Group Manager, Product Development Operations

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARWR) is a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company developing medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference (RNAi) mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. The company focuses on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, leveraging RNAi technologies to address conditions across virtually any therapeutic area, including targets not addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead’s clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung, with a promising preclinical pipeline.

About the role

The Group Manager, Product Development and Operations (PDO) is a member of a team responsible for end-to-end alignment of Arrowhead products from preclinical through commercial phases. This role provides leadership to cross-functional CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls) teams from drug substance process development through delivery of clinical kits. The position oversees both internal and external CMC activities to ensure alignment with program timelines, quality standards, and regulatory requirements. The role includes direct reports and involves mentoring, performance management, and team development. Additionally, this individual serves as a key point of contact for stakeholders and external partners, managing relationships with contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) and contract research organizations (CROs).

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary point of contact for projects, facilitating communication between internal and external team members for CMC development, analytical, manufacturing, packaging, and labeling activities.
• Maintain a clear understanding of project status and tailor communications for Arrowhead leadership, stakeholders, and partner companies.
• Manage budget, timeline, quality, and deliverables for each project and vendor.
• Escalate risks, drive scenario planning, and present recommendations to leadership teams.
• Maintain and expand project tracking tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Excel, Power BI).
• Analyze project metrics and prepare recommendations for leadership.
• Interface with cross-functional teams (Chemistry, Engineering, Analytical, Quality) on partner development and manufacturing activities.
• Track, manage, and negotiate new proposals and draft RFPs with support from technical subject matter experts (SMEs) and Legal.
• Steer alignment among technical SMEs, Sourcing & Supplier Management, Legal, and Finance on contracts, supply agreements, confidentiality agreements, and purchase orders.
• Track vendor invoices and collaborate with Finance to process payments.
• Develop, collect, and maintain performance metrics for internal and external partners.
• Lead project meetings, vendor/partner visits, and conference calls.
• Facilitate internal discussions to obtain team consensus and decisions.
• Drive business review meetings with vendors with support from Sourcing & Supplier Management.
• Support vendor management responsibilities and activities, as needed.
• Assist in developing and reviewing the CMC outsourcing budget.
• Coach and mentor direct reports in the creation of personal goals, development, and performance improvement.
• Generate, maintain, and approve training materials and support onboarding of new team members.
• Collaborate with Alliance Management on partnership goals.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific field such as Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, or Biotechnology.
• Eight years of increasing responsibility in a pharmaceutical company, contract manufacturing organization (CMO), or contract research organization (CRO), including direct report experience.
• Minimum five years in a project management role with experience managing clients, partners, and/or vendors.
• Knowledge of applicable GLP, GMP, and regulatory guidance for pharmaceutical manufacturing and testing.
• Strong MS Office skills (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with diverse professionals in a matrix environment.
• Highly motivated team player willing to contribute to a growing biotech organization.
• A detail-oriented, organized, self-starter who anticipates problems and seeks opportunities to grow the role and responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, or a related scientific field.
• GLP or GMP laboratory or manufacturing experience.
• Experience with late-stage CMC drug development and commercialization activities.
• Project Management Certification.
• ERP system experience.

Pay

Wisconsin pay range: $125,000 USD - $135,000 USD.

Benefits

Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.