Vice President, Global Program Head

Kardigan•Princeton, NJ

17h•Hybrid

About The Position

Kardigan is hiring a Vice President, Global Program Head to serve as the single accountable leader for a therapeutic program from late-stage development through launch and lifecycle management. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, this high-visibility role leads a cross-functional global program team and owns program vision, strategy, milestones, resourcing, investment needs, the integrated plan, and budget. The role presents program progress and needs to Kardigan’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors, represents the program externally, and develops team members and emerging program leaders. The position is based in Princeton, New Jersey, with a hybrid schedule requiring on-site work four days per week, Monday through Thursday. Travel is approximately 20–25% as needed. The Development team works across Clinical, Regulatory, Safety, Manufacturing, Medical, and Commercial to advance cardiovascular programs with rigor, urgency, and a patient-centered approach.

Requirements

Advanced degree in life sciences or medicine (MD, PhD, or equivalent).
Track record of advancing a program through major clinical and regulatory milestones.
Proven 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 decisions with broad organizational impact.
Proven negotiation and alignment skills with internal and external stakeholders.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including presenting to senior executives and boards.

Nice To Haves

10+ years of biopharmaceutical drug development experience, 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; develop budgets and resource and investment cases.
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 spanning Clinical, Regulatory, Safety, Manufacturing and Supply, Medical, and Commercial, establishing clear roles, decision rights, and shared goals.
Drive milestone progress, anticipate risks, remove obstacles, and escalate trade-offs with clear recommendations.
Partner with functional leaders to secure resources 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 alongside 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 reflects Kardigan’s values and models cross-functional teamwork.
Coach and develop team members and emerging program leaders.