The Senior Director, R&D Portfolio & Project Management Office (PMO), reporting into the Head of R&D Strategy and Portfolio, is accountable for execution excellence across a complex and evolving R&D portfolio. Reporting into the Senior Director of R&D Strategy & Portfolio, this role leads and advances best-in-class portfolio, program, and project management capabilities to enable disciplined delivery, predictable outcomes, and transparent execution across R&D.
This leader owns the design, deployment, and continuous improvement of scalable PMO practices, including delivery standards, governance models, and enabling tools. In close partnership with R&D Strategy & Portfolio, the role translates portfolio priorities into integrated execution plans, sequencing, and delivery insights that support effective trade-offs and decision-making. This role also builds and sustains strong PMO talent to support increasingly complex, cross-functional R&D initiatives.
Key Responsibilities:- PMO Leadership & Execution Excellence
- Lead the R&D PMO to ensure execution rigor, predictable delivery, and operational discipline across a complex R&D portfolio
- Ensure initiatives are delivered on time, on budget, and to defined quality standards, with strong risk and dependency management
- Own and continuously improve PMO standards, methodologies, governance and tools, including fit-for-purpose product development and delivery frameworks
- Integrate AI into PMO processes to increase overall project delivery efficiency
- Partnership on Portfolio Governance
- Enable effective portfolio governance in partnership with R&D Strategy and Portfolio Operations & Insights, Corporate Strategy, Product Management, and business group leaders
- Operationalize portfolio priorities into executable programs, roadmaps, and capacity-informed plans
- Provide execution-based insights to inform portfolio trade-offs, sequencing, and governance decisions
- Deliver clear, consistent execution reporting, dashboards, and metrics to R&D leadership and cross-functional leadership
- Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
- Serve as trusted execution partner to senior executives and cross-functional leaders, in a complex matrixed environment
- Drive cross-R&D alignment and collaboration to manage interdependencies and accelerate delivery
- Champion transparency and accountability through effective reporting and insights
- Talent & Culture Leadership
- Attract, develop, and retain top-tier PMO and R&D talent
- Coach and mentor PM talent to strengthen core competencies and career progression
- Foster a high-performing, inclusive culture focused on innovation, adaptability, and measurable outcomes
Core Competencies- Execution excellence: deep expertise in driving delivery rigor across complex, cross-functional portfolios
- PMO leadership: proven ability to design, scale, and sustain PMO operating models, standards, and tools
- Data-driven decision making: leverage analytics and insights to inform execution and portfolio decisions
- Change leadership: effectively lead adoption of new ways of working with minimal disruption
- Global mindset: operates effectively across geographies, cultures, and matrixed organizations
Qualifications:- Advanced degree in Life Sciences, Business, or related field; MBA or PhD preferred.
- 12-15+ years of experience in R&D portfolio / project management and operations leadership
- Demonstrated success building PMO capabilities, strengthening delivery performance, and developing PMO talent
- Experience running development programs that include different product types: instruments, assays, regulated products, and software
- Advanced understanding of stage-gate product development process and risk management
- Strong communication, leadership and stakeholder management skills effective in matrixed organizations
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively across all levels of the organization
- Positive change agent - experience leading effective change management practices
- PMP or similar certification preferred
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The estimated base salary range for the Senior Director, R&D Portfolio & Project Management role based in the United States of America is: $205,100 - $307,700. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. The range reflects long-term growth in the role; therefore, most candidates are hired between the minimum and middle of the range. Placement depends on experience, skills, location, and internal equity. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.
