Director, Program Management

Kyverna Therapeutics is a patient-centered, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing cell therapies for patients suffering from autoimmune diseases. Guided by our core values, Stay True to Why, Collaborate to Accelerate, Lead with Clarity, Boldly Innovative, and Own the Outcome, we are committed to transforming the future of treatment for autoimmune disease. Join us at the forefront of cell therapy innovation and help redefine what’s possible.

The Director, Program Management provide expertise and leadership to advance Kyverna’s novel engineered T cell therapies. This individual will work closely with the Senior Leadership Team & Functional Heads to achieve corporate and program goals by driving cross-functional alignment and execution.

This is a highly visible role that will interact with the full range of functions within our rapidly growing company. This position will have an opportunity to shape the future of the department and be a heavy contributor to the success of the organization.

The successful candidate translates program strategy into integrated development plans, guide programs through key milestones and decision points, and drive execution against timelines and deliverables while facilitating team building and communication. This job requires a combination of analytical, organizational and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

Provide Program Management expertise and leadership to advance Kyverna’s novel engineered T cell therapies.
Manage one or more highly complex cross-functional development programs and/or high-profile partnerships.
Effectively communicate with program team members, Senior Leadership Team, Functional Heads, and key stakeholders.
Track and monitor key milestones and decision points to drive delivery of program objectives.
Develop and maintain program management tools to support governance, integrated timelines, KPSs and risk tracking, as well as the communication of program KPIs, risks, and achievements.
Lead or participate in one or more initiatives to build operational efficiency, company culture, and business processes.
Translate program strategy into integrated cross-functional timelines, milestones, and deliverables
Drive execution against critical path activities and ensure accountability for program timelines and deliverables.
Lead or participate in one or more initiatives to build operational efficiency, company culture, and business processes.
Manage the interfaces between functional areas and ensure effective handoff and communication between department functions to execute on important program milestones.
Influence cross-functional stakeholders to align on priorities, resolve conflicts, and drive decision-making in a matrixed environment.
Establish and support program governance forums, including team meetings and leadership updates; ensure decisions, risks, and actions are clearly documented and tracked.
Proactively identify program risks, issues, and dependencies; develop mitigation strategies and escalate as appropriate.
May be responsible for recruiting and supervising one or more Project Management Associates.

Requirements

• A minimum of a BA/BS + 12 yrs in a scientific discipline is required, while an advanced degree (Ph.D., MS, MD) and/or PMP Certification is preferred.
• The ideal candidate will have at least 9 years of multidisciplinary experience in the biotech/pharmaceutical industry, with at least 5 years of direct program management in drug development.
• Experience applying the principles, concepts, practices, and standards of program and project management for drug development.
• Strong understanding of the drug development lifecycle, including clinical, regulatory, and CMC domains.
• Ability to understand and communicate scientific and business elements associated with Kyverna’s engineered T cell therapies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, ability to develop relationships with key stakeholders, good conflict management skills.
• Strong communication skills (in person and written word) and the ability to interact with a diverse group of individuals.
• Proven ability to proactively identify risks and drive resolution of issues.
• Proven success in goal setting, prioritization, and time management.
• Results and detail-oriented; self-motivated, ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to perform and be adaptive in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong understanding of FDA regulatory processes and clinical trials is required.
• Experience supporting late-stage clinical development and regulatory submissions strongly preferred.
• Experience with gene or cell therapy development programs is a strong preferred.