Senior Director, Program Management

Mirum Pharmaceuticals•Foster City, CA

19d•$290,000 - $300,000•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and operationally-savvy leader to oversee and drive the program management function at Mirum, building best-in-class program management practices and strategic approaches to drive results. This leader will have responsibility for establishing program-related processes, systems, and templates to enable portfolio-level oversight and decision-making. They will lead and mentor a team of program management professionals and foster strong partnerships across internal teams to ensure program success and maximize portfolio value.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, engineering or related field required; advanced degree (MS, PhD, MBA) strongly preferred.
10+ years of experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry, with substantive exposure to drug (or biologic/therapy) development.
Demonstrated portfolio and program management experience with cross-functional and global teams, including milestone budget/resourcing management.
Deep understanding of the therapeutic development lifecycle, including non-clinical, clinical, CMC/manufacturing, regulatory and commercial interface.
Excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills: ability to influence without direct authority, build relationships across functions and navigate matrix environments.
Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities; comfortable with ambiguity and dynamic change.
Familiarity with program management tools and frameworks (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, stage-gate process).

Nice To Haves

Previous experience building a PMO is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead a high-performing Project Management Office that supports strategic planning and execution across all development programs.
Establish and manage program governance to enable prioritization of resources and activities including the facilitation of annual operating plan process in conjunction with FP&A.
Develop, implement and continuously refine PMO processes, frameworks and tools (e.g., timelines, stage-gates, communication plans, resource planning, budgeting, decision-making, etc.).
Serve as a strategic partner and communicator with senior leadership: provide program status, decision-support, trade-offs, and portfolio linkage.
Facilitate decision-making processes, including risk mitigation strategies and scenario planning.
In partnership with program managers, identify key hurdles across programs.
Identify, assess and proactively mitigate portfolio-level program risks and dependencies; escalate issues appropriately.
Maintain continuous communication with Program Leads to ensure timely support and proactive involvement in program dynamics and team performance.
Drive cross-functional collaboration: align stakeholders (clinical, regulatory, CMC, finance, commercial) around program strategy and deliverables.
Mentor and develop program managers, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Coach and mentor PT members on their roles, team interactions, program deliverables & interdependencies, action plans, presentations (executive style) to senior management
Actively resolve issues and elevate concerns with a sense of urgency to promote a culture of rapid improvement and responsiveness.
Serve as the Program Manager for one of Mirum’s programs or during corporate development evaluation of potential new assets, as needed