Senior Director, Program Management

Summit Therapeutics•Palo Alto, CA

21h•$217,000 - $271,000

About The Position

The Senior Director of Program Management provides strategic and operational leadership across multiple development programs and/or a portfolio of assets, driving alignment between Research, Development, Business Strategy, Manufacturing, and execution. This role has enterprise-level impact on initiating new indications, pipeline prioritization, and long-range value creation from early development through regulatory approval. The Senior Director serves as the primary point of contact for key programs to executive leadership, ensures disciplined program governance, and strengthens the Program Management function as the organization scales. This position reports to the VP, Program Management and may have people leadership responsibility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and minimum 15 years of relevant project management/scientific experience within the pharmaceutical industry; OR a MS or MBA and minimal 12 years of relevant experience; OR a PhD in a scientific field or a PharmD, DVM or MD degree with 7+ years of relevant experience
12–15+ years of pharmaceutical or biotech industry experience with progressive responsibility in program or portfolio management
Extensive pharmaceutical drug development experience required
Prior solid tumor oncology experience, including late-stage development and registrational trials, required
Demonstrated success leading complex, global, cross-functional programs and influencing senior executives
Proven ability to balance strategic leadership with operational execution
Exceptional communication, facilitation, and presentation skills
Strong proficiency in program management and planning tools (e.g., MS Office, Project, Smartsheet)
Willing to travel for key meetings.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing alliances and external partners strongly preferred

Responsibilities

Manage multiple programs or a therapeutic portfolio to maximize pipeline
Partner with executive leadership on program, indication, and portfolio strategy, including prioritization and sequencing
Define and oversee major milestones, decision points, objectives, and inflection points across programs
Lead scenario planning, trade-off analyses, and decision frameworks to support executive decision-making
Ensure alignment across Development, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and Corporate Strategy
Lead and integrate complex cross-functional workstreams across Research, Development, Regulatory, and Manufacturing
Facilitate effective decision-making and accountability across global teams and external partners
Present clear insights, recommendations, and program status to C-suite and senior leadership
Mentor and develop Program Management leaders and strengthen organizational capability
Oversee end-to-end program execution, including activation of new indications post–Go decision
Ensure consistent application of program management standards, dashboards, and governance models
Chair timely, efficient, and action-oriented team meetings to coordinate operations and communications.
Review and validate integrated program plans, timelines, and metrics for accuracy and strategic alignment
Represent Program Management on senior governance forums and key internal or external teams
Oversee integrated, cross-program timelines aligned with enterprise goals
Partner with functional leaders on budgets and forecast planning
Lead portfolio-level scenario and contingency planning to support strategic agility
Ensure data integrity and transparency in executive reporting
Identify and manage program- and portfolio-level risks and mitigation strategies
Communicate risks, opportunities, and trade-off s clearly to executive leadership
Drive continuous improvement of program management processes, tools, and operating models
Lead strategic initiatives to mature the Program Management function as the company grows
All other duties as assigned