Director/Associate Director, BioPharma Portfolio & Program Management

Natera•US Remote, CA

3d•$184,600 - $230,700•Remote

About The Position

Natera’s Pharma Discovery Lab (PDL) bridges R&D execution, analytics, and target and biomarker discovery and development. We are seeking an Director/Associate Director of Portfolio & Program Management to build and run the operational backbone of PDL. The successful candidate will manage a broad portfolio of internal and external projects from inception to execution — managing portfolio metrics, tracking budgets, stage-gating project milestones, coordinating wet lab / dry lab / bioinformatics, RWD analytics resourcing, and managing pharma-partner engagements (biomarker consultation, translational research contracts, and target discovery/co-development projects) from intake through delivery. The role sits at the intersection of science, business, and operations, and reports into PDL leadership.

Requirements

10+ years of experience in oncology drug development, translational research, or biomarker/CDx program management, ideally spanning both pharma and diagnostics/lab-services environments.
Demonstrated track record leading complex, cross-functional programs — governance operations, portfolio/program tracking, and stakeholder management at the senior leadership level.
Experience managing biomarker sample operations, biorepository/biobank workflows, or CDx-adjacent laboratory operations.
Financial acumen, including budget forecasting, resource planning, and experience supporting deal or contract structuring (fee-for-service, milestone, royalty, or licensing models).
Strong meeting facilitation, executive communication, and document-authoring skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and external pharma partners.
Ability to navigate ambiguity in a newly-formed business line and build process/governance from the ground up.
Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, or MS) in a life sciences required; MBA or equivalent business training a plus.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in a biopharma translational medicine, biomarker portfolio, or clinical operations role at a large pharma or biotech (e.g., governance, franchise-level portfolio management, or business/program management supporting a $M+ budget).
Familiarity with liquid biopsy/MRD (e.g., Signatera-type assays), CGP (WES/WTS/WGS), spatial transcriptomics, single-cell, or digital pathology platforms.
Experience supporting biomarker strategy for regulatory submissions (IND/IDE, companion diagnostics) or Phase 1–3 clinical trial biomarker operations.

Responsibilities

Work closely with lab and IT operations to build out PDL on time and on budget
Serve as the operational lead for internal cross-functional projects across PDL and the BioPharma BU
Track deliverables, timelines, and resourcing for PDL pharma contracts and flag risks to scope, budget, or timeline early
Work with R&D and Commercial project management operations to ensure line of sight for PDL projects and ensure transparency between the organizations
Coordinate shared infrastructure and CapEx planning between the pharma-facing PDL and the internal R& Lab to maximize ROI on shared equipment and space.
Coordinate across wet lab (DNA/RNA/digital pathology, biorepository, spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA,advanced microscopy), dry lab/bioinformatics, and BD/pharma partnerships teams to keep PDL commitments on track.
Support resourcing and hiring plans to close identified capability gaps in partnership with lab and discovery leadership.
Facilitate recurring working groups, client status meetings, and internal review forums; author agendas, minutes, and action-item tracking.
Support go-to-market and monetization structuring for PDL offerings in partnership with BD and finance.
Maintain program-level budget visibility, resource forecasts, and spend tracking against the approved investment case.
Act as a trusted cross-functional partner to scientific, laboratory, BD, and commercial stakeholders, translating scientific priorities into operational plans.
Prepare client-facing materials, KOL engagement support, and scientific narratives supporting regulatory and commercial adoption of PDL-enabled diagnostics.
Manage change and communication strategies as PDL scales, including team structure, roles, and process updates as the portfolio grows.