Executive Director, Chief of Staff

ADARx Pharmaceuticals Inc.•San Diego, CA

13h•$230,000 - $325,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief of Staff to the CEO serves as a strategic partner and trusted advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, helping translate the CEO’s priorities and vision into coordinated enterprise-wide execution. This role operates across the organization, partnering closely with the Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors to drive alignment, accountability, decision-making, and progress against the company’s strategic objectives. The Chief of Staff will serve as an extension of the CEO, ensuring that critical initiatives move forward, organizational priorities remain aligned, and the CEO has the information, insights, and support needed to make effective decisions. This individual will work across functions including R&D, Clinical Development, Regulatory, Quality, Commercial, Finance, Legal, People, and Operations. The ideal candidate is a highly strategic, analytical, collaborative, and execution-oriented leader who can operate effectively in a fast-paced, science-driven environment and navigate complex and highly confidential matters with sound judgment and discretion.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
12+ years of progressive experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, healthcare, consulting, investment banking, corporate strategy, or a related environment.
Demonstrated experience partnering with C-suite executives and/or senior leadership.
Experience leading complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives.
Strong business acumen and ability to understand scientific, financial, and operational information.
Familiarity with clinical development programs, including key milestones, regulatory processes, cross-functional dependencies, and the broader drug development lifecycle.
Exceptional analytical, organizational, project management, and problem-solving skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level presentation capabilities.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, rapidly changing environment.
Strong judgment, discretion, and ability to handle highly confidential information.
Ability to influence without direct authority and build strong relationships across all levels of an organization.
United States (Required)
As a condition of employment, you must successfully complete all post-offer, pre-employment requirements, including but not limited to a background check.

Nice To Haves

MBA, advanced scientific degree, or other relevant graduate degree preferred.
Experience in a growth-stage or publicly traded biotechnology or pharmaceutical company.
Experience supporting a CEO, Executive Leadership Team, or Board of Directors.
Experience with corporate strategy, organizational planning, investor relations, or business operations.
Experience supporting companies through significant growth, financing, clinical development milestones, commercialization, or other major organizational transitions.
Understanding of drug development, clinical development, regulatory processes, and the biotechnology/pharmaceutical business model.

Responsibilities

Partner with the CEO to translate corporate strategy and priorities into clear objectives, initiatives, milestones, and accountabilities.
Drive execution of high-priority, cross-functional initiatives on behalf of the CEO.
Establish mechanisms to monitor progress against strategic priorities and identify risks, dependencies, and opportunities.
Prepare the CEO for critical decisions by synthesizing complex information, developing analyses, and presenting clear recommendations.
Ensure follow-through on key decisions and commitments across the organization.
Identify organizational gaps, barriers, and opportunities and work with leaders to develop solutions.
Serve as a thought partner and trusted advisor to the CEO on strategic, organizational, and operational matters.
Partner closely with members of the Executive Leadership Team to promote alignment, transparency, and accountability.
Facilitate effective communication and coordination across functions.
Help ensure that enterprise priorities are understood and appropriately reflected in functional plans and resource allocation.
Support the CEO in preparing for and leading Executive Leadership Team meetings and strategic discussions.
Participate in select leadership meetings and represent the CEO as appropriate.
Partner with the CEO and CFO on preparation for Board of Directors meetings, including agendas, presentations, briefing materials, and follow-up actions.
Coordinate cross-functional input for Board materials and ensure consistency and quality of information presented.
Track Board decisions, commitments, and follow-up actions.
Support preparation for investor meetings, corporate presentations, and other external engagements as appropriate.
Develop and maintain enterprise-level dashboards, scorecards, and reporting mechanisms to provide visibility into progress against strategic objectives.
Analyze business performance and emerging trends and provide insights to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
Coordinate annual and periodic strategic planning processes.
Support organizational planning, resource prioritization, and critical business decisions.
Lead or support special projects and strategic initiatives identified by the CEO.
Draft and/or coordinate executive communications, presentations, talking points, and leadership updates.
Help ensure consistent messaging of corporate strategy, priorities, milestones, and organizational objectives.
Support preparation for all-hands meetings, leadership meetings, Board meetings, and other key company events.
Develop executive-level presentations and materials that communicate complex information clearly and effectively.
Lead high-priority, time-sensitive, and confidential projects on behalf of the CEO.
Conduct research, analysis, and due diligence to support strategic decisions.
Serve as a project leader for initiatives that span multiple functions or require executive sponsorship.
Step into ambiguous situations, establish structure, and drive initiatives toward resolution.
Partner with internal and external stakeholders to ensure successful execution of critical initiatives.
Other duties as assigned.