Brief Description:

The Director, Project Manager (PM) is a senior strategic operational leader within Pipeline and Project Management (PPM) accountable for cross-functional leadership, operational strategy, and integrated execution across one or more oncology development programs. 

Operating as the "COO of their Project(s)," the Director, Project Manager serves as the strategic operational partner to the Project Lead / Global Project Lead (GPL). In this role, you will lead cross-functional Core Teams through the full lifecycle of drug development, driving alignment and accountability without direct authority to accelerate medicines to patients. 

By establishing and maintaining a rigorous single source of truth across enterprise systems, owning active risk registers, and driving scenario planning with trade-off analysis, the Project Manager optimizes timelines, resource allocations, and operational decisions across the program lifecycle. 

Essential Functions

• Strategic Operational Leadership (COO of the Project): Partner with the Project Lead to translate strategic intent and target product profiles into robust, executable integrated development plans for one or more oncology programs. Prepare executive presentations for the asset for governance and executive leaders. 

• Foster High-Performing Teams: Cultivate a purpose-driven, high-performing team culture rooted in psychological safety, transparency, mutual accountability, and urgent collaborative problem-solving across all matrix team members. 

• Cross-Functional Matrix Leadership: Direct and influence cross-functional Core Teams (including Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, CMC/Technical Operations, Nonclinical, Medical Affairs, and Commercial) without direct line authority to deliver against milestones. 

• Timeline Optimization & Critical Path Mastery: Rigorously challenge operational assumptions, resolve bottlenecks, and compress cycle times across the late-stage development lifecycle through global regulatory submissions (NDA/BLA/MAA) and launch. 

• Single Source of Truth Governance: Maintain baseline data integrity across enterprise systems to provide an uncompromising, transparent single source of truth for timelines, risks, budgets, and FTE resources. 

• Active Risk Management: Own and drive dynamic program risk registers, conducting qualitative and quantitative risk analyses and implementing actionable mitigation and contingency plans. 

• Scenario Planning & Trade-Off Analysis: Formulate proactive operational scenarios (e.g., base-case, accelerated, de-risked) evaluating trade-offs across speed, cost, risk, and value to provide decision-ready recommendations for governance bodies. 

• Resource & Budget Oversight: Partner closely with Finance and Resource Management to forecast, track, and optimize program budgets, external contract spend, and cross-functional capacity requirements. 

• Executive Communication: Synthesize complex operational timelines, resource requirements, and critical program risks into concise, impactful communications and decision memos for senior leadership and governance committees.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Experience: Extensive experience in the biopharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with solid dedicated cross-functional R&D project management leadership. 

• Therapeutic Expertise: Prior experience leading Oncology development programs (e.g., targeted therapies, immuno-oncology, or biologics) preferred 

• Executive Presence: Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to synthesize complex timeline, risk, and resource data into crisp executive summaries. 

• Matrix Influence: Demonstrated mastery in leading without formal line authority, fostering accountability, and driving consensus across senior cross-functional leaders. 

• Enterprise PM Systems: Advanced, hands-on proficiency in Planisware, Smartsheet and Oracle for enterprise scheduling, risk tracking, budget and resource demand management  

• Full Lifecycle Drug Development: Proven track record leading projects across the complete drug development lifecycle, from early development through clinical phases, regulatory submission, approval, and commercialization. 

• Late-Stage & Filings Experience: Demonstrated success managing late-stage development programs; direct experience preparing or executing major Health Authority filings (NDA, BLA, MAA, or supplemental filings) is a significant plus. 

• Therapeutic Expertise: Prior project management experience within Oncology (e.g., targeted therapies, immuno-oncology, or biologics) preferred. 

• Matrix Influence: Demonstrated ability to lead without direct authority, build high-performing teams, navigate ambiguity, and hold senior cross-functional leaders accountable to commitments. 

• Decision Science & Scenario Modeling: Proven expertise building operational scenarios, analyzing trade-offs, and framing high-impact options for executive decision-makers. 

• Enterprise PM Tools & Data Integrity: Advanced, hands-on proficiency in Planisware and Smartsheet for enterprise scheduling, risk register maintenance, and resource demand modeling. 

• Executive Presence: Strong interpersonal and presentation skills with an ability to distill complex program details into clear executive-level briefings.

Required/Preferred Education and Licenses

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Engineering, Business, or related field required; Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, MS, or MBA) strongly preferred. 

• Certifications: PMP, PgMP, or equivalent project management certifications preferred. 

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