Remote Senior Director, R&D Governance & Portfolio

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 228,000 - 342,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

401k retirement savings plan

Flexible paid vacation

Discretionary annual cash bonus or INc

Discretionary equity grants

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Senior Director, Head of R&D Governance and Portfolio Management to lead governance and portfolio decisions across the drug development lifecycle, partnering with senior executives, Corporate Strategy, Finance, and scientific leaders.

The role will strengthen committee cadence, documentation, and portfolio review discipline to accelerate high-stakes decisions in a remote setting. Equity and full benefits are included.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in pharmaceutical or biotechnology R&D governance, program management, or strategy operations.
• Thorough knowledge of global drug discovery and clinical development phases (Phase 1-3).
• Proven success in creating and managing senior-level R&D decision-making committees.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence senior leaders and drive consensus.
• Critical thinking skills to analyze complex scientific and regulatory data effectively.
• Familiarity with Enterprise Project & Portfolio Management systems and risk-adjusted valuation frameworks.
• Exceptional communication skills with attention to detail in documentation.

Responsibilities

• Architect and optimize R&D governance committees across all development stages.
• Oversee meeting mechanics, ensuring timely agendas and action-item tracking.
• Align R&D decision-making with corporate strategy and governance frameworks.
• Manage rapid endorsement processes for milestone decisions to expedite governance.
• Prepare materials for executive committees and portfolio review meetings.
• Lead the integrated R&D portfolio prioritization process with Corporate Strategy and Finance.
• Synthesize portfolio-level risks and facilitate proactive mitigation discussions.

Skills

R&D governance

Portfolio management

Executive presence

Strategic decision making

Communication skills

Regulatory data analysis

Risk management

Tools

Portfolio management software

Job description

Ladders is seeking a Senior Director, Head of R&D Governance and Portfolio Management to lead governance and portfolio decisions across the drug development lifecycle, partnering with senior executives, Corporate Strategy, Finance, and scientific leaders.

The role will strengthen committee cadence, documentation, and portfolio review discipline to accelerate high-stakes decisions in a remote setting. Equity and full benefits are included.