Associate Director, Program and Alliance Management - R&D

Overview:

The candidate will be responsible for managing program-related activities, resolving issues, tracking progress of key milestones and budget, and achieving project goals. In addition, this individual will develop and maintain key relationships, both internally and externally, to ensure effective communication, and conflict resolution as well as monitor contractual obligations and deliverables.

Responsibilities:

• - Lead and coordinate, in conjunction with project/program leads, the development and delivery of Integrated Development Plans for assigned projects (in alignment with corporate goals) and ensure integration with each function.
• Actively manage and monitor progress of programs to ensure accountability for timely execution of program activities and milestones.
• Identify critical path activities and ways to optimize program execution without compromise to quality or compliance. Proactively identify potential issues or risks proactively, and drive toward resolution or effective mitigation strategies.
• Monitor issues through to resolution and ensure that all key stakeholders are informed of outcomes and program implications
• Direct and ensure communication alignment with internal stakeholders and, as needed, external partners regarding plans, status, deadlines, data requirements, logistics and other project-related issues
• Establish effective relationships with external alliances counterparts to plan and conduct joint meetings as defined by the Agreement, ensuring contractual obligations are met and roles, responsibilities and obligations are understood and adhered to
• Facilitate program and alliance team meetings including developing agenda and minutes, and maintenance of action item logs, detailed integrated timelines, risk registers, etc.
• Manage, monitor, track and communicate cross-functional program timelines, deliverables, risk registers, critical path, and cross-program dashboards.
• Pro-actively communicate cross-functionally and escalate critical issues
• Champion the program(s) through Governance process, facilitating decision-making, including scenario plans and risk/ benefit analysis, and ensure outcomes and decisions are communicated
• Partner with teams and finance to develop and manage program budgets

Qualifications:

• MBA and/or Ph.D. in biological sciences
• 6+ years of biotech/pharmaceutical industry experience; 3-5 years’ experience managing crossfunctional projects and alliances from discovery through early clinical development.
• Strong understanding of research and preclinical drug-development
• Experience working within matrix organization and multi-disciplinary drug development teams.
• Excellent management, organizational, and problem-solving skills to develop and effectively monitor program plans, budgets, and timelines.
• Should be a dynamic, independent, flexible, well-organized, pro-active, collaborative-minded individual interested in contributing to excellent research science in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Able to identify and resolve problems and conflicts at the appropriate level, including effective escalation
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with attention to detail, and ability to work effectively and efficiently
• Experience with budgeting (tracking and forecasting)
• Knowledge and experience in the IND preparation process a plus.
• Detailed knowledge of MS Office, Microsoft Project, Microsoft Teams, or other project management software tools
• Ability to travel 20%