Senior Director, Patient Team Operations & Chief of Staff to the Chief Patient Officer
About The Position
The Senior Director, Patient Team Operations & Chief of Staff to the Chief Patient Officer (CPO) serves as a strategic and operational leader supporting the execution of enterprise patient strategy across Commercial, Medical Affairs and Manufacturing functions. This individual acts as a trusted advisor and operational partner to the CPO, driving cross-functional alignment, governance, execution excellence, and organizational effectiveness. The role operates at the intersection of strategy and execution, partnering closely with Manufacturing, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Patient Services, Marketing, Regulatory, Clinical Development, Legal/Compliance, and Program Team leadership. The Senior Director will serve as a key liaison between the Patient Organization and cross-functional program teams to ensure integrated planning, decision-making, and operational follow-through across development and commercialization activities. This position requires a highly collaborative leader with strong biotech/pharmaceutical experience, exceptional communication and organizational skills, and the ability to navigate complex, matrixed environments.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, PharmD, PhD, or equivalent) preferred
- 10+ years of experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or healthcare.
- Significant experience within Commercial, Medical Affairs, Program Management, Operations, or Strategic Planning functions
- Demonstrated success operating within highly matrixed, cross-functional organizations
- Strong understanding of drug development and commercialization processes.
- Experience supporting executive-level leaders and driving enterprise initiatives.
- Exceptional project management, organizational, and operational execution skills
- Excellent written, verbal, and executive communication capabilities
- Experience participating in program team governance structures
- Proven ability to influence without direct authority
Nice To Haves
- Rare disease and/or specialty biotech experience
- Launch or pre-launch experience
- Familiarity with compliance considerations across Commercial and Medical Affairs interactions
- Prior consulting, strategy, or business operations experience
Responsibilities
- Serve as a strategic thought partner and operational extension of the Chief Patient Officer
- Support development and execution of organizational priorities across Commercial and Medical Affairs
- Drive annual strategic planning processes, goal setting, organizational priorities, and execution tracking
- Prepare executive-level materials for Board meetings, leadership reviews, investor interactions, and governance forums
- Identify organizational risks, gaps, and operational bottlenecks and proactively develop mitigation plans
- Represent the Patient Organization within cross-functional program teams and governance structures
- Ensure alignment between Commercial, Medical Affairs, Clinical, Regulatory, Market Access, and Patient Services strategies
- Facilitate communication and decision-making across functions to support development-stage and/or launch-stage assets
- Coordinate integrated launch readiness activities and milestone tracking where applicable
- Drive accountability for deliverables, timelines, and cross-functional commitments
- Lead operating cadence for the organization, including leadership meetings, governance reviews, strategic offsites, and business reviews
- Establish and optimize processes, workflows, dashboards, and KPIs to improve organizational effectiveness
- Manage prioritization and execution against key organizational initiatives.
- Partner with Finance and functional leaders on budgeting, resource planning, headcount tracking, and vendor oversight
- Support change management and organizational scaling initiatives as the company evolves
- Drive internal communications on behalf of the Chief Patient Officer, ensuring consistent messaging and organizational alignment
- Build strong relationships across senior leadership and act as a connector between functions
- Support external engagement preparation for medical congresses, advisory boards, and other patient team activities as needed
- Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and patient-centricity
Benefits
- medical, dental and vision insurance
- life, long- and short-term disability insurance
- paid parental leave
- a 401K plan with company match
- unlimited vacation time
- tuition assistance
- participation in our Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
