Senior Director, Global Trial Strategy & Operations

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals

12h

About The Position

The Senior Director, Global Trial Strategy & Operations (GTSO) is a strategic operational leader accountable for driving disciplined execution, portfolio-level planning, and operational excellence within a designated Therapeutic Area, including CNS, TTR, or Hematology/Blood Disorders. Reporting to the Vice President, Global Trial Strategy & Operations, this role operates in close partnership with senior leadership to design and operationalize strategic priorities, ensure alignment to critical path milestones, and elevate delivery standards across studies. Responsibility includes shaping and advancing operational strategy through structured planning frameworks, portfolio insights, prioritization, governance, and cross-functional alignment to enable consistent, high-quality execution. The role influences execution across programs by partnering with program, study, and functional leaders to ensure operational strategies are robust, clearly documented, actively managed, and informed by risk, while driving milestone transparency, proactive risk identification and mitigation, and alignment to enterprise and portfolio priorities. The Senior Director contributes to the evolution of Clinical Operations and the broader GTSO organization by developing and implementing scalable standards, best practices, and operating models that enhance efficiency, quality, consistency, and inspection readiness. Impact is achieved through strategic influence, establishment of clear expectations, and enablement of team effectiveness across a complex, matrixed environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related field required
12+ years of experience in global clinical trial execution within biopharma or CRO environments, with deep operational leadership across full study lifecycle.
Experience with one or more of the following therapeutic areas is a must: Cardiovascular, CNS, or Hematology/Blood Disorders.
Demonstrated success operating as a direct report to senior executives and partnering closely at the leadership level to translate strategic priorities into operational execution.
Proven track record influencing without direct authority across senior operational and functional leadership.
Expertise in clinical operations strategy, program planning, risk management, trial delivery models, and cross-functional execution.
Experience developing or implementing operational frameworks, governance models, or delivery standards.
Strong presence in senior forums with ability to synthesize complex information and drive alignment through compelling communication.
Strong understanding of global regulatory expectations and compliance requirements for clinical trial conduct.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation communication skills.
Ability to travel up to 30%.

Nice To Haves

advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

Partner across Development study teams, and cross-functional partners to drive strategic operational planning, including defining approaches, execution assumptions, timelines, risk management strategies, and delivery frameworks.
Develop portfolio-level tracking mechanisms, dashboards, KPIs, and performance analytics to support transparency and data-driven decision-making.
Drive prioritization and scenario planning across their respective TA/s ensuring alignment to critical path and effective deployment of resources.
Represent the portfolio in leadership and governance forums, ensuring continuity of strategy, alignment, and clarity of decision pathways.
Develop, institutionalize, and continuously refine best practices, operating models, playbooks, and standards that reinforce planning rigor, predictable execution, and operational excellence.
Partner with study and program leaders to ensure operational plans are documented, actively managed, and responsive to risks, external changes, and portfolio dependencies.
Collaborate with peer and cross-functional leaders to support operational readiness, including inspection readiness, vendor oversight frameworks, and compliance.
Contribute to Establish and evolve operating rhythms and governance structures that streamline communication, clarify accountability, and enable timely decisions across programs.
Serve as a strategic thought partner to elevate execution focus, challenge assumptions, integrate lessons learned, and support continuous improvement.
Partner closely with CROs and external vendors to ensure proactive execution, scope adherence, and high-quality delivery while establishing best practices for oversight.
Assist in financial oversight across programs, including forecasting, budget management, investment planning, and long-range portfolio planning.
Partner with SM&H, GTO, CPS, and other clinical operations groups to align strategies, improve processes, and drive portfolio delivery.