Vice President, Program Management

What You’ll Do:

The Vice President, Program Management is accountable for the operational execution of Kailera’s development programs, with a strong emphasis on late-stage development. Reporting to the Chief Business and Operating Officer, this leader will serve as the day-to-day engine of the program management function – ensuring that integrated plans are built, maintained, and executed with rigor. The Vice President will directly manage a team of thee Program Managers (plus additional contract Program Managers) and serve as the cross-functional connective tissue that keeps teams aligned, milestones on track, and risks visible.

This role demands a leader who is equally comfortable driving detailed execution and operating at the strategic level alongside functional heads and senior leadership. The ideal candidate brings deep Phase 3 experience, strong team development instincts, and the discipline to build and sustain operational infrastructure in a fast-moving organization.

 

Required location: Waltham, MA (hub-based, onsite 3-4 days per week)

 

Responsibilities:

• Own integrated program management across Kailera's development portfolio across all programs, with primary accountability for Phase 3 programs
• Drive the evolution of Kailera’s program management capabilities toward a portfolio-based framework, providing enterprise-wide visibility into milestones, dependencies, resources, risks, and strategic priorities
• Build and maintain comprehensive integrated project plans, timelines, and cross-functional dependencies
• Track and communicate program status, key milestones, critical path activities, and risks with clarity and consistency
• Ensure cross-functional teams are aligned on priorities, deliverables, and decision points at all stages of development
• Proactively identify risks and interdependencies; drive issue resolution with urgency and accountability
• Participate in Quarterly Business Reviews, providing program updates, highlighting key milestones, risks, and strategic considerations across the portfolio
• Partner closely with Clinical, Regulatory, CMC, and Medical Affairs to ensure Phase 3 plans are fully integrated and execution-ready
• Manage program timelines from Phase 3 initiation through NDA submission readiness, coordinating across all workstreams
• Ensure submission-enabling activities – data management, regulatory strategy, CMC milestones – are tracked as integrated components of the program plan
• Support the COO in shaping late-stage development strategy by providing operational perspective and risk intelligence
• Directly manage, mentor, and develop a team of three Program Managers and additional contractors, supporting cross-functional program teams
• Build a high-performing, accountable team culture with clear expectations, strong communication norms, and a commitment to continuous improvement
• Serve as a model for cross-functional collaboration and operational excellence across the organization
• Support the professional growth of each PM through coaching, feedback, and expanding scope of responsibility over time
• Emulate Kailera’s culture and reinforce Operating Principles, ensuring that both program outcomes and the behaviors used to achieve them reflect the company’s commitment to collaboration, accountability, transparency, and operational excellence
• Design and maintain program governance frameworks, review cadences, and reporting structures in alignment with the COO
• Build a world class program management office capability – develop and standardize templates, dashboards, and tools that drive efficiency and visibility across programs; this includes a communication discipline working with the program teams and helping to integrate across the key internal forums
• Ensure program documentation – integrated development plans, target product profiles, risk registers – is current, accurate, and decision-ready
• Drive meeting conduct, decision-making discipline, and lessons-learned processes with a focus on operational excellence
• Serve as a trusted partner and day-to-day interface for functional leads across Clinical, Regulatory, CMC, Commercial, and Finance
• Prepare and present program updates, milestone summaries, and risk assessments for senior leadership and governance forums
• Operate with influence rather than authority – building alignment and driving accountability across a matrixed organization
• Support the COO in representing the program management function at the executive level and in board-level discussions
• Collaborate with Program Leader / SVP Franchise Lead to align strategic objectives with execution plans, ensuring program teams remain focused on priorities, milestones, risks, and decision points
• Ensure all program activities comply with applicable regulations, ICH guidelines, and company policies
• Champion data-driven, transparent decision-making, and ethical business practices across the program portfolio
• Maintain robust risk management oversight and escalation protocols

 

Required Qualifications:

• 15+ years of progressive experience in biotech or pharma, with a strong focus on program management in clinical-stage organizations
• Demonstrated track record of driving Phase 3 programs with rigor – ideally through NDA submission – in both pharma and biotech settings
• Direct people management experience required; proven ability to build and develop high-performing PM teams
• Deep operational knowledge of integrated development planning, cross-functional execution, and governance infrastructure
• Experience in general medicine therapeutic areas (metabolic disease, cardiovascular, endocrinology, or similar) preferred; oncology-only backgrounds are less preferred
• History of succeeding in lean, fast-moving biotech environments – bringing structure and discipline without sacrificing speed
• Exceptional communication and facilitation skills; ability to distill complexity and drive clarity at all levels of the organization

 

Education:

• Advanced degree (MBA, MS, PhD, PharmD, or equivalent) preferred