Senior Director, Program & Portfolio Management

Vera Therapeutics, Inc.•Brisbane, CA

17h•$230,000 - $300,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Vera Therapeutics is a commercial-stage biotechnology company focused on the pursuit of truth in science to transform medicine in autoimmune disease, starting with the kidney. Vera Therapeutics’ flagship commercial product is TRUTAKNATM (atacicept-vymj), a B-cell activating factor (BAFF) and A proliferation-inducing ligand (APRIL) inhibitor. Vera Therapeutics is evaluating multiple diseases where the reduction of autoantibodies through inhibition of BAFF and APRIL may prove clinically meaningful. Vera Therapeutics was founded in 2016 and is based in Brisbane, California. To learn more, visit www.veratx.com. At Vera, our values are the cornerstone of our culture and guide how we work together every day. We lead with empathy, act with an owner’s mindset, demand clarity, work without fences, and execute with urgency because patients are counting on us. From how we hire and develop our people to how we advance rigorous science, we are building a team committed to transforming medicine in autoimmune diseases, starting with the kidney. Position Summary We are seeking an experienced and highly capable Senior Director, Program & Portfolio Management to serve as the lead Program Manager for Research and Development, reporting to the Senior Vice President, Program & Portfolio Strategy & Management. This person will need to be located near Boston, MA or Brisbane, CA. This is an execution-facing leadership role: the Senior Director owns the integrated Trutakna (atacicept-vymj) project plan and leads the Development Sub-Team responsible for the successful cross-functional execution of Trutakna development programs. This role sits within the Program Management Office and is expected to lead with PMO best practices. This person will also lead the Research and Development Governance and will partner closely with the Global Program Team Lead (GPTL) and the Global Program Team (GPT) Program Manager to ensure strategic direction set by the GPT translates into clear, well-coordinated execution across Program Teams and governance forums. This role partners closely with the Executive Vice President, Clinical Development and the Chief Medical Officer to keep clinical development execution tightly aligned with program governance. This person will also manage and mentor a team of direct report program and/or project managers supporting R&D.

Requirements

BA/BS degree with 15+ years of biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry experience required; advanced degree (PhD, MD, MBA) preferred.
Deep, hands-on experience managing late-stage development programs through registration and approval; direct BLA/NDA experience preferred.
A blend of large biopharma and smaller, fast-moving biotech experience strongly preferred, combined with a high level of professionalism and experience working with executive leadership teams.
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional development sub-teams and running formal governance bodies at the program or portfolio level.
Demonstrated people management skills, specifically managing program or project managers, required.
Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to build trust and drive alignment with executive leaders and senior functional heads.
Rigorous command of standard program management deliverables and disciplines, including integrated project plans, timelines, dashboards, and RAID logs.
Excellent meeting management skills, including agenda design, facilitation, and producing clear, accurate, professional minutes and follow-up.
Proven ability to operate as an execution owner, translating strategic direction set by others into a well-managed, on-track operating plan.
High level of accuracy, attention to detail, and follow-through; comfortable managing significant offline stakeholder coordination between formal meetings.
Ability to communicate effectively and with executive presence across the organization at all levels.
Proven ability to manage competing priorities, timelines, and stakeholders in a fast-paced, rapid-growth environment.
Experience with Smartsheet or similar project management tools preferred.
PMP or equivalent certification a plus.
Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Visio, or other timeline tools.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (PhD, MD, MBA) preferred.
Direct BLA/NDA experience preferred.
A blend of large biopharma and smaller, fast-moving biotech experience strongly preferred.
Experience with Smartsheet or similar project management tools preferred.
PMP or equivalent certification a plus.

Responsibilities

Own the integrated Trutakna (atacicept-vymj) project plan and the full suite of supporting program management deliverables, timelines, milestones, dependencies, critical path, dashboards, and RAID logs, ensuring accuracy and decision-readiness at all times.
Lead the Development Sub-Team, driving successful cross-functional execution of Trutakna development programs across Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, CMC, Biostatistics, Drug Safety, and other R&D functions.
Lead Research and Development Governance, overseeing agenda development, meeting facilitation, decision tracking, and resolution of action items.
Manage the weekly Development Sub-Team meeting end to end: build the agenda, produce meeting presentations, capture and distribute clear minutes, and drive closure on open items between meetings.
Serve as a champion of PMO resources to direct reports and the broader organization. Lead with Program Management best practices, bringing rigor and discipline to teams and the PPM function.
Serve as the principal execution partner to the Global Program Team Lead (GPTL) and GPT Program Manager, translating GPT-level strategy into coordinated execution plans and ensuring program risk and status are communicated clearly across governance layers.
Partner closely with the Chief Medical Officer, Executive Vice President, Clinical Development and the Executive Vice President, Development Operations to keep clinical execution, timelines, and risk visibility tightly aligned with program governance and the RDRC.
Manage and mentor a team of direct report program and/or project managers supporting R&D, fostering professional development and building program management capability across the team.
Proactively identify and manage program risks and issues in partnership with functional leaders, escalating with clear options and recommendations when executive decisions are required.
Maintain continuous, high-touch engagement with cross-functional stakeholders between formal governance touchpoints, ensuring alignment and swift resolution of emerging issues.
Act as a trusted, credible partner to functional leaders and executive stakeholders, communicating program status, risks, and dependencies with clarity, precision, and professionalism.
Continuously strengthen program management rigor and discipline within R&D, including governance cadence, reporting tools, and cross-functional communication norms.
May support other programs or R&D initiatives as needed.