Senior Creative Project Manager

Senior Creative Project Manager - Pharmaceutical Advertising Agency (PM III)

Location: Mettawa, IL
Employment Type: Full-Time Contract (12 Months to start)
Work Arrangement: Hybrid - 3 Days Onsite (T, W, TR) / 2 Days Remote (M&F)
Schedule: Monday-Friday | 40 Hours per Week

$40-$44.50/hr based on benefit selections

We are seeking an experienced Senior Creative Project Manager to support an internal pharmaceutical advertising agency in Mettawa, IL.

This individual will work closely with Account Managers, Creative Teams, and cross-functional stakeholders to coordinate the development and execution of pharmaceutical marketing and promotional materials across print, digital, and video channels.

The ideal candidate brings recent advertising agency experience, pharmaceutical marketing knowledge, and strong creative project management capabilities. This role requires excellent communication, organization, and attention to detail, along with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain project momentum in a high-volume, deadline-driven agency environment.

Key Responsibilities
Creative Project Management & Execution

• Coordinate creative projects from initiation and kickoff through development, internal review, approvals, production, and final archiving.
• Develop, maintain, and update detailed project timelines, milestones, deliverables, and deadlines.
• Manage the trafficking and coordination of print, digital, and video marketing materials through established agency workflows.
• Collaborate with internal departments to ensure timely project handoffs, approvals, and completion.
• Track project progress, identify potential delays, and proactively communicate timeline changes or risks.
• Help ensure projects are delivered on schedule, within established budgets, and in accordance with quality and compliance expectations.
• Maintain accurate project documentation, status updates, and daily time tracking.

Agency Operations & Stakeholder Collaboration

• Partner closely with assigned Account Managers to coordinate daily agency activities and support relationships with pharmaceutical brand teams.
• Collaborate with Creative, Account Management, Production, and other cross-functional teams to align project expectations and deliverables.
• Facilitate clear, timely, and accurate communication regarding project timelines, status, priorities, and next steps.
• Support multiple concurrent projects while balancing shifting priorities and competing deadlines.
• Promote effective collaboration and accountability throughout the creative development process.

Pharmaceutical Marketing & Compliance

• Support pharmaceutical promotional material development in accordance with corporate branding guidelines and compliance requirements.
• Coordinate materials through established medical, legal, and regulatory (MLR) review and approval processes.
• Work with pharmaceutical promotional review platforms, including Veeva PromoMats, as applicable.
• Ensure project deliverables follow agency workflow requirements, including necessary approvals, production procedures, and archiving.
• Maintain adherence to company-wide financial policies and established agency procedures.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 5-10 years of advertising agency experience, including recent agency experience within the past 3-5 years.
• 1-5 years of pharmaceutical-specific experience within an advertising agency environment.
• Strong understanding of advertising agency workflows, creative development, project trafficking, and production processes.
• Experience coordinating print, digital, and video marketing deliverables.
• Knowledge of pharmaceutical promotional material development, corporate branding guidelines, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize multiple projects and deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively in a high-volume, fast-paced, and highly collaborative environment.
• Detail-oriented, proactive, positive, and comfortable working in a high-visibility role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous project management experience within a pharmaceutical advertising agency.
• Experience with Veeva PromoMats and pharmaceutical MLR review workflows.
• Experience partnering with pharmaceutical brand teams and internal creative departments.
• Familiarity with creative project tracking, workflow management, and approval systems.
• Experience coordinating multiple concurrent creative projects from kickoff through final delivery.

Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate is an experienced advertising agency professional who combines strong organizational skills with a collaborative, solutions-oriented approach. They understand the demands of pharmaceutical promotional marketing, communicate effectively across creative and account teams, and can confidently coordinate multiple projects while maintaining deadlines, quality, and compliance.

Recent advertising agency experience and pharmaceutical-specific marketing exposure are essential for success in this role.