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Associate Director, Project & Program Management

Wolters Kluwer · Madison, WI · $111,200–$198,650 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 22, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you took a loose set of portfolio priorities and turned them into one integrated plan that several functions actually followed.

What they are checking: Whether they can convert strategy into owned, sequenced work rather than just restating the priorities in a nicer slide.

Describe a cross-functional program that slipped. What did you see first, and what did you do about it?

What they are checking: Whether they catch slippage early through dependencies and leading signals rather than discovering it at the deadline.

Tell me about a time you influenced a functional leader who did not report to you and did not agree with the plan.

What they are checking: Their ability to lead through influence, which is the main lever a program leader has across Marketing, Finance and Legal.

What would you do

Product wants to launch a line extension next quarter, Legal has open questions, and Finance has not approved resourcing. How do you move it forward?

What they are checking: How they surface a blocked decision to the right owner instead of quietly absorbing the delay.

This role supports planning for market line extensions but does not own business development or customer relationships. How would you work inside that boundary?

What they are checking: Whether they respect a defined scope and can add value through readiness work without stepping on commercial owners.

How do you decide which initiatives get resources when Product, Sales and Customer Success all say theirs is the priority?

What they are checking: Whether they use a transparent prioritization method and escalate trade-offs instead of picking winners by personality.

You inherit a portfolio with no consistent intake process and dozens of half-started projects. What do you do in your first 90 days?

What they are checking: How they bring operating discipline to a messy portfolio without stalling work that is already delivering.

About the work

What does a good governance cadence look like for a product growth portfolio, and how do you keep it from becoming meetings for the sake of meetings?

What they are checking: Whether they design governance around decisions and risks, which is what senior leaders here want visibility into.

How do you show senior leaders progress, risk, dependencies and resourcing on one page without hiding the bad news?

What they are checking: Whether their status reporting is honest and decision-ready, since the role exists to give leaders clear visibility.

What does organizational readiness mean to you for a product launch in a pharmacy and health technology business?

What they are checking: Whether they think past delivery to training, support, sales enablement and compliance being ready when the product ships.

How do you measure whether a program actually delivered value after it closed?

What they are checking: Whether they track performance outcomes after delivery, which the posting names as part of the full program lifecycle.

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The full job description

As published by Wolters Kluwer.

