Associate Director, Research Portfolio Management & Scientific Operations

Job Description

The successful candidate will bring strong scientific judgment, industry experience in portfolio and program management, and a disciplined approach to execution across discovery, preclinical, translational, and early clinical development activities. This role will be responsible for driving alignment across program scope, timelines, budgets, resources, and key decision points, while also supporting high-quality scientific communications.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the CSO and R&D leadership to establish and maintain fit-for-purpose portfolio governance and operational processes.

• Coordinate portfolio review meetings, stage-gate processes, executive reviews, and cross-functional decision-making activities.

• Prepare governance agendas, briefing materials, decision logs, and action trackers.

• Drive alignment between scientific priorities, portfolio strategy, and resource allocation.

• Develop and maintain portfolio dashboards and reporting tools that summarize program status, milestones, risks, dependencies, and R&D budgets.

• Support integrated planning across discovery, preclinical, translational, CMC, and early clinical-stage programs.

• Build and manage cross-functional program plans, including scope, timelines, milestones, resource assumptions, risks, dependencies, and decision points.

• Support portfolio prioritization, business development activities, scenario planning, and strategic resource allocation discussions.

• Translate scientific and organizational priorities into executable plans and operating rhythms.

• Develop high-quality scientific and strategic presentations for executive leadership meetings, Board presentations, investor interactions, and partnership discussions.

• Support scientific publications, congress materials, grant applications, manuscripts, business development materials, and external communications in collaboration with functional leaders and Corporate Communications.

• Lead the planning and execution of Key Opinion Leader (KOL) and Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) interactions, including agenda development, content preparation, insight capture, and follow-up actions.

• Synthesize external scientific feedback into actionable recommendations for program and portfolio teams.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications:

  • PhD or equivalent advanced degree in Immunology, Oncology, Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline.

  • 8+ years of relevant biotech or pharmaceutical industry experience in research, translational sciences, scientific operations, portfolio management, or program leadership roles.

  • Demonstrated experience supporting cross-functional R&D programs spanning discovery, preclinical, translational, and/or early clinical development.

  • Proven ability to manage complex integrated program plans, timelines, risks, budgets, and governance processes.

  • Strong scientific acumen with the ability to interpret and communicate complex biological and translational datasets.

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparation of executive-level presentations and scientific materials.

  • Strong organizational, collaboration, and influencing skills with the ability to work effectively across matrixed teams.

  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, evolving biotech environment with a high degree of ownership and accountability.

• Preferred Qualifications:

  • Direct experience in immunology, immuno-oncology, biologics, or related therapeutic areas.

  • Experience supporting R&D governance, portfolio review committees, or executive decision-making forums.

  • Familiarity with translational biomarkers, flow cytometry, immune profiling, and translational data interpretation.

  • Experience in small or mid-sized biotech environments with demonstrated ability to build scalable, fit-for-purpose operational processes.

  • Formal project/program management training, PMP certification, MBA, or equivalent portfolio management experience is a plus.

Why Join ModeX Therapeutics

This is an opportunity to play a highly visible and strategic role at an innovative biotechnology company advancing next-generation therapeutics. The successful candidate will work at the intersection of science, strategy, and operations, helping to shape and advance a dynamic research portfolio with meaningful impact on patients and the future of medicine.

About the Role

ModeX Therapeutics, an OPKO Health company, is the leading clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing unique and proprietary-multispecific therapeutics. Its MSTAR platform unites the power of multiple biologics in a single molecule to create multispecific antibodies that bind four or more targets with unprecedented versatility and potency for complex diseases. Its promising first-in-class immunology pipeline includes candidates against immune diseases, including cancer (both solid and hematologic tumors), immune impairment, as well as several of the world's most pressing viral threats. Its founding team includes globally recognized medical innovators with proven track records of delivering breakthroughs for patients. ModeX is based in Weston, Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.modextherapeutics.com.