Head of Global Portfolio and Program Management

The Gates Medical Research Institute (Gates MRI), headquartered in Cambridge, MA, is a non‑profit biopharmaceutical development organization primarily dedicated to the development of impactful biopharmaceutical interventions for diseases that disproportionately affect the world’s poorest populations, diseases that combined cause five deaths every minute. Headquartered in Cambridge MA, the Institute is designed to advance novel drug, biologics, and vaccine candidates through late‑stage development and registration. The Institute encompasses experienced biopharmaceutical development professionals across regulatory, CMC, and clinical functions as well as comprehensive operational support functions. The Institute’s programs are managed by its internal teams and functional areas in collaboration, working with partners across the global health ecosystem.

As a wholly owned subsidiary and separate legal entity of the Gates Foundation, the Institute partners scientifically, operationally, and financially with the foundation to leverage ongoing support and contributions toward the achievement of global health equity.

THE POSITION

Delivering on the pipeline is the single greatest priority for Gates MRI, ensuring the optimized progression of product candidates by applying innovative approaches and best practices in pharmaceutical development to the Gates MRI portfolio. The Head of Global Portfolio and Program Management is a key senior leader who will be responsible for execution of product development strategies, and portfolio planning for Gates MRI. The successful candidate will be an anticipatory leader who can rapidly assimilate the needs of the pipeline, the inherent complexity of the Gates MRI programs and platforms, and ensure the organizational focus needed to drive development.

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and as part of the Leadership Team, the Head of Global Portfolio and Program Management is a significant role where credibility with senior stakeholders and an ability to constructively challenge, influence and set direction is of paramount importance. As such, we are seeking an established executive leader with a robust understanding of product development who will partner peers on the Gates MRI leadership team and a wide range of global health partners to deliver on the promise of our important pipeline of product candidates.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Head Global Portfolio and Program Management will be responsible for leading a group of Global Project Leaders and Managers, who lead cross‑functional project teams, supporting a portfolio of product candidates from early preclinical development to late‑stage clinical development and potentially through product registration.
• The role will be part of the Gates MRI Leadership Team (LT). Working closely with peers on the LT, this role will manage the overall portfolio including evaluating progress and tracking resource requirements. He/she will set priorities and re‑evaluate as needed, identifying resource gaps and management options (i.e., trade‑offs, delays, additional resources). He/she will also help to make decisions on the overall operations of the Gates MRI.
• This role involves hiring and mentoring Global Project Leaders who can lead complex development programs in Global Health including budget and strategic resource planning. Additionally this role will provide mentorship to the program teams and ensure MRI programs are operating effectively in a partnership model and integrated ecosystem. The performance of cross‑functional program teams in fostering a culture of cost‑optimized innovation and successful partnerships is a critical part of the success of this role.
• This role will be expected to seek out and embrace innovative approaches to project management (e.g., use of electronic systems for “real‑time” data transfer & visualization across partners) including seeking out best practices from other industries and applying them to global health applications.
• He/she will support collaborations with a diverse set of partners including academia, biotech, pharma, governments, CROs, and global health product development partners, many of whom may be located in low‑income countries.
• This role has responsibility for project/portfolio governance, including the monthly Portfolio Review Committee (PRC), Asset Strategy Team Charter, transitioning projects into the Gates MRI from the Foundation or other external partners, and the annual refresh of the 4 Year Strategic Plan.
• He/she will act as a strategic advisor to the CEO and partner with Sr. Executives for internal and external strategic initiatives and efforts such as Board Meeting preparation as well as enabling and operationalizing the Board‑supported strategy for the MRI.
• This position will work with MRI Leadership to translate CEO priorities into clear KPIs and success indicators, visualize and monitor progress and risks, including a clear decision‑making framework for MRI.
• We take our work seriously, but not ourselves. Successful team members are expected to be collegial and congenial in their collaboration. As a leader in the Gates MRI, you will be expected to foster and nurture an environment where our team members look forward to spending time together and getting to know each other.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• 15+ years of relevant industry experience in portfolio and cross‑functional project management of product development teams including extensive experience with the planning and execution of strategies for drug / vaccine product development.
• Advanced relevant scientific degree preferred (e.g., MS, Pharm.D or PhD. in a related scientific field).
• Project management experience through all phases of product development from translational medicine including early product development through late stage/pivotal trials. Sufficient skill and technical understanding of product development to be a recognized product development leader/expert within the global health community.
• Proven strength in structured problem solving across teams and functions, strategic business planning, with the ability to synthesize disparate information and critically analyze complex situations.
• Experience with portfolio management and project management tools and ability to seek out and evaluate new tools as they become available.

Strategic and Organizational

• Excels in strategy development both short‑ and long‑term. Hires, retains and coaches project leaders to develop and lead cross‑functional teams in drug development.
• Proven ability to analyze, integrate, recommend, contribute to development of conceptual plans for and lead implementation of strategic, process and team improvements and change initiatives across the organization.
• Influencing without authority across the functions in Gates MRI, our partners and vendors.
• Effective at energizing others, establishing clear goals, delegating responsibility, mentoring, and coaching within a team setting and managing complex and highly dynamic, technical organizations to work collaboratively toward a common vision.
• Capacity to make budget tradeoffs and decisions that drive resource allocation decisions, including both financial and human resources.
• Demonstrated passion for the Gates MRI’s values with a commitment to deliver results against our mission.

The target salary range for this role is $480,000 to $700,000 USD. As a mission‑driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job‑related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

We’re committed to providing an inclusive and accessible hiring experience for all candidates. If you have a disability or medical condition and need an accommodation at any stage of the application or interview process—such as an ASL interpreter, alternative interview format, or physical accessibility support—we’re happy to help. Please contact with the position number and a brief description of your accommodation needs. Requests will be handled confidentially.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We’re committed to creating a workplace where employees thrive both personally and professionally. We also believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve—in race, gender, age, cultures and beliefs—and we support this diversity through all of our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.

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