Director, Program Team Lead

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; California; Hybrid; USD 203,000 - 285,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite gym

Pool

Snacks & drinks

Catered meals

Hybrid work environment

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is seeking a Director, Program Team Lead (PTL) to provide strategic, cross-functional leadership for development programs.

You will integrate development, regulatory, commercial, and operational perspectives to maximize molecule value and lead a cross-functional Program Team with disciplined decision-making. The role emphasizes ownership of integrated strategies, governance, and robust execution, with travel up to 20% and a hybrid Irvine-based work model.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in life sciences or related field required or preferred.
• 15+ years in biopharma with strategic leadership experience.
• Experience coordinating cross-functional drug development programs.
• Strong understanding of global regulatory strategy and lifecycle management.
• Ability to lead matrixed teams without direct authority.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional Program Team to define and execute integrated strategy.
• Own and evolve Target Product Profile (TPP) and IDP to optimize value.
• Drive program decisions, outlining options, risks and recommendations.
• Be the enterprise voice for the molecule with stakeholders.
• Ensure milestones and deliverables progress in line with strategy.
• Contribute to annual budgeting, portfolio and long-range planning.
• Identify risks and develop scenario-based mitigations.
• Prepare updates and strategic materials for executives and governance boards.
• Foster collaborative, accountable, high-performing teams.
• Support evolution of program leadership practices as the organization scales.

Skills

Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen

Decision-Making

Cross-Functional Leadership

Outcome Driven Execution

Effective Communication

Education

Advanced degree in life sciences or related field

MBA or business training is a plus

15+ years in biopharma with strategic leadership

Experience across regulatory filings (IND–NDA)

Experience leading cross-functional drug development programs

Understanding global drug development and regulatory strategy

Willingness to be hands-on and detail-oriented

Job description

About The Role

The Director, Program Team Lead (PTL) provides strategic and cross-functional leadership for one or more development programs at Tarsus. In this role, you will serve as a strategic leader responsible for integrating development, regulatory, commercial, and operational perspectives to maximize long-term molecule value.

About The Role

The Director, Program Team Lead (PTL) provides strategic and cross-functional leadership for one or more development programs at Tarsus. In this role, you will serve as a strategic leader responsible for integrating development, regulatory, commercial, and operational perspectives to maximize long-term molecule value.

You will lead a cross-functional Program Team to define and execute an integrated molecule strategy aligned with corporate priorities, ensuring programs advance with clarity, discipline, and strong decision-making. This role requires the ability to navigate scientific and business considerations while driving alignment across matrixed teams and senior leadership.

This role is ideal for a strategic leader who thrives in dynamic environments, exercises strong judgment under uncertainty, and enjoys driving clarity and impact across complex cross-functional initiatives. This is a unique opportunity to help shape the evolution of program leadership at Tarsus while advancing innovative therapies for patients.

Let’s talk about some of the key responsibilities of the role:

• Lead the cross-functional Program Team to define and execute an integrated molecule strategy aligned with long-term corporate strategy and enterprise priorities
• Own and evolve the Target Product Profile (TPP) and Integrated Development Plan (IDP) to optimize molecule value
• Drive key program decisions by defining strategic options, risks, and recommendations in collaboration with functional leaders
• Serve as the enterprise voice of the molecule, aligning stakeholders around program strategy, priorities, and decisions
• Drive excellence in day-to-day Program Team execution, ensuring program milestones, timelines, and deliverables progress in alignment with strategy
• Shape molecule-level inputs to annual budgeting, portfolio, and long-range planning processes, clearly articulating key assumptions, risks, and value drivers
• Proactively identify strategic and executional risks, including competitive, regulatory, and market shifts, and develop scenario-based mitigation strategies
• Prepare and deliver high-quality program updates, strategic recommendations, and decision materials to Executive Team, Board, and other key governance forums.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team environment
• Contribute to the evolution of program leadership practices and governance processes as the organization scales

Factors for Success

Education & Experience

• Advanced degree in life sciences, medicine, pharmacy, or a related discipline preferred; MBA or equivalent business training is a plus
• 15+ years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry with demonstrated progression into strategic leadership roles
• Experience leading or meaningfully contributing to cross-functional drug development programs across multiple stages of development and/or launch planning, commercial strategy, and lifecycle management for commercial products
• Strong understanding of global drug development, regulatory strategy, and the broader ecosystem influencing pharmaceutical product development
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams in highly matrixed environments without direct authority
• Must be willing to be "hands on" and delve into details
• Experience with key regulatory filings (IND through NDA) and/or new product planning experience a plus

Leadership Competencies

This role requires proficiency in the Tarsus Leadership Competencies for Leading People, including:

Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen

• Ability to connect functional and program strategy with broader business objectives, synthesizing diverse inputs into clear strategic perspectives that guide decision-making
• Make recommendations clearly linked to the organization’s strategy and financial goals, reflecting an awareness of internal and external dynamics, including competitive environments and industry trends

Decision-Making

• Applies structured decision-making to complex, cross-functional challenges, weighing competing priorities and longer-term trade-offs

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Promotes collaboration by aligning diverse teams around shared goals, fostering healthy debate to advance outcomes, and building strong networks that strengthen organizational effectiveness
• Skilled at building strong relationships with functional leaders and senior stakeholders to foster alignment, trust, and shared accountability

Outcome Driven Execution

• Demonstrates strong outcomes focus by aligning teams around shared priorities, proactively addressing risks and dependencies, and driving cross-functional accountability to sustain progress and deliver results

Effective Communication

• Distills complex information into clear, actionable messages for a variety of stakeholders. Communicates priorities in ways that align team efforts to organizational goals while ensuring feedback flows upward and downward.

A Few Other Details Worth Mentioning

• The position will be based in our beautiful Irvine office, complete with onsite gym, pool, snacks, drinks, and occasional catered meals. We provide a hybrid work environment.
• We are passionate about our culture! Our Tarsans live our values of commitment to patients, empowerment to champion innovation, and teamwork to amplify impact!
• This position reports directly to our Chief of Staff, Office of the CEO
• Some travel may be required - up to 20%

At Tarsus, we understand the importance of attracting and retaining top talent. The expected base pay range for this position is $203,200 - $284,600 plus bonus, stock equity, and comprehensive benefits. The base pay range reflects the target range for this position, but individual pay will be determined by additional factors such as job-related skills, experience and relevant education or training. Our benefits include health, dental and vision insurance benefits to ensure your well-being. We believe in work-life balance and offer generous paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and personal days. For more details regarding Tarsus benefits, please visit: https://eb.alliant.com/26tarsusbenefitssnapshot.

Tarsus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.