Senior Director, Portfolio Management & Operations

Pliant Therapeutics, Inc. • South San Francisco, CA

3d

About The Position

Reporting to the SVP of Development Operations, this role will lead the Portfolio Management and Operations (PMO) function. In addition, this role will serve as the Program Manager of Pliant’s key program(s) including but not limited to PLN-101095 and will be accountable for the day-to-day operations of the Global Program Team (GPT) and Clinical Core Team (CCT). For candidates who bring the appropriate blend of experience, strategic capability, and leadership qualities, there is potential to assume the role of Global Program Team Leader (GPTL) for one or more stage‑appropriate programs. In this capacity, this role will act as the primary driver and decision-marker for the program strategy.

Requirements

• BA/BS with 15+ years (or equivalent combination of education and experience) of biotech/pharmaceutical experience with deep expertise in program and portfolio management is required.
• Proven track record in a program management/project management role as part of a research-driven biotech/pharmaceutical company.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, driving tactical delivery of programs.
• Experience with negotiation and conflict resolution, including the ability to influence without reporting authority.
• Strong understanding of preclinical development, CMC, regulatory pathways, and clinical development fundamentals.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and executive‑level presentation skills.
• Ability to operate in alignment with Pliant’s values and culture.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree preferred (Ph.D., M.S., Pharm.D., MBA).
• Experience across all stages of drug development is preferred.
• Experience in late-stage regulatory filings is preferred.
• Experience with drug development in oncology is preferred.
• Experience with forecasting spend associated with a program’s development plan is preferred

Responsibilities

• Leading the PMO function, which includes the scope of Portfolio Management, Program Management and Business Operations.
• Developing and implementing the standards, processes and tools leveraged by PMO including the framework of engaging the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) for endorsement of program decisions.
• Developing and maintaining all portfolio and program dashboards, reports and project management tools (e.g., decision calendar, program milestones and timelines, decisions & actions log, risk register, agendas, minutes).
• Leading the portfolio prioritization strategy taking into account the risk / benefit tradeoffs as well as Pliant’s strategic objectives.
• Working with Research and Pre-Clinical teams to identify potential drug candidates and building a business case to bring them forward to request the initiation of IND or development activities.
• Leading and facilitating the cross-functional development of detailed budget forecasts for the development portfolio.
• Serve as primary business partner to Corporate Finance to enable organizational processes such as long-range planning and budget cycles.
• Leading the vendor selection and negotiation activities as well as developing and implementing a fit-for-purpose governance framework with key vendors.
• Leading a biweekly organizational leadership meeting (Executive Team and their direct reports) to inform on portfolio and departmental updates.
• Partnering with the GPTL in the development of the program strategy and defining the tactics required to deliver through the GPT.
• Partnering with the CCT Leader and members to drive the design and delivery of the clinical development plan in alignment with the program strategy ensuring integrated plans, timelines, budgets, risk assessments, and decision trees.
• Playing a central role in seeking and obtaining endorsement of program strategy from the ELT and the Board of Directors (BOD).
• Responsible for maintaining and ensuring team execution of the development plan for Pliant’s lead program.
• Partnering with functional leads and representatives (e.g. Clinical Operations, Regulatory and CMC) to achieve program objectives.
• Operating independently within a matrix environment to guide team members and influence applicable stakeholders to enable the program strategy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level