Senior Director, Program Team Lead

Editas Medicine; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 265,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO MedicalPlan

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

Flexible Paid Time Off

Job summary

Editas Medicine is seeking a Senior Director, Program Team Lead to advance our lead-in vivodevelopment candidate, EDIT-401, by steering strategy and cross-functional execution. This role demands strong leadership, risk management, and collaboration across diverse teams to align scientific ambition with operational reality.

The ideal candidate has 10+ years in biotech/pharma program management, with 8+ years supporting early-stage clinical development, and a track record of managing multiple

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences or related field.
• Advanced degrees (Ph.D or MBA) are desirable.
• Experience leading program management in biotech/pharma is required or highly desirable.
• Proven track record in cross-functional leadership and budget management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Program Team, creating and developing the program strategy, goals, milestones, and operational plan including timelines, budget and resource planning.
• Enable governance decisions and drive issue resolution within the team with subject matter experts as needed.
• Ensure cross-functional alignment for execution of the operational plan across Nonclinical, CMC, Quality, Regulatory, and Development.
• Disseminate comprehensive, timely program information to Senior Management and escalate issues as required.
• Pressure-test timelines and critical paths, identifying opportunities to streamline execution without compromising quality or budget.
• Establish proactive risk identification and mitigation frameworks and drive resolution.
• Lead ad-hoc cross-functional task forces to resolve issues and improve efficiency.
• Challenge assumptions, timelines, and expenses to enable strategic and operational agility.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Budgeting

Risk assessment

Education

Bachelor's degree 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:

As the Senior Director, Program Team Lead you will:

• 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.