Sr. Director of Programs- Breakthrough Bio
About The Position
The Senior Director will be responsible for the successful delivery and execution of Breakthrough Bio, a global accelerator for elite healthcare and life sciences startups. Breakthrough Bio brings together high-potential biotech, medtech, and pharma companies, including AI drug discovery companies, from multiple countries, supporting them through a milestone-driven, six-month acceleration journey that spans virtual programming, U.S. ecosystem immersion, and a finale showcase and demo day, across different cities. This role will dedicate approximately 30% of its time to program delivery, ensuring startups and stakeholders receive the tools, resources, and support needed for success. About 70% of its time will be focused on partner relationship management, market engagement, and network building to enhance the program's ecosystem and partnerships. This role requires flexibility to accommodate partners and startups based internationally, including Israel and Taiwan, which may include early morning or evening calls outside standard business hours. The ideal candidate will be a client-facing, relationship-driven leader with deep global experience and a strong network in healthcare and life sciences (HCLS), specifically in biotech, along with enough technical grounding in biotech and/or medtech development, regulatory pathways, and commercialization to credibly assess startup technology and guide founders' strategic decisions. As a natural convener, this individual will bring together founders, partners, and industry stakeholders to foster collaboration and drive program impact.
Requirements
- Substantive, hands-on experience in biotech and/or medtech (for example, therapeutic or device development, FDA regulatory pathways, clinical trial design, or commercialization of a life sciences technology) sufficient to credibly evaluate startup technology, guide investor and partnership conversations, and earn the trust of technical founders
- Seven or more years of experience in project/program management
- Experience in accelerator operations, recruitment, and supporting small businesses
- Bachelor's degree
- Record of strong business skills, leadership, people management, strategic thinking, and sound judgment
- Willingness and ability to engage business, philanthropic, civic, and academic leaders in business networking settings
Nice To Haves
- Familiarity with major industry conferences such as BIO International Convention or LSI USA is a plus
- Experience managing international cohorts or working with government agency partners is a plus
- Experience with government innovation agencies, dual-use innovation ecosystems, or international cohorts, which is a strong plus
Responsibilities
- Serve as MassChallenge's recognized voice and subject-matter authority in the biotech, medtech, and pharma ecosystem, representing the organization at industry conferences (e.g., BIO International, LSI USA), panels, and thought-leadership forums
- Build and maintain a personal network of senior biotech/medtech leaders, VCs, and government innovation officials that MassChallenge can draw on for deal flow, mentorship, and partnership opportunities
- Act as a trusted technical sounding board for founders and partners, lending credibility to program evaluation and investment-readiness decisions given deep domain expertise
- Identify and cultivate emerging hubs, incubators, and research institutions internationally to keep Breakthrough Bio's pipeline aligned with cutting-edge science
- Contribute original content (articles, talks, panel appearances) that positions MassChallenge as a leader in biotech commercialization, reinforcing the Senior Director's role as a credibility-multiplier for the program
- Lead end-to-end delivery of Breakthrough Bio across all program phases, from strategic design and startup recruitment through Boston kickoff, virtual acceleration, California Market Access Sprint, and Philadelphia finale
- Apply industry experience to core program elements, including curriculum development, event execution, and tailored founder support
- Build and activate a strong network of founders, mentors, partners, and industry leaders, particularly across healthcare, life sciences, and biotech
- Serve as a client-facing representative and trusted relationship manager with program partners, including government innovation agencies, fostering meaningful connections and acting as a natural convener within the regional innovation ecosystem
- Develop and maintain strategic partnerships to support program success, including sourcing mentors, speakers, and industry collaborators
- Establish feedback loops and performance metrics to continuously improve program delivery and outcomes
- Contribute to broader organizational initiatives and support additional accelerator programs as needed
- Manage the program delivery team
- Add to collective knowledge and best practices on startup acceleration and commercialization
- Be a collaborative colleague across the program and network team nationally
- Support the greater MassChallenge program execution team as needed
Benefits
- competitive salaries
- excellent benefits
- a supportive working environment
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
