Project Director

Dako is in the process of building a professional project culture. They are looking for an experienced Project Director to help them drive this exciting process by leading one of their major projects.
The successful candidate will manage and lead large, complex development projects of integrated systems for use in clinical and research laboratories. The initial project is in the area of staining systems; future projects could be in other products areas such as image analysis, sorting or analyzer systems.
The Project Director will join the Corporate Project Management Office, a team of six enthusiastic employees in the US and Denmark. The position will report to the head of the Corporate Project Management Office. The position will be located in Carpinteria, CA.

Responsibilities Include:
• Leading complex, cross-functional projects from the idea stage until the product is successfully commercialized and handed-over to the line organization.
• Managing projects in accordance with Dako’s project model and quality system, delivering results on time, at budget and at the agreed upon quality level.
• Ensuring the developed product meets market needs.
• Ensuring close project collaboration between R&D, Marketing, Sales, Operations and Regulatory Affairs etc, both in Denmark and the US as well as with the relevant sales offices.
• Ensuring that the resources required for the Project are available in cooperation with Line Management.
• Managing the relationship with partners and sub-contractors to ensure delivery in line with milestones and quality criteria.
• Managing both internal and external stakeholder relations.
• Coaching project team members and other project managers to improve their project management skills.

As a member of the Corporate Project Management Office team, the Project Director will also:
• Serve as line manager for a group of project managers in Corporate Project Management Office
• Act as an ambassador for the project culture and a role model for other project managers.
• Actively participate in the further development of the project culture, including providing recommendations for improvement of the project model.
• Long-term approximately 25% travel including US and some international travel will be required.
REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor’s degree in related field required, Master’s degree preferred, Project management certification, Minimum of 5 years of documented experience in successfully managing large and complex projects and portfolios of projects, Thorough understanding of and experience using a variety of project management methods and tools, including planning, leadership, risk management and stakeholder management, Innate understanding of the mechanisms of projects and project life cycles, Advanced project management certification.

Experience in leadership under difficult situations, Experience in coaching and developing project managers, Global mindset and experience in working in an international environment, Excellent organizational capabilities and a good understanding of business and strategy relevant to project and project portfolio management, Ability to work analytically and systematically, Experience in product development in the medical diagnostics or pharmaceutical field preferred.