Arrowhead Research

Executive Director, Strategic Operations

Arrowhead Research$260K — $290K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Doctorate degree & 6 years or Master's degree & 10 years or Bachelor's degree & 12 years of strategic planning and operational experience.
  • 6 years of managerial experience leading teams or projects.
  • Strong leadership and communication skills; effective vendor management.
  • Ability to collaborate in a matrixed environment; strong organizational skills.
  • Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.

Responsibilities

  • Facilitate the refinement and prioritization of the technical portfolio, ensuring strategic alignment.
  • Develop and manage functional operating rhythms for improved organizational efficiency.
  • Lead long-range strategic planning across the Global Operations portfolio.
  • Oversee global trade policy and strategy, aligning trade compliance with business growth.
  • Foster team alignment and collaboration to meet strategic goals.
  • Develop manufacturing strategies to address operational factors impacting capacity.
  • Champion change management initiatives, emphasizing innovation and adaptability.

Benefits

  • Excellent benefit package including health and wellness programs.
  • Opportunities for professional development and continued education.
  • Support for diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives.
  • Flexible working arrangements may be available after onboarding.
Full Job Description
The Position

The Executive Director, Strategic Operations is essential for steering Arrowhead's strategic planning and operational excellence to ensure the seamless execution of our Global Operations and Product Delivery. As the Strategy and Operations Leader, you will play a vital role in facilitating the alignment and governance of Arrowhead's technical portfolio, so we can achieve business agility. You will be responsible for the refinement and prioritization of our portfolio, developing our functional operating rhythm, and ensuring cross-functional alignment.

This role is based in Pasadena, California, with an expectation to be in office 5 days a week. This position is posted at the Executive Director level; however, depending on the selected candidate's experience and qualifications, the role may be filled at the Senior Director level.

Responsibilities
  • Portfolio Management Facilitate the refinement and prioritization of the technical portfolio backlog, ensuring strategic alignment and optimal resource allocation. This role ensures our product and work package teams are in a constant state of readiness to anticipate and act on external changes.
  • Operational Management Develop and manage functional operating rhythm to enhance organizational efficiency and effectiveness. Lead operational reviews and ensure execution against strategic plans.
  • Long Range Planning Lead strategic planning for lifecycle management (LCM) across the Global Operations and Product Delivery portfolio with focus on maximizing the long-term value of our assets
  • Trade Operations Oversee the global trade policy and strategy direction, drive proactive regulatory engagement, and partner with senior and executive leadership across Supply Chain, Commercial, Legal, Finance, Tax, Regulatory, and Quality to align trade compliance strategies with business growth.
  • Functional Alignment Foster alignment and integration across teams ensuring proactive collaboration and cohesion in achieving strategic goals.
  • Risk Management and Network Strategy Develop critical manufacturing strategies and plans identifying operational factors that impact capacity and network limits. Recommend strategies supporting business case development and investments
  • Governance Process Play an integral role in the governance process for the technical portfolio, including partnerships and licensees requiring Arrowhead CMC or Supply services, ensuring that decisions are made transparently and effectively. The Governance team will understand the financial, technical, and business contexts & hold strategy and investment funding responsibilities.
  • Evaluation and Assessment Support and/or lead strategic evaluations and initiatives that inform PT and assessments; what are competitive levers now & future; what are current gaps in technology and portfolio mix; identification of emerging areas of unmet needs, etc.
  • Transformation & Change Management Champion organizational change management initiatives, particularly those related to the integration of advanced technologies, fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability.
  • Budget and Metrics Own the budget and develop organizational metrics that track and measure the success of strategic initiatives.
  • Supplier / Partnerships Support and/or lead the process by which the Global Operations organization manages suppliers and partnerships to ensure favorable terms and performance in line with company objectives.
  • Talent Initiatives Advocate for key talent initiatives, nurturing an environment of diversity, inclusion, and belonging. Promote talent development opportunities, internship programs, and other initiatives that support workforce excellence
  • Internal Communications Collaborate with corporate affairs to ensure clear and consistent communication across the organization.

Requirements
  • Doctorate degree & 6 years of strategic planning and operational experience OR Master's degree & 10 years of strategic planning and operational experience OR Bachelor's degree & 12 years of strategic planning and operational experience
  • 6 years of managerial experience directly managing people and/or leadership experience leading teams, projects, programs or directing the allocation of resources
  • Strong leadership and communication skills; effective vendor management
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a matrixed, team-based environment, with strong organizational and time management capabilities.
  • You may be required to travel for up to 20% of your time.

Preferred
  • 12+ years of experience in strategic planning and operations in both the biotechnology or healthcare field and a Lean or Agile environment
  • Proven experience in managing healthcare technology portfolios and leading cross-functional teams
  • Understanding of change management principles and proven results in leading cultural transformations within an enterprise
  • Demonstrated ability to manage budgets and develop relevant business metrics.
  • Experience with supplier contract management and negotiation.
  • Commitment to talent development, diversity, inclusion, and belonging initiatives.
  • Executive communication skills, with a proven ability to work effectively with all levels of an organization
  • MBA or master's degree in business administration, Management, or a related field


California pay range

$260,000-$290,000 USD

Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.

About Arrowhead Research

Arrowhead Research is a biotechnology company that develops RNA interference (RNAi) therapeutics. The company was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Pasadena, California. Arrowhead's RNAi technology targets specific genes to silence their expression, which can be used to treat a variety of diseases. The company's pipeline includes treatments for liver disease, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Arrowhead has partnerships with pharmaceutical companies such as Amgen and Janssen Pharmaceuticals. The company has received FDA approval for some of its products and is conducting clinical trials for others.
Learn more about Arrowhead Research
Size
329 employees
Market Cap
$4 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$102.6 million
Founded
2004
5 Year Trend
+50.6%
Revenue
$79.8 million
NASDAQ

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