Senior Director, Program Manager

GForce Life Sciences; Massachusetts; On-site; USD 225,000 - 275,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

401k

Bonus + equity options

Job summary

GForce Life Sciences seeks a Senior Director, Program Manager for a biotech start-up project. The role reports to the COO and leads a phase II trial execution with cross-functional teams and external partners.

Base responsibilities include budget tracking, vendor management, and strategic program leadership. Requirements include 10+ years in program management for biopharma, outsourced vendor experience, and early-phase I/II exposure.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific, engineering, or business discipline.
• 10+ years of Program and Project Management experience.
• Experience managing vendors in outsourced models.
• Clinical trial budgets experience.
• Early phase I/II experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional drug development programs, including regulatory filings.
• Manage outsourced trials with CDMOs/CROs and external partners.
• Define program vision, asset strategy, scope, and investment requirements.
• Develop end-to-end development plans from discovery to clinical phases.
• Forecast, monitor budgets, and ensure financial alignment with plans.
• Partner with Finance for payment tracking and financial reporting.

Skills

Project management

Vendor management

Budget forecasting

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Senior Director, Program Manager, Biotechnology

Our client, a biotech start-up, has engaged GForce Life Sciences to provide a Senior Director, Program Manager. This position will report directly to the Chief Operations Officer within the C-Suite. This individual will be responsible for start-up and execution of a phase II trial. This position requires the ability to successfully work with cross-functional teams, strong vendor management of an outsourced trial, and the ability to track overall budget and spend.

Duties / Expectations of Role

• 10+ years of progressive, hands-on project and program management experience in biopharmaceutical drug development, spanning preclinical, clinical, regulatory, and CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls).
• Demonstrated experience working with CDMOs, CROs, and other external development partners, with strong financial planning, forecasting, and budget management skills.
• Direct experience leading cross-functional drug development programs, including regulatory filings and early-stage development activities.
• Partner with senior leadership and key stakeholders to define program vision, asset strategy, scope, and investment requirements.
• Lead cross-functional program teams in the development and execution of integrated project plans aligned to asset strategy.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive, end-to-end development plans to drive a specific drug asset or portfolio through discovery, IND-enabling studies, and clinical phases.
• Define critical paths, identify at-risk activities and interdependencies, anticipate bottlenecks, remove barriers to progress, and develop contingency plans.
• Lead, motivate, and direct matrixed teams to ensure project goals are met.
• Anticipate barriers, establish risk mitigation strategies, and own program financials, including forecasting and budget tracking.
• Partner with Finance to ensure budget accuracy, payment tracking, forecast management, and financial reporting.
• Serve as a business lead with CROs, CDMOs, consultants, and other development vendors.
• Develop and manage scopes of work, monitor deliverables, approve invoices, and track vendor budgets against plan.

Mandatory Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree a relevant scientific, engineering, or business discipline
• 10+ years of Program and Project Management experience
• Must have experience in managing vendors in an outsourced model
• Must have clinical trial budgets experience
• Must have early phase I/II experience

Nice to Have

• Project Management Professional (PMP) or Program Management Professional (PgMP) certifications preferred

Term & Start

• Perm
• September 2026 start date
• Full time
• Must be local to Boston, MA
• Salary up to $250,000 plus bonus and equity options
• Benefits included (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401k)