Sr. Director, Alliance and Program Management
$217,000–$275,000 year
On-siteCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
Job Summary
Lead day-to-day alliance execution and build portfolio management capabilities as the operational partner to the COO and leadership team. Serve as the primary Alliance Manager for strategic pharmaceutical collaborations, ensuring successful governance, contractual commitments, and scientific objectives. Build trusted relationships across partner organizations while coordinating cross-functional teams to drive execution, lead Joint Steering Committees, and translate agreements into executable operating plans. Monitor alliance health, resolve conflicts, and provide executive visibility into risks and opportunities. Build and continuously improve portfolio and program management systems, including governance, tools, and stage-gate processes. Partner with scientific and financial leadership to drive prioritization, resource allocation, and disciplined execution across discovery and early development programs.
Required Qualifications
- Ph.D. or M.S. in life sciences, or MBA
- at least 5 years of direct experience working closely with scientific teams in a biotech or pharmaceutical setting
- 10-15+ years' experience in biotech or pharma alliance management, portfolio management, program management, and operational leadership
- Demonstrated success managing complex external partnerships, including governance, contractual obligations, and relationship management requiring judgement and influence across multiple stakeholders
- Hands-on experience leading program management across multi-program biotech portfolios, from early discovery through translational development
- Proven track record of building portfolio management processes, governance models, and project management capabilities within a growing biotechnology company
- Experience supporting portfolio prioritization, strategic planning, and executive governance
- Experience working closely with scientific leadership and large pharma partners
- Exceptional judgment and credibility, with a demonstrated ability to influence senior scientific leaders and external partners while navigating complex, cross-organizational decisions
- Outstanding operational rigor and systems thinking, with the ability to build practical governance processes, tools, and execution frameworks that improve accountability and visibility without creating unnecessary bureaucracy
- Excellent communication and facilitation skills, translating complex scientific, operational, and business issues into clear decisions, action plans, and executive-level communications
- Proven ability to influence without authority, build consensus, proactively manage stakeholders, and drive accountability across highly matrixed organizations
- Skilled at resolving conflict constructively, balancing diplomacy with accountability while building trusted relationships with internal teams and external partners
- Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to seamlessly shift between execution details and strategic organizational priorities
- Collaborative, low-ego leader with a solutions-oriented mindset and a demonstrated ability to build trust across functions and organizations
- Thrives in lean, fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments, demonstrating adaptability, resourcefulness, and a strong bias toward action
Desired Qualifications
- passion, leadership capability, and depth across these functional areas - even if not meeting every requirement
Hiring someone like this?
Get your role in front of qualified candidates on Sorce.