Associate Director, Governance & Portfolio Lead

This position is based in East Hanover, NJ and is not remote. Only local candidates will be considered; relocation assistance is not provided. Travel up to 20% (domestic and/or international) may be required, with specific expectations defined by the hiring manager.

About the Role

Reporting to the Executive Director, US Strategy Prioritization & Governance Lead, this role manages the operating mechanics of enterprise portfolio governance: intake, triage, portfolio analytics, decision preparation, dependency management, action tracking, and follow-through across assigned strategic initiative domains.

The Associate Director, Governance & Portfolio Lead is the operating backbone for the new US governance model, converting strategic intent into portfolio discipline and executive-ready visibility. This role owns assigned portfolio segments or governance forums and ensures operational excellence in governance processes.

Responsibilities

• Manage initiative intake and ensure submissions include problem statement, strategic rationale, expected value, resource ask, owner, risks, dependencies, decision needed, and success metrics.
• Apply prioritization criteria consistently; surface weak cases, duplicative work, sequencing conflicts, and capacity gaps.
• Prepare governance pre-reads, dashboards, executive summaries, and decision logs for portfolio forums.
• Track portfolio health across milestones, risks, resource assumptions, and strategic outcomes.
• Coordinate with project owners and Strategy Associates to maintain accurate portfolio data and follow-up actions.
• Escalate unresolved dependencies and decisions before they become delivery drag.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (required).
• Advanced degree (Master of Science and/or MBA) (preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in portfolio management, strategic planning, program management, business operations, consulting, pharma commercial strategy, or drug development operations.
• Experience preparing governance materials, project/portfolio dashboards, senior stakeholder updates, and decision logs.
• Strong analytical, facilitation, project-management, and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with pharma governance, portfolio processes, or commercial strategy planning.
• Experience with portfolio tools, KPI dashboards, executive cadence management, and dependency management.

Pay

The salary for this position ranges from $138,600 to $257,400 per year. The final salary is determined based on relevant skills and experience. Compensation includes a performance-based cash incentive and may include eligibility for annual equity awards.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, life, and disability benefits.
• 401(k) with company contribution and match.
• Generous time off package, including vacation, personal days, holidays, and other leaves.