Associate Director, Program Management

About the Role

The Associate Director partners with cross-functional project leads to drive programs from concept through commercialization. This role ensures cohesive execution across R&D, CMC, regulatory, and commercial functions—delivering on time, within budget, and to quality standards. It provides strategic and operational leadership, proactively identifies and mitigates risks, and ensures clear communication and accountability across teams. The position also serves as an independent voice in shaping program strategies and updating senior leadership on progress, risks, and portfolio impact.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Development Program Lead (DPL) to foster a high-performing team and monitor the health and operating efficiency of the team as a unit.
• Lead creation of team norms and operating principles with a focus on cross-functional input and accountability, and robust analysis of vetted options.
• Act as an integrator within the Development Program Team (DPT) and across the enterprise to ensure alignment and connect best practices.
• Facilitate effective, science-based business decisions, including development of scenarios to assess impacts and communicate them transparently to stakeholders.
• Highlight interdependencies and downstream impacts of strategic decisions.
• Proactively identify risks and ensure mitigation plans are implemented.
• Develop and coordinate resource planning across DPT to ensure adequate resources are applied to the project.
• Advise on governance expectations with a focus on cross-functional input and rigorous debate.
• Coach project team members and others to drive excellence, accountability, and develop the talent pipeline for DPT membership.
• Serve as a change agent for continuous improvement and transformational initiatives.
• For jointly developed projects, work closely with key strategic alliance partners.
• Identify and mitigate project risks during various phases of drug development and communicate risks to relevant stakeholders.
• Collaborate with external CDMOs and CROs to define project timelines, establish and monitor KPIs, and manage relationships.
• Ensure non-clinical studies are performed as per the quality requirements of GXP.
• Facilitate science-based business decisions, including scenario analysis and identification of critical path tasks.
• Define budget and resource needs, create work breakdown structures, set and track deliverables, and perform critical path analysis.
• Ensure program communication and report program status to the team and Senior Leadership regularly.
• Recommend and implement best practices across program teams (e.g., resource capacity planning, program risk management, team performance, timeline development, portfolio management).
• Work with functional leaders to ensure positive team spirit and high-functioning teams.
• Prepare monthly progress reports and ad hoc reports as required.
• Participate in the development of Program Management tools, templates, and processes.
• Perform additional tasks and projects as requested.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a science discipline or related field is required; Ph.D. preferred.
• 10+ years of relevant pharmaceutical industry experience, with at least 2 years managing multi-functional project teams.
• Breadth of drug development expertise with a solid understanding of project strategy and disease content to contribute to strategic discussions.
• Experience in pharmaceutical drug discovery and development.
• Knowledge of manufacturing and CMC changes.
• Fully trained in all relevant PM processes and can competently use and employ essential project management tools and methodologies to facilitate project team activities, manage risks, and ensure team execution.
• Ability to resolve complex problems and manage difficult stakeholder situations.
• Ability to lead the development of critical path analyses and support scenario planning.
• Excellent project management skills—drives execution while balancing speed, quality, and cost; PMP certification desirable.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, work effectively in a matrixed environment, and execute multiple projects simultaneously.
• Advanced working knowledge of MS Project or Smartsheets, Excel, OneNote, and PowerPoint.
• High level of personal integrity and strong conflict resolution and consensus-building skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams.

Working Conditions

This position operates in an office setting, in person. The role may additionally require availability outside of standard hours to handle priority business needs.