Vice President, Program and Portfolio Management

Septerna is a biotechnology company based in South San Francisco, CA on a mission to develop life-changing medicines for patients with the vision to become the industry-leading G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-focused drug discovery company. The company’s Native Complex Platform™ recapitulates GPCRs with their native structure, function, and dynamics outside of the cellular context. This approach enables novel access to modern structural and screening technologies used in industrial-scale drug discovery for the entire class of GPCRs. Septerna has an emerging pipeline of GPCR-targeted small molecule programs with potential for growth to target many GPCRs that have been undruggable and unexploited to date.

We are excited to expand our multidisciplinary team of individuals focused on creating revolutionary medicines to address the unmet needs of patients. At Septerna we strive to embrace diversity of thought, expertise, and background through collaboration. To join our ambitious team, be prepared to bring your real self to work every day; grow and learn from a talented team of drug hunters, scientists, and business professionals; and contribute your passion, creativity, and energy to accomplish our mission. We share a fearless pursuit of ground-breaking innovations and cultivate an environment where our employees succeed by learning from each other and working as a team.

We are committed to the development of meaningful therapeutics for patients with indications of high unmet need. This is a tremendous opportunity to work with talented individuals on the frontlines of therapeutic discovery and development. You will directly help move therapies through preclinical research, positioning them for success in the clinic. The successful candidate will add their passion, unique talents, and expertise to a dynamic team motivated to discover new disease-modifying therapeutics for patients in a fast-paced environment.

For more information see: www.septerna.com.

About The Role

Septerna is seeking an experienced Vice President, Program and Portfolio Management to lead our program and portfolio management across the organization. This executive role will drive strategic alignment, operational excellence, and cross-functional execution across Septerna’s pipeline from discovery through clinical development.

The VP will serve as a key strategic partner to executive leadership and the core program teams to ensure that the development programs progress efficiently and that portfolio decisions align with corporate priorities and resource allocation. This leader will establish and scale best-in-class program management capabilities, enabling integrated planning, governance, and decision-making across the portfolio and work closely with the research, preclinical, regulatory, manufacturing, and clinical development functions.  The role will be responsible for leading and scaling the project management function as the company grows.

This role reports to the President & COO and works closely with executive leadership and the functional heads across Research, Development, Regulatory, Manufacturing, and Commercial Strategy.  This is an in-person role at Septerna’s South San Francisco headquarters.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Portfolio & Program Leadership

• Lead program and portfolio management function across Septerna’s therapeutic pipeline from discovery through clinical development.
• Develop and drive integrated program strategies and ensure programs progress through key development milestones.
• Drive the prioritization of programs and resource allocation discussions with executive leadership.
• Facilitate data-driven decision making, identify critical issues and opportunities, and lead scenario planning across the portfolio.
• Ensure alignment between corporate strategy and goals, program objectives, and operational execution.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead cross-functional program teams spanning research, preclinical development, regulatory, clinical development and operations, manufacturing, and commercial strategy.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to scientific and development leaders to translate strategy into executable plans.
• Foster collaboration and alignment among diverse stakeholders in a highly matrixed environment.
• Provide clear and consistent communication within and between project teams and executive leadership on decisions and status.
• Provide alliance management support, as needed, for existing and future corporate collaborations.

Executive Governance & Decision Support

• Lead governance committees to ensure program and portfolio oversight.
• Provide executive leadership with clear visibility into program status, key risks, and milestone progress.
• Identify critical path issues, lead cross-functional decision-making processes and ensure timely escalation of critical issues.
• Prepare and deliver strategic program updates for executive leadership and board of directors.

Strategic Planning & Operational Excellence

• Develop and oversee integrated program plans, timelines, resource planning, and budgets across programs.
• Identify portfolio-level risks and opportunities and develop mitigation strategies.
• Implement best-in-class program management processes, tools, analytics, and governance frameworks.
• Build scalable infrastructure for program planning, forecasting, and reporting as the company grows.
• Partner closely with key functions, including Finance on budget and long-range planning processes

Organizational Leadership

• Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing Program Management team that scales with the organization
• Establish standards, processes, and best practices across the organization.
• Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and execution excellence.
• Contribute to broader organizational strategy and leadership initiatives.

ABOUT YOU

• Advanced degree in a relevant scientific or medical field (PhD, PharmD, MD) or MBA preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in biotechnology or pharmaceutical development.
• Significant leadership experience managing programs across discovery through clinical development.
• Demonstrated experience in portfolio strategy and governance within a biotech or pharmaceutical organization.
• Track record of successfully advancing programs through key development milestones including IND/CTA submissions and early clinical development.
• Deep understanding of the drug development process across discovery, preclinical, regulatory, and clinical stages.
• Strong strategic thinking and decision-making capabilities.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional programs in a matrixed organization and aligning parties on key topics.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment across functions.
• Strong communication and executive presentation skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and lead in a fast-paced biotech environment.
• Highly organized with strong problem-solving and risk-management capabilities.