Associate Project Manager

Associate Project Manager, China

ICON plc is a world-leading healthcare intelligence and clinical research organization. We’re proud to foster an inclusive environment driving innovation and excellence, and we welcome you to join us on our mission to shape the future of clinical development.

We are currently seeking an Associate Project Manager to join our diverse and dynamic team. As an Associate Project Manager in the Language Services department at ICON, you will support the execution of translation projects for pharmaceutical and clinical clients. You will take ownership of small to mid-sized projects with increasing autonomy, serving as a primary contact for internal teams and clients. Your responsibilities will span from gathering and defining client requirements to ensuring timely, high-quality delivery, while contributing to process improvement and operational excellence.

What you will be doing

• Recognize, exemplify and adhere to ICON's values which centers around our commitment to People, Clients and Performance.
• Embrace and contribute to a culture of continuous process improvement, streamlining workflows, adding value, and meeting client needs.
• Act as a key point of contact for assigned clients, gathering project requirements, ensuring smooth project initiation, and managing expectations throughout the project lifecycle.
• Independently manage small to mid-sized translation projects end-to-end, ensuring alignment with client expectations, timelines, budgets, and quality standards.
• Define project tasks, monitor progress, track milestones, and proactively manage risks, escalating when necessary.
• Coordinate effectively with internal teams to ensure seamless execution and communication.
• Contribute to internal and client-facing reporting, performance tracking, and issue resolution.
• Supports quality control activities within project workflows, including adherence to quality standards, review processes, and documentation requirements to ensure deliverables meet client and regulatory expectations.
• Participates in quality investigations, applying methodologies such as 5 Whys or Root Cause Analysis (RCA) to identify causes of issues and support the implementation of corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs).
• Assist in evaluating and adopting automation and technology-driven solutions to improve project efficiency and quality.
• Maintain current knowledge of industry trends, client landscapes, and regulatory considerations relevant to language services in the life sciences sector.
• Support cross-functional collaboration and help grow ICON’s Language Services offering through relationship-building and operational integration.
• Share expertise and contribute to the training and mentoring of junior staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Your profile

• 1-3 years of experience in project management within translation, localization, or language services.
• Experience with Life Sciences translation projects (pharmaceutical, medical device, clinical, or biotech) a PLUS
• Excellent communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders.
• Native/professional/advanced spoken & written proficiency in Simplified Chinese, supplemented with fluent English skills.
• Proficiency in CAT tools, translation management systems, and project tracking software.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and other document formats (e.g., PDFs, XML, PowerPoint).
• High level of attention to detail for ensuring quality and accuracy throughout project execution and delivery.

What ICON can offer you:
Our success depends on the quality of our people. That’s why we’ve made it a priority to build a diverse culture that rewards high performance and nurtures talent.

In addition to your competitive salary, ICON offers a range of additional benefits. Our benefits are designed to be competitive within each country and are focused on well-being and work life balance opportunities for you and your family.

Our benefits examples include:

• Various annual leave entitlements
• A range of health insurance offerings to suit you and your family’s needs.
• Competitive retirement planning offerings to maximize savings and plan with confidence for the years ahead.
• Global Employee Assistance Programme, LifeWorks, offering 24-hour access to a global network of over 80,000 independent specialized professionals who are there to support you and your family’s well-being.
• Life assurance
• Flexible country-specific optional benefits, including childcare vouchers, bike purchase schemes, discounted gym memberships, subsidized travel passes, health assessments, among others.

Visit our careers site to read more about the benefits ICON offers.

At ICON, inclusion & belonging are fundamental to our culture and values. We’re dedicated to providing an inclusive and accessible environment for all candidates. ICON is committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.

If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, or in order to perform the essential functions of a position, please let us know or submit a request here

Interested in the role, but unsure if you meet all of the requirements? We would encourage you to apply regardless – there’s every chance you’re exactly what we’re looking for here at ICON whether it is for this or other roles.

Are you a current ICON Employee? Please click here to apply