Associate Director, Program Management
Zenas BioPharma
$155,200 - $194,000 / year
Need a reasonable accommodation to apply or interview? Contact us.
JobMinglr uses automated technology to recommend jobs based on profile information and job preferences. Match Score does not determine eligibility for a position, prevent a user from viewing or applying to a job, or make hiring decisions on behalf of an employer.
Description
Zenas is a clinical-stage global biopharmaceutical company committed to becoming a leader in the development and commercialization of transformative therapies for patients with autoimmune diseases. Our core business strategy combines our experienced leadership team with a disciplined product candidate acquisition approach to identify, acquire and develop product candidates globally that we believe can provide superior clinical benefits to patients living with autoimmune diseases. Zenas is advancing two late-stage, potential franchise molecules, obexelimab and orelabrutinib. Obexelimab, Zenas’ lead product candidate, is a bifunctional monoclonal antibody designed to bind both CD19 and FcγRIIb, which are broadly present across B cell lineage, to inhibit the activity of cells that are implicated in many autoimmune diseases without depleting them. We believe that obexelimab’s unique mechanism of action and self-administered, subcutaneous injection regimen may broadly and effectively address the pathogenic role of B cell lineage in chronic autoimmune disease. Orelabrutinib is a potentially best-in-class, highly selective CNS-penetrant, oral, small molecule Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) inhibitor with the potential to address compartmentalized inflammation and disease progression in Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Zenas’ earlier stage programs include ZB021, a clinical-stage, potentially best-in-class, oral, IL-17AA/AF inhibitor; ZB022, a preclinical, potentially best-in-class, oral, brain-penetrant, TYK2 inhibitor; and ZB014, a preclinical half-life extended anti-CD-19 and FcγRIIb monoclonal antibody.
We are seeking top talent who share our commitment to patients and have a track record of success in acquiring, developing and commercializing products across the globe. Our colleagues have an opportunity to engage in a fast-paced learning environment and experience individual and organizational success as we work towards becoming a global immunology and autoimmune disease leader, while living our values of Transparency, Relationships, Urgency, Excellence and Innovation – TRUE Innovation!
Position Summary:
The Associate Director, Program Management provides operational support for one or more Zenas clinical development programs. Serving as a trusted thought partner to the Global Project Leader (GPL), the ideal candidate uses exceptional communication and their high EQ to ensure Global Development Teams (GDTs) are organized and operating effectively.
Key Responsibilities:
- Manage all GDT meeting operations, including agenda and pre-read preparation, facilitation, minutes, and action follow-up, ensuring that topics, objectives, and timing are appropriate for a cross-functional audience
- Develop and maintain the integrated program timeline, including activities, assumptions, risks, and key interdependencies, in alignment with the development strategy
- Maintain the program risk and mitigation log, driving regular team review and escalating risks to impacted functions and program leadership
- Support development of team governance presentations
- Serve as a trusted thought partner to the GPL in setting program priorities, running meetings, and creating deliverables
- Promote team operating principles, fostering a “one team” mindset and removing barriers to cooperation across functions
- Implement program management systems and best practices to ensure consistency and operational effectiveness across GDTs
Qualifications:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree
- 8+ years of prior program management experience within clinical drug development
- Demonstrated understanding of drug development and all relevant core functional areas, including the interdependencies needed to develop integrated timelines
- Ability to prioritize and deliver on simultaneous complex workstreams
- Ability to change direction quickly as business needs require, embracing change as an opportunity and helping team members navigate it
- Continuous growth mindset
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills
- Demonstrated emotional intelligence, including the ability to navigate cross-functional dynamics and foster team health
Preferred:
- Experience with Smartsheet, ThinkCell, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Teams
- Experience across multiple phases of drug development
The position is eligible for a competitive compensation and benefits package.
Zenas is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary pay range for this role is $155,200 to $194,000. Actual compensation packages will depend on various factors, including, but not limited to depth of experience, education, skillset, overall performance and/or location.
Zenas believes in providing a competitive compensation and benefits package to all employees. Our base salary is just one component of Zenas’ competitive total rewards strategy that also includes annual performance bonus, equity, full range of benefits and other incentive compensation plans.
Zenas BioPharma is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an environment where diversity is valued. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment based on merit, qualifications and the needs of the business.
Benefits
- stock options
- bonus
About this role
Zenas BioPharma is seeking an Associate Director of Program Management to serve as the operational backbone for one or more of its clinical development programs. You would work closely with the Global Project Leader as a thought partner, managing the logistics and coordination that keep cross-functional development teams aligned and moving forward. This means owning meeting operations from agenda-setting through action tracking, maintaining integrated timelines that capture activities, risks, and dependencies, and helping the team navigate priorities and obstacles as they arise. The role demands someone who can synthesize input from multiple functions, communicate clearly across silos, and foster genuine collaboration in a fast-moving environment.
The ideal candidate brings at least eight years of program management experience in clinical drug development, with a solid grasp of how different functions—regulatory, clinical, manufacturing, and others—interconnect. You'll need strong judgment to prioritize competing workstreams, the flexibility to shift direction when business needs change, and the emotional intelligence to build trust and remove friction across teams. Proficiency with project management tools like Smartsheet and Microsoft Office is a plus, as is exposure to multiple phases of drug development.
Based in Waltham, Massachusetts, this full-time in-office role offers a salary range of $155,200 to $194,000, plus performance bonus, equity, and benefits. It's suited for someone who thrives in structured problem-solving, values transparency and teamwork, and wants to contribute directly to the advancement of therapies for autoimmune disease.
How this employer is doing
solid
- Recently Raised Funding
This role's local market on JobMinglr
Pay for this role
$155,200 to $194,000 per year
That is the employer's posted range, and where you land in it is usually decided in one conversation. Before that conversation, run the numbers: analyze an offer for this role.
Before you apply, worth reading
How JobMinglr reads this job
Every listing here is scored against your profile before you apply: skills overlap, experience level, location and work arrangement, each weighted and explained. You see the score and the reasons, not just a list. How the matching works.