Summary
Natera’s Pharma Discovery Lab (PDL) bridges R&D execution, analytics, and target and biomarker discovery and development. We are seeking an Director/Associate Director of Portfolio & Program Management to build and run the operational backbone of PDL. The successful candidate will manage a broad portfolio of internal and external projects from inception to execution — managing portfolio metrics, tracking budgets, stage-gating project milestones, coordinating wet lab / dry lab / bioinformatics, RWD analytics resourcing, and managing pharma-partner engagements (biomarker consultation, translational research contracts, and target discovery/co-development projects) from intake through delivery. The role sits at the intersection of science, business, and operations, and reports into PDL leadership.
Key Responsibilities
Internal Project Management - Cross-Functional & Operational Coordination:
-Work closely with lab and IT operations to build out PDL on time and on budget
-Serve as the operational lead for internal cross-functional projects across PDL and the BioPharma BU
-Track deliverables, timelines, and resourcing for PDL pharma contracts and flag risks to scope, budget, or timeline early
-Work with R&D and Commercial project management operations to ensure line of sight for PDL projects and ensure transparency between the organizations
-Coordinate shared infrastructure and CapEx planning between the pharma-facing PDL and the internal R& Lab to maximize ROI on shared equipment and space.
-Coordinate across wet lab (DNA/RNA/digital pathology, biorepository, spatial transcriptomics, single-cell RNA,advanced microscopy), dry lab/bioinformatics, and BD/pharma partnerships teams to keep PDL commitments on track.
-Support resourcing and hiring plans to close identified capability gaps in partnership with lab and discovery leadership.
-Facilitate recurring working groups, client status meetings, and internal review forums; author agendas, minutes, and action-item tracking.
Business & Financial Operations:
-Support go-to-market and monetization structuring for PDL offerings in partnership with BD and finance.
-Maintain program-level budget visibility, resource forecasts, and spend tracking against the approved investment case.
Communications & Stakeholder Management:
-Act as a trusted cross-functional partner to scientific, laboratory, BD, and commercial stakeholders, translating
scientific priorities into operational plans.
-Prepare client-facing materials, KOL engagement support, and scientific narratives supporting regulatory and
commercial adoption of PDL-enabled diagnostics.
-Manage change and communication strategies as PDL scales, including team structure, roles, and process updates as the portfolio grows.
Qualifications:
-10+ years of experience in oncology drug development, translational research, or biomarker/CDx program
management, ideally spanning both pharma and diagnostics/lab-services environments.
-Demonstrated track record leading complex, cross-functional programs — governance operations, portfolio/program
tracking, and stakeholder management at the senior leadership level.
-Experience managing biomarker sample operations, biorepository/biobank workflows, or CDx-adjacent laboratory
operations.
• Financial acumen, including budget forecasting, resource planning, and experience supporting deal or contract
structuring (fee-for-service, milestone, royalty, or licensing models).
• Strong meeting facilitation, executive communication, and document-authoring skills; comfortable presenting to
senior leadership and external pharma partners.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity in a newly-formed business line and build process/governance from the ground up.
• Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, or MS) in a life sciences required; MBA or equivalent business training a plus.
Preferred Experience:
-Prior experience in a biopharma translational medicine, biomarker portfolio, or clinical operations role at a large
pharma or biotech (e.g., governance, franchise-level portfolio management, or business/program management
supporting a $M+ budget).
-Familiarity with liquid biopsy/MRD (e.g., Signatera-type assays), CGP (WES/WTS/WGS), spatial transcriptomics,
single-cell, or digital pathology platforms.
-Experience supporting biomarker strategy for regulatory submissions (IND/IDE, companion diagnostics) or Phase 1–3 clinical trial biomarker operations.
OUR OPPORTUNITY
Natera™ is a global leader in cell-free DNA (cfDNA) testing, dedicated to oncology, women’s health, and organ health. Our aim is to make personalized genetic testing and diagnostics part of the standard of care to protect health and enable earlier and more targeted interventions that lead to longer, healthier lives.
The Natera team consists of highly dedicated statisticians, geneticists, doctors, laboratory scientists, business professionals, software engineers and many other professionals from world-class institutions, who care deeply for our work and each other. When you join Natera, you’ll work hard and grow quickly. Working alongside the elite of the industry, you’ll be stretched and challenged, and take pride in being part of a company that is changing the landscape of genetic disease management.
WHAT WE OFFER
Competitive Benefits - Employee benefits include comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents. Additionally, Natera employees and their immediate families receive free testing in addition to fertility care benefits. Other benefits include pregnancy and baby bonding leave, 401k benefits, commuter benefits and much more. We also offer a generous employee referral program!
For more information, visit www.natera.com.
Natera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to ensuring a diverse and inclusive workplace environment, and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives. Inclusive collaboration benefits our employees, our community and our patients, and is critical to our mission of changing the management of disease worldwide.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply, and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with applicable laws.
If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents.
Link: https://www.natera.com/notice-of-data-collection-california-residents/
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For more information:
- BBB announcement on job scams
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