AMEA Insect Control Project Manager

• Lead regional Insect Control portfolio of projects, within AMEA & JANZ Crop Protection Development (CPD), including new active ingredients and product life cycle management projects
• Ensure delivery of projects in line with strategic drivers, within agreed timelines and budget, and according to company R&D governance framework
• Work in partnership with Head Project & Portfolio Management, portfolio operations manager and marketing portfolio lead to define regional development priorities for insect control product line
• Business partner at cross-functional project development forums and insect control product line leadership teams (regional, global)

• Lead and ensure delivery of special projects/initiatives as needed, including business improvement initiatives, digital transformation, new business opportunities
• Enable decision making that is fact-based and focused on Value Over Investment (VOI); leads Portfolio Leadership Teams to assemble complete, consistent, and reliable overviews, insights, and recommendations on projects in a form that serves review bodies such as the AMEA Development Committee (DeCo), R&D Functional Leadership Teams or Country/Regional PLT’s in assessing projects. Conduct formal reviews of progress at agreed stage gates in the Stage Plan

Accountabilities: 

• Lead and deliver the agreed CPD portfolio of projects for Insect Control new active ingredients and product life cycle management projects across the region
• Manage resource deployment, risk profile and clarity on project progress and delivery to milestones and budget
• Lead regional multi-functional project teams to proactively identify, document, and manage project risks, issues, and opportunities for rigorous control of product development
• Represent regional positions and requirements in global development teams for new active ingredient and product development
• Lead projects through established stage gate promotion governance process at Regional and Global levels; ensure documentation for stage promotions are well prepared and archived; and ensure appropriate stakeholder engagement with technical and commercial stakeholders before governance body review
• Work in partnership with Head Project & Portfolio Management, portfolio operations manager and marketing portfolio lead to define regional development priorities for disease control products in line with strategic drivers.
• Provide transparency of development costs and business value of managed projects in project and portfolio management IT tools to enable fact-based, timely decision making and portfolio reporting
• Promote global standards, methodology, tools and ways of working aimed at managing and reducing complexity and increasing effectiveness and efficiency in operations
• Lead and ensure delivery of regional special projects/initiatives as needed
• Collaborate with portfolio managers in successful implementation & running of Regional Insect Control PLT.

• Science degree to MSci level; Agronomy, Biology or Chemistry background preferred; Additional qualifications in finance/business administration/MBA
• Advanced project management training, such as PMP (Project Management Professional) or equivalent qualification is desirable
• At least 7 years of project / program / portfolio management experience, proven track record of managing large development projects
• Hands on business experience preferably in agrichemicals/life sciences/chemicals
• An excellent communicator, able to use different styles to influence and build effective relationships at both working and senior levels
• Good interpersonal skills and capability to operate effectively in a matrix organization
• Rigor in fact finding, ability to set clear objectives and to define how to reach them, create accountabilities for project team members and willingness to review and react
• Strong organization skills
• Strong facilitation skills to plan and manage effective meetings and decision making
• Ability to think and work in complex structures
• Adept at working with diverse and remote teams

Knowledge and technical capabilities

• Fluent in English
• Proven record in the application of project and/or portfolio management methodologies
• Technically competent with a broad-based science knowledge, ability to learn quickly to understand CPD activities and the resources required to deliver them
• Good understanding of Agrichemical business strategies and principles of value creation for growers, especially in the disease control segment, is a plus
• Broad knowledge of the Syngenta business gained through experience in a range of different roles and functions is a plus
• Broad knowledge of or ability/interest to quickly learn the use of digital technologies for product development in Agribusiness
• Broad knowledge of or ability/interest to quickly learn supporting IT tools (SmartChoice, QlikView, SmartSheet)
• Change management experience