Vice President, Global Program Head

Kardigan•Princeton, NJ

1d•$312,000 - $373,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Kardigan is hiring a Vice President, Global Program Head in its Development department. Based in Princeton, New Jersey, the role is hybrid and requires on-site work four days per week, Monday through Thursday, with approximately 20–25% travel as needed. The position reports to the Chief Development Officer. The Global Program Head is the single accountable leader for a therapeutic program from late-stage development through launch and lifecycle management. The role leads a global, cross-functional program team and sets program vision and strategy, defines milestones and resource needs, and owns the integrated plan and budget. The program head presents to the Executive Committee and Board of Directors and mentors and develops team members. Kardigan’s Development team works with Clinical, Regulatory, Safety, Manufacturing, Medical, and Commercial colleagues to advance cardiovascular programs. Program leaders shape strategy at pivotal stages, influence company priorities, and help establish scalable ways of working in a collaborative, direct, and patient-centered environment. Kardigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer and provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the application and employment process. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location. The pay range is $312,000–$373,000 USD.

Requirements

Advanced degree in life sciences or medicine (MD, PhD, or equivalent).
Track record of advancing a program through major clinical and regulatory milestones.
Ability to influence, resolve conflict, and drive decisions among cross-functional teams, senior executives, and external partners.
Strategic and analytical judgment, including the ability to build and execute complex strategies and make sound decisions with broad organizational impact.
Negotiation and alignment skills with internal and external stakeholders.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present to senior executives and boards.

Nice To Haves

10+ years of biopharmaceutical experience in drug development, including early- and late-phase programs and pre-commercial preparation.
10+ years of experience leading and developing people and cross-functional teams, including in a matrix environment.
Cardiovascular or cardiometabolic development experience.
Experience leading a program through regulatory filing and approval; post-launch experience is a plus.
Experience with alliances or external collaborations, including negotiation and joint governance.
Experience across more than one therapeutic modality.
Strong planning and financial skills, including budgeting and defining appropriate metrics to track progress.

Responsibilities

Own the integrated development and commercialization strategy from late-stage clinical development through regulatory submission, launch, and lifecycle management.
Define program goals, milestones, and timelines, and build the budget and resource and investment case needed to deliver them.
Evaluate scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial evidence to guide prioritization and go/no-go decisions, including decisions about back-up and follow-on candidates.
Lead a global cross-functional team across Clinical, Regulatory, Safety, Manufacturing and Supply, Medical, and Commercial, establishing clear roles, decision rights, and shared goals.
Drive progress against milestones, anticipate risks, remove obstacles, and escalate trade-offs early with clear recommendations.
Partner with functional leaders to secure resources at the right time and raise cross-program resource, timeline, and budget issues with proposed solutions.
Prepare the program for engagement with global health authorities and for launch readiness in partnership with Commercial and Medical.
Present program progress, risks, and investment needs to the CEO, Executive Committee, and Board of Directors.
Ensure team members understand program objectives, strategy, corporate context, and timelines.
Represent the program with external partners, collaborators, investigators, and key opinion leaders, and realize the value of those relationships.
Build a high-performing team that models Kardigan’s values and sets the standard for cross-functional teamwork.
Coach and develop team members and emerging program leaders.