R&D Functional Matrix Project Manager

Location: Indianapolis, IN

Time Type: Full time

Job Description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

As the R&D Functional Matrix Project Manager, you will be a central driver in advancing Elanco's pipeline of innovative veterinary products. In this role, you'll partner across our global Research and Development organization to oversee strategic initiatives and ensure they are delivered on schedule and within resource constraints. You will implement consistent, high-quality project management practices and ultimately accelerate the delivery of solutions that improve animal health.

Your Responsibilities:

• Lead the execution of global R&D strategic initiatives from initiation through completion, ensuring projects are delivered on time and within scope.
• Serve as the central communication hub, facilitating project meetings, documenting key decisions, and providing clear status updates to team members, stakeholders, and executive sponsors.
• Manage project schedules, performance risks, and success metrics using MS Project and other standard tools to support business planning and reporting.
• Build relationships and influence cross-functional partners to drive project milestones, anticipate and resolve complex problems, and balance competing priorities in a dynamic matrix environment.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Bachelor's Degree (scientific field preferred)
• Experience: A minimum of 3-5 years of project management experience within the drug development lifecycle, including an understanding of the regulatory submission process.
• Top Skills: Demonstrated expertise in influencing cross-functional teams and external partners; proven ability to manage complex project schedules, negotiate effectively, and communicate with clarity to all levels of the organization.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Project Management Professional (PMP) and/or Lean Six Sigma certifications.
• Direct experience in the veterinary product development industry.
• Proven ability to quickly learn and leverage new IT systems and tools, with a strong competency in AI literacy.
• Previous experience in an operations-focused role.
• Master's degree in a relevant scientific or business field.

Additional Information:

• Travel: May have up to 10%
• Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN - Hybrid Work Environment

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.