Senior Director, Program Team Lead

Editas Medicine; Town of Cambridge; On-site; AUD 369,000 - 404,000; Full time

Job summary

Editas Medicine is seeking a seasoned Program Leader to advance EDIT-401 by coordinating strategy, governance, and cross-functional execution. This senior role requires balancing scientific ambition with operational delivery and budget management on a high‑visibility program.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in biotech/pharma with 8+ years in program management for early development, including cross-functional leadership and strategic risk mitigation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related field required.
• 10+ years in biotech/pharma; 8+ years in program management for early‑stage development.
• Experience managing multiple programs concurrently.
• Experience with gene therapy programs is highly desirable.
• Proven track record leading cross‑functional teams in a matrixed environment.
• Strong relationship-building and trust-building skills.
• Knowledge of preclinical development, IND‑enabling studies, and early clinical operations.
• Proficient in project management tools such as Smartsheet, MS Project, Office Timeline.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Program Team to create strategy, milestones, budget, and resources.
• Drive governance decisions and issue resolution with subject-matter experts.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment across Nonclinical, CMC, Quality, Regulatory, and Development.
• Disseminate program information to Senior Management with escalation as needed.
• Identify risks and implement mitigation plans to stay on track.
• Lead ad-hoc cross-functional task forces to improve efficiency.
• Own program budget, resource planning, and scenario assessments.
• Build credibility as a partner to functional leaders.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Program management

Stakeholder management

Project scheduling

Relationship building

Ambiguity handling

Education

Bachelor’s in life sciences

PhD or MBA desirable

Tools

Smartsheet

Microsoft Project

Office Timeline

Job description

At Editas Medicine, our mission and commitment is to harness the power and potential of CRISPR gene editing to develop a robust pipeline of medicines for people living with serious diseases around the world. Our goal is to discover, develop, manufacture, and commercialize transformative, durable genomic medicines for many diseases.

Why Choose Editas?

At Editas Medicine, we’re a team of passionate problem solvers, harnessing the power and potential of CRISPR gene editing to transform the future of medicine. Driven by a shared purpose to serve people living with serious diseases, we succeed together through collaboration, mutual respect, and innovation. If you want to be part of a team where your voice is heard and respected, where you can operate at the forefront of gene editing, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in medicine, come join us and become an Editor!

Decoding The Role:

The primary focus of this role in the next 12 months is to advance our leadin vivodevelopment candidate, EDIT-401, by leading program strategy and driving disciplined, cross-functional execution, proactively managing risk, and ensuring alignment between scientific ambition and operational reality. EDIT-401 is a potential best-in-class, one-time therapy designed to significantly reduce LDL cholesterol levels. This is a critical and highly visible role, making a substantial contribution to the company, with the opportunity to expand as pipeline therapies advance in development.

Characterizing Your Impact:

• Lead the Program Team, responsible for creating and developing the program strategy, goals, milestones, and operational plan including realistic timelines, budget and resource planning, risk assessment and mitigation planning in collaboration with functional heads
• Enable high‑quality, on time governance decisions and drive decision-making and issue resolution within the team, pulling on applicable subject matter expertise as needed
• Ensure cross‑functional alignment and accountability for execution of the operational plan with a focus on high impact activities, establishing clear owners, dependencies, and timelines across Nonclinical, CMC, Quality, Regulatory, and Development
• Responsible for dissemination of comprehensive, timely, and high-quality program information to Senior Management, including appropriate escalation of issues as may be required
• Continuously pressure-test timelines and critical paths, proactively identifying opportunities to streamline execution without compromising quality or budget
• Establish proactive risk identification and mitigation frameworks, surface issues, and drive for their resolution
• Leads ad-hoc cross-functional task forces, as needed, aiming at issue resolution or organizational efficiency
• Challenges assumptions, timelines, and expenses at program level, pressure tests plan, creates alternative scenarios to enable strategic and operational agility
• Demonstrated ability to operate in the presence of ambiguity, make timely decisions and adapt based on emerging data
• Own the program‑level budget, resource planning, and scenario assessments (evaluating cost, risk, and timelines) in collaboration with functional management
• Build credibility and trust through recognition by functional leaders as a value‑adding, enterprise‑minded, decision‑enabling partner

The Ideal Transcript:

To thrive in this role, you’ll need:

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree in life sciences or related subjects; advanced degrees (Ph.D or MBA) are desirable
• 10+ years of experience in biotech/pharma, with 8+ years in program management supporting early‑stage clinical development. Experience managing multiple programs at the same time is desirable
• Solid understanding of science and experience with gene therapy programs is highly desirable
• Proven track record of leading cross‑functional teams in a matrixed environment
• Excellent relationship building skills and ability to earn trust and align diverse perspectives towards a shared goal
• Strong understanding of preclinical development, IND‑enabling studies, and early clinical trial operations. Experience across functional roles is desirable
• Expert planning and tracking skills with mastery of project management tools and methodologies(e.g., Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Office Timeline)

• Desirable leadership attributes include holding teams accountable with clarity and respect, and demonstrating impact with a focus on delivering outcomes.
• Comfort operating with urgency, limited infrastructure, and ambitious priorities

Editas provides a comprehensive array of benefits to all employees, including a Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO Medical Plan, a company‑funded Health Savings Account, Dental and Vision Insurance, Life and Disability Insurance, Dependent Care Account, Tuition Reimbursement, 401(k) plan with company match, Employee Assistance Plan, Wellness Programs, and a flexible Paid Time Off policy.

Salary Range:

265,000 – 290,000

Pay Transparency

Editas Medicine is committed to transparency and accuracy in our hiring practices. The anticipated salary range for each position is posted within the role. The final salary offer will be determined based on a comprehensive assessment of the candidate's qualifications, including education, training, and relevant experience. Additional factors such as external market conditions, the role's criticality, and internal equity will also be considered. Editas Medicine's compensation philosophy ensures fair and equitable pay practices.