Executive Director, Portfolio & Program Management

Job Description

The Executive Director, Portfolio & Program Management is a global leadership role within the Program and Portfolio Management (PPM) organization. The role is accountable for all program management efforts across the drug development lifecycle and commercialization, including Disease Area Strategy Teams (DST), Program Teams (PT), and research PTs, ensuring end-to-end integration with DST strategy for a subset of Vertex’s portfolio diseases. This role drives organizational design, strategic growth, and operational excellence, with expanded scope to lead multiple disease areas and mentor senior program managers.

This position is based in our Boston, MA location (Seaport area) and requires a hybrid work schedule with 3 days in office /2 days remote on a weekly basis.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to multiple cross-functional teams, spanning research, clinical, and marketed products.
• Lead and mentor Senior Directors and PPM staff across at least one additional disease area (“player/coach” model).
• Drive synergies and scalability across disease areas, optimizing resource allocation to deliver on Vertex portfolio priorities.
• Set strategy and oversee decision-making for high-priority and complex programs, ensuring alignment with corporate objectives.
• Champion organizational design principles to enable agile, scalable teams and career development opportunities.
• Represent PPM on governance forums and with senior leaders, influencing strategic direction and portfolio growth.
• Propose and implement innovative approaches and process improvements to maximize operational excellence.
• Oversee financial and human resource accountability for expanded teams (direct and indirect reports).
• Ensure integration of research, development and commercialization of program management efforts with DST strategy.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or a relevant field.
• Typically requires 15+ years of experience, including 7+ years of management experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated experience leading large, complex teams and programs at a global level.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Deep expertise in portfolio and program management, strategic planning, risk management and resource management across multiple disease areas.

• Proven ability to lead and mentor senior program managers and high-level professionals.

• Advanced business management and financial acumen to drive value creation.

• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment.
• Pharmaceutical drug discovery and development expertise across disciplines.

At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision-making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better outcomes for patients.

Pay Range:

$260,800 - $391,200

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Hybrid-Eligible Or On-Site Eligible

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this Hybrid-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as: 
1.    Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
2.    On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time. 

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