Director, R&D Strategic Partnership Management

Illumina•San Diego, CA

1d•$187,400 - $281,000•Hybrid

About The Position

At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients. Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible. The Director, R&D Strategic Partnership Management will establish and lead a team to drive execution of a portfolio of Illumina’s most complex, high-value strategic partnerships. This role is responsible for building a scalable operating model that ensures disciplined execution, clear accountability, proactive risk management, and senior leadership visibility across multi-year, cross-functional partnerships. This leader will manage a team of partnership program managers and serve as an orchestration layer across R&D, corporate & business development, commercial, service & support, and focused business groups, as well as with external partners, combining best-in-class alliance & project management practices and governance models.

Requirements

MBA, PhD or other advanced degree preferred; technical or scientific background strongly preferred with strong business acumen
12+ years of experience in strategic program management within life sciences, healthcare, or regulated industries
Proven leader of people and of a portfolio of partnerships, with experience scaling teams while managing strategic partnerships with significant complexity and enterprise visibility
Demonstrated ability to translate strategic intent into executable plans and sustain momentum across multiple workstreams
Effective in matrixed organizations, influencing stakeholders at all levels, including senior executives
Strong written and verbal communicator; skilled at executive-level synthesis, facilitation, and decision framing
Outcome-oriented, adaptable, and comfortable operating amid ambiguity; anticipates and proactively addresses risks early
Ownership mindset with a strong sense of urgency and personal accountability; brings structure to complexity without adding unnecessary overhead
Experience with project and program management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, PPM platforms), PMP or equivalent certification preferred

Responsibilities

Build and scale the R&D strategic partnerships team: Shape and evolve the vision, scope, and mandate of the R&D Strategic Partnership Management function
Establish a clear operating model, governance, and decision rights to enable speed, accountability, and transparency
Define and standardize partnership execution practices, templates, and operating cadences, while maintaining flexibility for partnership-specific needs
Design and actively manage a flexible prioritization and staffing model to deploy resources against highest-impact partnerships
Build, lead, and scale a high-performing team of Partnership Program Managers, including hiring, coaching, and performance management
Ensure effective hand-offs and transitions from Corporate Strategy, Business Development, and other teams as partnerships transition into execution-heavy phases
Strategic partnership portfolio execution & governance: Oversee execution of strategically important, cross-functional partnerships with significant R&D complexity and delivery risk
Serve as the central execution leader for named partnerships, aligning stakeholders on roles, responsibilities, escalation paths, and ways of working
Establish and lead governance forums, including executive Steering Committees, cross-functional core team cadences, and joint partner meetings
Ensure partner commitments are clearly tracked, delivered, and escalated appropriately, closing gaps between strategic intent, contractual agreements, and on-the-ground execution
Proactively manage dependencies, risks, and resource constraints across matrixed internal teams and external partners
Own portfolio-level visibility through dashboards, executive readouts, and governance materials for internal and external stakeholders
Executive engagement, influence, and alignment: Manage interactions with senior leaders and governance forums to surface risks, tradeoffs, opportunities, and recommendations
Influence decision-making to ensure alignment with enterprise strategy, priorities, and resource plans
Serve as a trusted thought partner to leadership, helping navigate ambiguity and drive decision‑oriented discussions
Continuously evolve partnership and program management practices to improve clarity, accountability, and execution speed
Build strong internal and external relationships to enable alignment and delivery
Strategic program leadership – in addition to scaling the team, this role may directly own execution across select high-value partnerships or initiatives
Serve as the single accountable program manager to own execution, leveraging cross-functional resources
Establish partnership governance and operating cadence across steering committees, cross-functional core team, extended and function-specific teams, and external partner forums
Develop and manage program plans, milestones, success metrics, critical paths, and decision points aligned with executive priorities
Translate scope, budget, timeline, and risks into actionable plans, proposals, and execution strategies
Ensure consistent progress, follow‑through, and timely escalation of issues impacting strategic outcomes
Partner with functional leaders on risk mitigation, contingencies, and change management plans, reinforcing a high quality partner experience