Senior Director, Program and Portfolio Management
Sionna Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company on a mission to revolutionize the current treatment paradigm for CF by developing novel medicines that normalize the function of the CFTR protein. Sionna’s goal is to deliver differentiated medicines for people living with CF that can restore their CFTR function to as close to normal as possible by directly stabilizing CFTR’s nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1), which the company believes is central to potentially unlocking meaningful improvements in clinical outcomes and quality of life for people with CF. Leveraging over a decade of the co-founders’ extensive research on NBD1, the company is advancing a pipeline of novel small molecules engineered to correct the defects caused by the F508del genetic mutation, which resides in NBD1. Sionna is also developing a portfolio of complementary CFTR modulators that are designed to work synergistically with its NBD1 stabilizers to improve CFTR function.
Position Summary:
We are seeking an experienced and strategic Senior Director, Program and Portfolio Management to join our team. This critical leadership role combines deep program management expertise with cross-functional program leadership to drive the successful advancement of our early development pipeline. This role will report into the VP, Program, Portfolio, and Operations.
The ideal candidate will have a proven ability to lead complex cross-functional teams, manage multiple concurrent development programs, and establish best-in-class program management practices. This is a highly collaborative role requiring both strategic thinking and operational excellence, and will be instrumental in shaping how we plan, execute, and deliver across our portfolio.
Responsibilities:
Program Management
- Drive the creation and ongoing management of integrated program plans, including timelines, milestones, risk registers, and decision logs.
- Lead day-to-day program operations for one or more early development programs, ensuring alignment with goals, timelines, and budgets.
- Facilitate effective cross-functional team coordination, meeting management, and execution against deliverables.
- Monitor program progress, proactively identify issues / opportunities, and drive resolution through effective and collaborative problem-solving.
- Communicate clearly and consistently across functional teams, ensuring stakeholders are aligned on priorities, decisions, and risks.
- Ensure high-quality documentation and reporting for governance meetings and cross-functional reviews.
- Establish and evolve program management tools, frameworks, templates and best practices to drive operational excellence.
- Contribute to the creation of a high-functioning, scalable Program and Portfolio Management function capable of supporting a growing pipeline.
Program Leadership
- Build and lead a high performing, cross-functional Program Team – establishing clear roles, managing conflict, and nurturing a positive, highly collaborative team culture.
- Contribute to program vision, scenario planning, and go/no-go decision-making.
- Support the development of clear, data-driven scenarios and strategic options that enable agility and well-informed decision-making.
- Represent program status, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership and governance committees as needed.
- Act as a thought partner to VP, Program, Portfolio and Operations on portfolio strategy and prioritization.
- Identify and manage key interdependencies across programs and functional teams to ensure alignment and mitigate risk.
- Support the development of portfolio-level analytics, dashboards, and insights for senior leadership and governance bodies.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in life sciences or a related field required; advanced degree (PhD, MBA, MS) preferred.
- 12+ years of relevant industry experience, with at least 5 years in program or project management in the biotech/pharma industry.
- Demonstrated experience managing early-stage drug development programs (preclinical to early clinical a plus).
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with strong attention to interdependencies and prioritization.
- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and drive alignment across diverse teams
- Proficient in project management tools and methodologies, including emerging applications.
- Experience working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
