Senior Director, Project Management

IDEAYA Biosciences; South San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 255,000 - 315,000; Full time

Job summary

IDEAYA Biosciences, based in South San Francisco, is seeking a Senior Director, Project Management to lead IDE892, a high-priority oncology program spanning early to registrational development. The role requires strategic leadership across scientific, regulatory, and clinical teams in a highly matrixed environment.

The position is onsite four days per week, reports to the VP, Program & Portfolio Management, and demands decisive decision-making, rigorous risk management, and exceptional

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant life sciences discipline required.
• Minimum 10 years drug development experience with at least 5 years in program management.
• Experience leading cross-functional oncology program teams through Phase 1 and Phase 2.
• Strong scientific fluency in oncology.
• Experience managing external partnerships or collaborations at the program level.
• Experience supporting late-phase or registrational programs through BLA/NDA or sNDA.
• PMP certification or equivalent program management training.
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills; proven ability to align senior, cross-functional stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own IDE892 program strategy with Clinical Lead and Head of Research.
• Develop Development Plan and Target Product Profile (TPP).
• Lead cross-functional program team meetings and drive accountability.
• Oversee study execution across IDE892-001 cohorts.
• Manage program budget and forecasts.
• Coordinate regulatory interactions and data readouts.
• Prepare program updates for Senior Leadership and Board.
• Align IDE892 plans with corporate timelines.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Oncology knowledge

Education

PhD in life sciences

Tools

PMP certification

Job description

Non-Solicitation Policy And Notice To Agencies And Recruiters

IDEAYA's Non-Solicitation Policy strictly prohibits agencies and recruiters from any contact and communication with IDEAYA employees, managers, and leaders to submit unsolicited candidate resumes and/or to solicit business partnerships. Submission of unsolicited candidate resumes by agencies or recruiters with or without a contract in place with IDEAYA Biosciences Inc. will not create any implied obligation. Failure to comply with this policy will result in disqualification from current and future business opportunities with IDEAYA Biosciences. All recruiting and talent agency decisions are strictly managed by the internal IDEAYA Human Resources function. All communication by external agencies and recruiters must be directed to [e-mail]. We ask that you only email your interest once.

Job Summary

About IDEAYA Biosciences:

IDEAYA is a precision medicine oncology company committed to the discovery, development, and commercialization of transformative therapies for cancer. Our approach integrates expertise in small-molecule drug discovery, structural biology and bioinformatics with robust internal capabilities in identifying and validating translational biomarkers to develop tailored, potentially first-in-class targeted therapies aligned to the genetic drivers of disease. We have built a deep pipeline of product candidates focused on synthetic lethality and antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, for molecularly defined solid tumor indications. Our mission is to bring forth the next wave of precision oncology therapies that are more selective, more effective, and deeply personalized with the goal of altering the course of disease and improving clinical outcomes for patients with cancer.

When you're at IDEAYA, you will be in the midst of brilliant minds working on precision medicine therapies to help cancer patients. We are passionate and committed about being on the forefront of oncology medicine, which means we all have a high internal drive that is at the very core of every person at IDEAYA. We are inquisitive, ask deep questions, and are data-driven innovators who like to collaborate and use team work to move science forward. For more information, please see www.ideayabio.com.

Location: South San Francisco, CA.

Position Summary

IDEAYA is seeking a Senior Director, Project Management to join the Development team. The Senior Director, Project Management will serve as the project management lead for IDE892, providing both strategic and operational leadership across one of IDEAYA's highest-priority and most complex programs. This individual will bring scientific depth and program management rigor to a multi-arm, multi-collaboration development program spanning early combination studies through potential registrational development. The role demands a seasoned leader who can think strategically alongside the Clinical and Scientific Leads while ensuring flawless day-to-day execution across a highly matrixed, fast-moving team.

This position is based in our South San Francisco headquarter offices and required to be onsite four days per week per our company policy.

Reporting to: Vice President, Program & Portfolio Management

Job Description

What you’ll do: Strategic Program Leadership

• Serve as Project Manager for IDE892, owning the overall program strategy in partnership with the Clinical Lead and Head of Research
• Integrate scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial perspectives into a coherent Development Plan and Target Product Profile (TPP)
• Lead program-level scenario planning, portfolio prioritization discussions, and trade-off analyses for Senior Leadership and the Board
• Serve as a key point of contact for the Roche collaboration on IDE892, supporting Joint Steering Committee preparation and cross-company alignment
• Anticipate strategic inflection points, including: combination selection, indication prioritization, registrational entry.