BASIC FUNCTION – JOB PROFILE SUMMARY The Associate Director, Portfolio Acceleration is a high-visibility program management and product operations leadership role within the Pharmacy and Health Technology (PHT) Product Growth team. The role translates portfolio priorities into coordinated programs, establishes the governance and operating discipline required for execution, and provides senior leaders with clear visibility into progress, risks, dependencies, resources, and decisions. Working across functional leaders in Product, Technology, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Legal, and Customer Success, the Associate Director leads complex cross-functional initiatives, strengthens portfolio planning and delivery, and improves organizational readiness. The role will also support internal assessment and execution planning for market line extensions and expanded use cases, but does not own external business development, customer relationships, or direct selling activities. ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND KEY RESPONSIBILITIES The Associate Director facilitates portfolio program management within the Pharmacy and Health Technology product growth organization. The role converts organizational priorities into integrated plans, aligns work across functions, establishes governance and operating cadences, and drives execution from initiation through delivery, organizational readiness, and performance review. As a secondary responsibility, the role coordinates internal planning and execution for market line extensions and expanded use cases by aligning cross-functional inputs, timelines, dependencies, readiness activities, and leadership decisions. Success requires executive-level communication, strong cross-functional leadership, disciplined program and portfolio management, operational judgment, roadmap and dependency coordination, KPI management, process improvement, and the ability to drive accountability in a complex matrixed organization. The Associate Director regularly advises and collaborates with senior product directors and functional leaders, facilitates portfolio decisions, supports prioritization and resource allocation, and recommends improvements to planning, governance, product delivery, and organizational effectiveness. Key Responsibilities • Lead complex, cross-functional programs that advance portfolio priorities, product delivery, launch readiness, operational improvements, and strategic initiatives. • Translate leadership priorities into integrated program plans with clear scope, ownership, milestones, dependencies, resources, risks, decisions, and success measures. • Establish and manage portfolio governance, decision forums, operating cadences, standards, and repeatable processes that improve transparency, accountability, and execution predictability. • Partner with senior product directors and functional leaders across Product, Technology, Marketing, Sales, Finance, Legal, Customer Success, and Operations to align priorities, sequencing, resources, and execution. • Support Product Leaders in communicating product roadmaps across functions, identifying dependencies and execution considerations, and evaluating potential market line extensions that can contribute to business growth. • Define, standardize, and manage portfolio-level KPIs, reporting, and performance reviews covering delivery, readiness, adoption, initiative health, and business outcomes. • Prepare and present concise portfolio, program, performance, risk, and decision updates that enable timely action by senior leadership. • Anticipate and remove cross-functional barriers, manage complex risks and interdependencies, and escalate decisions required to maintain delivery commitments. • Lead continuous improvement of portfolio planning, program management, commercialization, delivery models, tools, reporting, and ways of working. OTHER DUTIES • Lead, facilitate, or participate in leadership forums and working sessions required to advance portfolio, program, delivery, and operational priorities. • Complete required corporate training and participate in company initiatives and performance planning activities. • Perform other duties and lead special, strategic projects as assigned. JOB QUALIFICATIONS Education: Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience required. MBA preferred. Experience: • 10 or more years of experience in enterprise program management, product operations, portfolio management, product delivery, or a related discipline. • Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional programs from strategy and planning through execution, organizational readiness, and measurable results. • Experience establishing governance, operating cadences, integrated plans, portfolio KPIs, executive reporting, roadmap coordination, and process improvements. • Proven ability to advise, influence, and build credibility with senior product directors and functional leaders while mobilizing teams without direct authority in a matrixed organization. • Strong operational judgment, analytical capability, facilitation, communication, and decision-making skills in ambiguous environments. • Healthcare, healthcare technology, pharmacy, clinical content, or experience in a similarly complex regulated environment preferred. Other Knowledge, Skills, Abilities or Certifications: • Program Leadership: Converts strategic priorities into integrated programs and drives delivery across multiple functions and workstreams. • Product Operations: Establishes governance, operating cadences, standards, tools, and repeatable processes that strengthen organizational execution. • Cross-Functional Leadership: Aligns senior stakeholders, clarifies accountability, facilitates decisions, and drives execution without direct authority. • Portfolio Planning: Aligns priorities, roadmaps, dependencies, sequencing, capacity, and resource needs across product and functional teams. • Performance Management: Defines and communicates KPIs, program health measures, readiness criteria, and business outcomes. • Risk and Dependency Management: Anticipates barriers, resolves cross-functional issues, and escalates decisions required to protect commitments. • Continuous Improvement: Identifies and implements improvements to planning, delivery, reporting, decision making, and ways of working. • Executive Communication: Presents complex information clearly, frames recommendations, and enables timely leadership decisions. TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS Up to 20% Our Interview Practices To maintain a fair and genuine hiring process, we kindly ask that all candidates participate in interviews without the assistance of AI tools or external prompts. Our interview process is designed to assess your individual skills, experiences, and communication style. We value authenticity and want to ensure we’re getting to know you—not a digital assistant. To help maintain this integrity, we ask to remove virtual backgrounds and include in-person interviews in our hiring process. Please note that use of AI-generated responses or third-party support during interviews will be grounds for disqualification from the recruitment process. Applicants may be required to appear onsite at a Wolters Kluwer office as part of the recruitment process. Compensation: $111,200.00 - $198,650.00 USD This role is eligible for Bonus. Compensation range listed is based on primary location of the position. Actual base salary offer is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skills, experience and actual hiring location. Your recruiter can share more information about the specific offer for the job location during the hiring process. Additional Information : Wolters Kluwer offers a wide variety of competitive benefits and programs to help meet your needs and balance your work and personal life, including but not limited to: Medical, Dental, & Vision Plans, 401(k), FSA/HSA, Commuter Benefits, Tuition Assistance Plan, Vacation and Sick Time, and Paid Parental Leave. Full details of our benefits are available upon request.

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