Director, Program Management

Position Overview:

Astria Therapeutics is dedicated to bringing hope with life-changing therapies to patients and families affected by allergic and immunological diseases. Astria’s pipeline includes our lead program, STAR-0215, a monoclonal antibody inhibitor of plasma kallikrein in clinical development for the treatment of hereditary angioedema, as well as STAR-0310, an OX40 monoclonal antibody antagonist currently in pre-clinical development for atopic dermatitis (AD) and being explored for other allergic and immunological diseases.

The Director of Program Management will report to the VP of Program Strategy and Management and will provide program management and operations leadership for one or more drug development programs in Astria’s pipeline. Working closely with the Program Leader and cross-functional program teams, they will ensure that required plans and processes are in place to drive execution of the program strategy and successful delivery of program objectives.

Responsibilities:

• Partner with Program Leader to develop and guide program strategy, set program goals, and facilitate team decision making
• Leverage input from all critical functions to create integrated development plans that define goals, milestones, decision points, critical path, timeline, risks, assumptions, alternative scenarios, and budgets.
• Efficiently and collaboratively drive execution of program strategy and the integrated development plan with a sense of urgency.
• Partner closely with Research, Nonclinical, CMC, Clinical, Regulatory, Medical Affairs, Patient Advocacy, and New Product Planning to meet program milestones.
• Identify opportunities to optimize operational plans and reduce timelines and costs.
• Schedule meetings, develop agendas, facilitate team meetings, issue written minutes, and follow up on action items.
• Organize and manage program files and platforms for team communication, and regularly update databases and trackers.
• Collaboratively nurture team alignment, document, and communicate key decisions within the team and beyond, as appropriate.
• Liaise with finance, corporate affairs, and business development to collaboratively drive toward program and corporate goals, as needed
• Keep abreast of changes and ensure constant communication with the Program Leader and all Program Team members of the cross-functional drug discovery and early development teams, so that all parties are aware of program activities, issues, and contingencies, and when relevant activities that need to be started and completed.
• Prepare summary information on program progress including timeline updates and slide presentations.
• Proactively partner with teams to identify and monitor risks, gaps, and resource bottlenecks; and develop and implement mitigation plans.
• Ensure strong cross-functional communication and build strong working relationships across the organization.
• Lead and contribute to Program Strategy and Management department initiatives and activities.
• Lead sub teams / task forces, as required.

Qualifications:

• BS/MS degree in life sciences or a relevant field, PMP or other PM certification a plus.
• Minimum of 10 years industry experience within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical field, including at least 5 years experience managing drug development programs at preclinical and clinical stages of development.
• Drug discovery and development knowledge with understanding of other functions; including, but not limited to, research, nonclinical, clinical, manufacturing and operations, quality, and regulatory.
• Well-developed strategic thinking and leadership skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Knowledge of / fluency with project management tools, practices, and platforms (Sharepoint, Teams, PowerPoint, Gantt charts, etc.).
• Ability to successfully manage multiple projects and responsibilities.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to effectively cooperate and collaborate with external partners.
• Conscientious with demonstrated follow through, ensuring actions are completed within tight timelines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships, influence, negotiate, and drive organizational engagement.
• Ability to be flexible and adapt quickly to the changing needs of the organization.
• Experience with monoclonal antibody drug discovery and/or development is a plus.

Astria’s Commitment:

At Astria, we are committed to building a diverse team where every Astrian endorses the idea that people bring their authentic self to work. We embrace a patient-first, people-always culture which strives to ensure all Astrians and our collaborators have a sense of belonging and receive the support they need to thrive. We invest in our people through our words, our actions, and our values. We are working to develop and implement initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the organization and foster a culture of openness, respect, and collaboration, where all voices are heard, and everyone is valued for their unique perspectives and contributions. ​

People are our greatest asset, and only with a diverse team can Astria shine brighter. Together we can bring our passion and compassion to the work of delivering life-changing therapies to patients, families, and communities.