Operational Execution

• Own and maintain the IDE892 integrated program timeline, critical path, milestone tracking, and risk register
• Lead cross-functional Program Team meetings; drive decision-making, document outcomes, and ensure accountability
• Partner with Clinical Operations to oversee study execution across IDE892-001 cohorts, including RAS combination arms and expansion into PDAC and NSCLC
• Manage program budget in partnership with Finance; ensure accurate forecasting and resource alignment
• Coordinate cross-functional readiness for IND amendments, regulatory interactions, and data readouts

Risk Management & Problem Solving

• Proactively identify program risks across scientific, operational, regulatory, and partnership dimensions
• Facilitate rapid cross-functional risk assessment and drive contingency planning
• Escalate critical issues to Senior Leadership with clarity and recommended paths forward

External Collaboration Management

• Support management of the Roche collaboration, including coordination of joint program teams, data sharing, and governance meetings
• Coordinate with CROs and other external partners in close collaboration with Clinical Operations

Communication & Reporting

• Prepare and help present program updates for Senior Leadership Team, Board of Directors, and external partners
• Ensure alignment between IDE892 program plans and broader corporate priorities and timelines

Requirements

• PhD in a relevant life sciences discipline (e.g., biology, pharmacology, biochemistry, or related field) required
• Minimum 10 years of drug development experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with at least 5 years in program management
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional oncology program teams through Phase 1 and Phase 2 development
• Strong scientific fluency in oncology — ability to engage credibly with clinical, translational, and research teams
• Proven ability to develop and manage integrated program plans, budgets, and risk frameworks
• Experience managing external partnerships or collaborations at the program level
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills; proven ability to align senior, cross-functional stakeholders
• Experience in RAS-driven cancers (PDAC, NSCLC, CRC) or MTAP/EGFR/KRAS biology
• Familiarity with combination oncology development strategy, including contribution-of-components frameworks
• Experience supporting late-phase or registrational programs through BLA/NDA or sNDA submission
• Prior experience in a lean, clinical-stage biotech environment managing multiple simultaneous program arms
• PMP certification or equivalent program management training

All employees are expected to act with integrity and in full compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and IDEAYA policies, including IDEAYA’s Code of Conduct.

Employees must demonstrate good judgement and ethical behavior in all business activities, maintain patient and product safety as a top priority, and report any suspected violations of law or Company policy through appropriate channels.

Total Rewards

Along with our inspiring mission, and highly collaborative and inclusive environment, IDEAYA offers a competitive total rewards package that reflects our pay-for-performance philosophy where employees are eligible to be considered for merit-based salary increases, company discretionary short-term incentive plan participation, and company discretionary stock option awards (based on board approval). Our comprehensive benefits package includes, but is not limited to, medical/dental/vision coverage (100% company paid for employees and 90% company paid for dependents), 401k, ESPP, and wellness programs.

The expected salary range for the role of Senior Director, Project Management $255,000 - $315,000. The final salary offered to a successful candidate will depend on several factors that may include but are not limited to the office location where this open position is located, the final candidates’ experience within their profession, experience in the disease areas we are striving to make an impact in as a company, length of time within the industry, educational background, and performance during the interview process.

The Company complies with all laws respecting equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate against applicants with regard to any protected characteristic as defined by federal, state, and local law. This position requires you to work onsite in the office at the Company’s facilities for training & meetings, with work-from-home flexibility, and the Company requires that all employees working in its facilities be fully vaccinated (except as required by applicable law). Therefore, this position requires you to be fully vaccinated from COVID-19, subject to reasonable accommodations for medical or religious reasons, and/or as otherwise required by applicable law. The Company considers you fully vaccinated once 14 days have passed since you received either the second dose in a two-dose COVID-19 vaccine series or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine must have been FDA approved, have emergency use authorization from the FDA, or, for persons fully vaccinated outside of the U.S., be listed for emergency use by the World Health Organization.

IDEAYA is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable law, IDEAYA does not discriminate in hiring or otherwise in employment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. EOE/AA/Vets.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please get in touch with us at [e-mail].