/VOC, etc).
  • Responsible for quality of schedule and resource flag data through review of quality reports and monitoring/management of such data with the team/line members
  • Provides timely reporting to line managers, COSTLs and study teams, alerting them to the possibility of endangered/missed or conflicting milestones, as well as critical path activities.
  • Ensures regular information updates, analysis and interpretation ofplanning and forecasting to project teams, portfolio operations, platforms lines and management teams.
  • Facilitate use of existing reporting tools by customer base e.g. Business Objects, Spotfire, OnePager Pro & Express.

  Process

  • Partner with the COSTLs and study team to identify opportunities and potential solutions to realize efficiency in the development process.

  Responsible for performing important project planning activities in support of team deliverables and the GPD portfolio. To effectively execute the primary responsibilities, Project Planner Assistant may work within a cross-functional team environment supporting moderately complex projects but may also assist a more senior Project Planner or CPM in support of more complex project deliverables.  The colleague partners with the CPM and team members in support of Development, Operations, and Commercial project team members and partner line representatives to create project schedules that enable effective planning and ensure project delivery.  The colleague must possess knowledge of the principles and concepts of project management.  The colleague is expected to apply technical and team knowledge along with scheduling knowledge to contribute to the achievement of team and GPD deliverables.

  Planning/Controlling (Scheduling and Resource Management)

  • Partners with Project Planner Manager and Project Manager in Alliance Partners to create study/project plans that enable effective planning and forecasting of FTE and dollar resources, (including high level and detailed schedules as appropriate) in the company system.
  • Directly accountable for coordinating, monitoring and reporting study/project schedule to enable alignment of line and project resources.
  • Accountable for accurate and timely updates to study level project schedules and resource information to enable the preferential use of resource in Pfizer Clinical Research Units (PCRUs), Alliance Partners (AP) and biometrics functions at CRDC.
  • Raises schedule conflict issues appropriately for resolution.
  • Directly participate in and contribute to functional and cross-functional teams to discuss, review, and optimize protocol/project/program schedules, and resource management plans.
  • Monitors progress of project activities towards next project milestone, anticipates and highlights potential variances, supports line/team in critical path analyses and understanding the impact, works with the DD/COSTL/OL/Asset Planner and the project team to identify/recommend solutions to schedule risk.
  • Performs scenario planning of project timelines within and across protocols and across disease area/portfolio to enable optimum use of local, global, and outsourced resources to ensure efficient delivery of project milestones.
     

  Analysis and Reporting

  • Produces what-if scenario analyses (base, optimistic and pessimistic development) based on context obtained from project team members (e.g. PPM, Medicinal Sciences, CS&O, DSRD, Commercial).  Decisions taken by the team based on these analyses may impact project delivery, costs, and resource requirements.
  • Produces what-if scenario analyses (base, optimistic and pessimistic development) based on context derived from the Operations Lead and project team members (e.g. Pharmaceutical Sciences, Clinical, DSRD, Development Operations, Commercial GIP/GEP/VOC, etc).
  • Responsible for quality of schedule and resource flag data through review of quality reports and monitoring/management of such data with the team/line members
  • Provides timely reporting to line managers, COSTLs and study teams, alerting them to the possibility of endangered/missed or conflicting milestones, as well as critical path activities.
  • Ensures regular information updates, analysis and interpretation of planning and forecasting to project teams, portfolio operations, platforms lines and management teams.
  • Facilitate use of existing reporting tools by customer base e.g. Business Objects, Spotfire, OnePager Pro & Express.

  Process

  • Partner with the COSTLs and study team to identify opportunities and potential solutions to realize efficiency in the development process.

           

  Qualifications (Training, Education & Prior Experience)

  Education

  • Bachelor's degree in one of the disciplines related to drug development or equivalent business experience is preferred

  Experience

  • At least 1 year previous project planning or related experience.
  • At least 1 year experience in the development of ethical pharmaceuticals within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries is preferred
  • Trained/experienced in negotiation, facilitation and managing matrix team dynamics

  Beneficial Relevant Capabilities

  • Experienced with planning and resource forecasting tools (MS Project; MS Excel; Planisware)
  • Experienced user of Business Intelligence Reporting Tools (e.g. Business Objects, Spotfire)
  • Trained/experienced in negotiation, facilitation and managing matrix team dynamics.
  • Proven track record of planning or managing complex projects
  • Demonstrated understanding of the key activities associated with developing a realistic project schedule including: activity duration estimation, sequencing, establishment of interdependencies and critical path analysis

Pfizer is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable equal employment opportunity legislation in each jurisdiction in which it operates.