Director, Program Management

Summit Therapeutics, Inc.; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 237,000; Full time

Job summary

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is seeking a Director of Program Management to lead multiple development programs, align Research, Development and Strategy, and drive governance across global teams. You will partner with executive leadership, set milestones, oversee timelines, manage budgets, and ensure data integrity for decision-making.

The role requires 12+ years in pharma/biotech, strong oncology experience, and excellence in communication and cross-functional leadership; travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred in science, business, or related field.
• Extensive pharmaceutical drug development experience required; oncology experience strongly preferred.
• Proven success leading complex global programs and influencing senior executives.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and presentation skills; ability to present to C-suite.
• Strong proficiency with program management tools (MS Office, Project, Smartsheet).

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership across multiple development programs.
• Lead cross-functional workstreams across Research, Development, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and Strategy.
• Govern end-to-end program execution and governance with clear milestones and dashboards.
• Present insights and status to executive leadership; mentor Program Managers.
• Drive continuous improvement of PM processes and tools; manage alliances and external partners.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic program leadership

Communication

Program management

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

MS or MBA

PhD / PharmD / MD

Tools

MS Office

Project

Smartsheet

Job description

About Summit

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is a biopharmaceutical oncology company with a mission focused on improving quality of life, increasing potential duration of life, and resolving serious unmet medical needs. At Summit, we believe in building a team of world class professionals who are passionate about this mission, and it is our people who drive this mission to reality. Summit’s core values include integrity, passion for excellence, purposeful urgency, collaboration, and our commitment to people. Our employees are truly the heart and soul of our culture, and they are invaluable in shaping our journey toward excellence.

Summit’s Team Is Inspired To Touch And Help Change Lives Through Summit’s Clinical Studies In The Field Of Oncology. Summit Has Multiple Global Phase 3 Clinical Studies, Including

Non-small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC)

• HARMONi: Phase 3 clinical study which was intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to placebo plus chemotherapy in patients with EGFR-mutated, locally advanced or metastatic non-squamous NSCLC who were previously treated with a 3rd generation EGFR TKI.
• HARMONi-3: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab combined with chemotherapy compared to pembrolizumab combined with chemotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.
• HARMONi-7: Phase 3 clinical study which is intended to evaluate ivonescimab monotherapy compared to pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with first-line metastatic NSCLC.

Colorectal Cancer (CRC)

• HARMONi-GI3: Phase 3 clinical study intended to evaluate ivonescimab in combination with chemotherapy compared with bevacizumab plus chemotherapy.

Ivonescimab is an investigational therapy not presently approved by any regulatory authority other than China’s National Medical Products Administration (NMPA). Summit is headquartered in Miami, Florida, and has additional offices in California, New Jersey, the UK, and Ireland.

Our Mission

To build a viable long-lasting health care organization that assumes full responsibility for designing, developing, trial enrollment, regulatory approval and commercializing patient, physician, caregiver, payor, and societal friendly medicinal therapy intended to improve quality of life, increase potential duration of life and resolve serious medical healthcare needs. We will accomplish this by building a team of world-class scientists and business administrators that apply themselves to this mission.

We have in-licensed Ivonescimab (PD-1/VEGF Bispecific Antibody, SMT112), which is a novel, potential first-in-class investigational bispecific antibody combining the effects of immunotherapy via a blockade of PD-1 with the anti-angiogenesis effects associated with blocking VEGF into a single molecule. We have ongoing phase-III clinical studies in multiple indications including NSCLC and CRC.

Overview

The Director of Program Management provides strategic and operational leadership across multiple development programs, driving alignment between Research, Development, Business Strategy, Manufacturing, and execution. This role plays a critical part in advancing collaboration programs across the portfolio and enabling long-term value creation from development through regulatory approval.

The Director serves as the primary point of contact for key programs to executive leadership, ensures disciplined program governance, and strengthens the Program Management function as the organization scales. This position reports to the VP, Program Management and may have people leadership responsibility.

Role And Responsibilities

Strategic Program Leadership

• Responsible for overall execution of multiple programs to deliver on program objectives and maximize value.
• Partner with executive leadership on program, strategy,
• Define and oversee major milestones, decision points, objectives, and inflection points across programs
• Lead scenario planning, trade-off analyses, and decision frameworks to support executive decision-making
• Ensure alignment across Development, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and Corporate Strategy

Cross-Functional & Executive Leadership

• Lead and integrate complex cross-functional workstreams across Research, Development, Regulatory, and Manufacturing
• Facilitate effective decision-making and accountability across global teams and external partners, in collaboration with Alliance Management.
• Present clear insights, recommendations, and program status to C-suite and senior leadership
• Mentor and develop Program Managers and strengthen organizational capability

Program Execution & Governance

• Oversee end-to-end program execution, including activation of new indications post-Go decision
• Ensure consistent application of program management standards, dashboards, and governance models
• Chair timely, efficient, and action-oriented team meetings to coordinate operations and communications.
• Review and validate integrated program plans, timelines, and metrics for accuracy and strategic alignment
• Represent Program Management on senior governance forums and key internal or external teams

Timelines & Scenario Planning

• Oversee integrated program timelines aligned with enterprise goals
• Partner with functional leaders on budgets and forecast planning
• Ensure data integrity and transparency in executive reporting

Risk, Opportunity & Continuous Improvement

• Identify and manage program risks and mitigation strategies
• Communicate risks, opportunities, and trade-off s clearly to executive leadership
• Drive continuous improvement of program management processes, tools, and operating models
• Lead strategic initiatives to mature the Program Management function as the company grows
• All other duties as assigned

Experience, Education And Specialized Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree and minimum 12 years of relevant project management/scientific experience within the pharmaceutical industry; OR a MS or MBA and minimal 10 years of relevant experience; OR a PhD in a scientific field or a PharmD, DVM or MD degree with 6+ years of relevant experience
• 10-12+ years of pharmaceutical or biotech industry experience with progressive responsibility in program or portfolio management
• Extensive pharmaceutical drug development experience required;
• Prior solid tumor oncology experience, including late-stage development and registrational trials, required
• Demonstrated success leading complex, global, cross-functional programs and influencing senior executives
• Experience with managing alliances and external partners strongly preferred
• Proven ability to balance strategic leadership with operational execution
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and presentation skills
• Strong proficiency in program management and planning tools (e.g., MS Office, Project, Smartsheet)
• Willing to travel for key meetings.

This is the pay for this position

Pay Transparency

$190,000 - $237,000 USD

Actual compensation packages are based on several factors that are unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, depth of experience, certifications, and specific work location. This may be different in other locations due to differences in the cost of labor. The total compensation package for this position may also include bonus, stock, benefits and/or other applicable variable compensation.

Summit does not accept referrals from employment businesses and/or employment agencies in respect of the vacancies posted on this site. All employment businesses/agencies are required to contact Summit’s Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail] to obtain prior written authorization before referring any candidates to Summit.

Summit Therapeutics Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer and takes pride in creating and maintaining diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training or promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.