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Manager - Program Management

Catalent · Madison, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 28, 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

This role leads multiple complex programs and guides other program managers. Tell me about how you have led a portfolio of client programs.

What they are checking: Whether they have managed several programs at once and coached others doing the same work.

Tell me about a time a major program was at risk of failing. What did you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can lead recovery under pressure while keeping the client informed honestly.

Tell me about a time you pushed back on a client's demand. How did it go?

What they are checking: Whether they can protect the site and the program while keeping the client relationship intact.

How do you keep your team from burning out when they are managing heavy client demands?

What they are checking: Whether they notice workload problems and manage them, so good program managers stay.

What would you do

How do you coach a program manager who is struggling to keep a client happy?

What they are checking: Whether they can develop people by helping them diagnose problems rather than taking over the client.

Two clients both need the same manufacturing slot. How do you work toward a decision?

What they are checking: Whether they bring facts and options to leadership and handle the client conversations with care.

How do you build trust with a new client during the first month of a program?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that early clear communication and kept promises set the tone for the whole program.

About the work

How do you decide which risks across your programs need to go to site leadership?

What they are checking: Whether they escalate the right things at the right time instead of everything or nothing.

How do you track the financial health of a program portfolio, including revenue and change orders?

What they are checking: Whether they manage the business side of programs, which matters greatly at a CDMO.

What standards or tools would you put in place to make program management consistent across the team?

What they are checking: Whether they can build repeatable processes so clients get the same quality from any program manager.

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The full job description

As published by Catalent.

Manager - Program Management Position Summary: • Shift: M-F 8am-5pm • Location: Madison, WI • 100% Onsite Catalent’s Madison, Wisconsin site is a state‑of‑the‑art biologics development and manufacturing facility supporting customers from research through early‑ and mid‑stage clinical production. Located at 726 Heartland Trail in Madison, the approximately 102,700‑square‑foot GMP facility specializes in mammalian cell line engineering, drug substance biomanufacturing, and biopharmaceutical development, utilizing flexible single‑use systems to enable rapid scale‑up and customization. The site is home to Catalent’s proprietary GPEx® and GPEx® Lightning technologies, which are used to generate high‑yielding mammalian cell lines for biologic therapies, and supports production scales ranging from 50 to 4,000 liters for clinical manufacturing. Following a $45 million expansion announced in 2025, the Madison site has significantly increased capacity, added new equipment, and created approximately 200 highly skilled biohealth jobs, further strengthening its role within Catalent’s global biologics network and Wisconsin’s growing life sciences ecosystem. We have an opportunity for a Manager - Program Management to join our team and lead multiple complex programs while ensuring delivery on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. This role involves guiding and supporting program teams, fostering collaboration, and maintaining strong client relationships. You will play a key role in driving financial performance, resource planning, and strategic initiatives while promoting innovative solutions and best practices. This is a dynamic position for someone who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about program excellence. The Role • Lead and deliver multiple complex programs simultaneously, ensuring objectives are achieved on time, within budget, scope, and quality expectations. • Provide leadership, mentorship, and performance oversight for Program Managers, Associate Program Managers, Coordinators, and other PM team members while fostering employee engagement and development. • Drive financial performance, resource planning, workload allocation, and issue resolution, balancing immediate program needs with long-term business and client objectives. • Partner with business development and cross-functional teams to ensure program readiness, successful execution, and alignment from the earliest stages of client engagement. • Build and maintain strong client relationships through proactive communication, effective expectation management, and serving as a key liaison between clients and internal teams. • Champion program management best practices, innovative problem-solving, and continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational effectiveness and adapt to evolving requirements. • Contribute to strategic PM leadership initiatives, including process improvement, team growth, recruiting, training, and development of a high-performing project management organization. The Candidate Minimum Requirements • Bachelor of Science in Science or Engineering, or equivalent combination of education and experience required. Advanced degree (Master of Science, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Philosophy) is preferred. • 8 years of experience in project management, pharmaceutical industry or an equivalent combination of education and experience. A portion of experience must be in a program management capacity with emphasis on external client interactions. • Working knowledge of Biologics Cell Culture, Purification and/or Analytics preferred. • Project Management Professional or Project Management certification or course work preferred. • Experience in Pharma/Biotech or other current Good Manufacturing Practice environment preferred. • Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices, Food and Drug Administration regulations and documentation procedures. • Clear understanding of Catalent and offerings. • Experience working across Catalent sites. • Experience managing direct reports preferred. • Demonstrable leadership experience at Catalent (including but not limited to participation in Catalent‑sponsored leadership programs such as NGGL, GOLD, LEAD Now, GM Excellence, and GROW) may be considered in place of external experience. Preferred Skills & Background • People leadership and performance management experience. • Proven ability to develop and grow team members. • Experience in pharmaceutical or biologics industry. • Strong background in customer engagement and relationship management. Why You Should Join Catalent • Defined career path with annual performance reviews and feedback process. • Diverse and inclusive culture. • Potential for career growth on an expanding team within an organization dedicated to preserving and bettering lives. • Competitive paid time off plus 8 paid holidays. • Community engagement and green initiatives. • Medical, dental, and vision benefits effective day one of employment. • Tuition reimbursement. Catalent offers rewarding opportunities to further your career! Join the global drug development and delivery leader and help us bring over 7,000 life-saving and life-enhancing products to patients around the world. Catalent is an exciting and growing international company where employees work directly with pharma, biopharma and consumer health companies of all sizes to advance new medicines from early development to clinical trials and to the market. Catalent produces more than 70 billion doses per year, and each one will be used by someone who is counting on us. Join us in making a difference. personal initiative. dynamic pace. meaningful work. Visit Catalent Careers to explore career opportunities. Catalent is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and veterans. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, you may submit your request by sending an email, and confirming your request for an accommodation and include the job number, title and location to DisabilityAccommodations@catalent.com . This option is reserved for individuals who require accommodation due to a disability. Information received will be processed by a U.S. Catalent employee and then routed to a local recruiter who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the application or hiring process. Notice to Agency and Search Firm Representatives: Catalent Pharma Solutions (Catalent) is not accepting unsolicited resumes from agencies and/or search firms for this job posting. Resumes submitted to any Catalent employee by a third party agency and/or search firm without a valid written & signed search agreement, will become the sole property of Catalent. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired for this position as a result of an unsolicited agency or search firm referral. Thank you. Important Security Notice to U.S. Job Seekers: Catalent NEVER asks candidates to provide any type of payment, bank details, photocopies of identification, social security number or other highly sensitive personal information during the offer process, and we NEVER do so via email or social media. If you receive any such request, DO NOT respond— it is a fraudulent request. Please forward such requests to spam@catalent.com for us to investigate with local authorities. California Job Seekers can find our California Job Applicant Notice HERE . Volunteer Work Disclosure: Applicants for employment in Massachusetts may include in their employment history any verified work performed on a volunteer basis. Massachusetts Lie Detector Test Notice: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law may be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Consistent with Massachusetts law, Catalent does not require or administer lie detector tests as a condition of employment or continued employment.

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