Associate Director, Scientific Program Management

Associate Director, Scientific Program Management

About Us

Sage Bionetworks uses open science and collaboration to improve human health. We bring together scientific, technical, and operational expertise to advance biomedical research through responsible data sharing, strong governance, and innovative approaches to research and technology.

Our work is complex, interdisciplinary, and mission-driven. We value curiosity, diverse perspectives, experimentation, accountability, and radical collaboration.

The Opportunity

Sage Bionetworks is seeking an Associate Director, Scientific Program Management to lead and develop our Scientific Program Management function.

This is a new leadership role and an opportunity to help define how Sage's Scientific Program Managers work together to plan, coordinate, and deliver complex scientific programs. You will establish the practices, standards, and operating rhythms that provide greater consistency and visibility across our program portfolio while preserving the flexibility needed for different scientific initiatives.

You will lead a team of Scientific Program Managers and serve as a strategic partner to scientific and organizational leaders. You will help connect program-level execution to broader organizational priorities, identify cross-program dependencies and capacity constraints, surface risks and tradeoffs, and ensure leadership has the information needed to make informed decisions.

This role is both people leadership and organizational leadership. You will develop the Scientific Program Management team, strengthen the discipline, and help Sage continuously improve how we manage complex scientific work.

This is an opportunity for an experienced Scientific Program Management leader who enjoys building systems and teams, navigating ambiguity, and bringing structure and clarity to complex work without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.

You'll know you're succeeding when:

• Leadership has a clear and trusted view of the health, priorities, capacity, risks, dependencies, and progress of Sage's scientific program portfolio.
• Scientific Program Managers have clear expectations, effective practices, and the tools and support they need to successfully lead their programs.
• Program risks, dependencies, resource constraints, and competing priorities are identified early and addressed at the appropriate level.
• Scientific Program Management practices are consistent enough to improve execution while remaining adaptable to the needs of individual programs.
• Program capacity and workload are understood and aligned with organizational priorities.
• Sage has a strong, collaborative Scientific Program Management community with clear opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Scientific Program Management is viewed as a trusted partner to scientific and organizational leadership.

Note: Please do not upload your resume as your cover letter (required)

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Scientific Program Execution:
• Program Oversight: Provide leadership and oversight across the portfolio to promote consistent, effective execution and ensure material concerns are identified and addressed proactively.
• Cross-Functional Alignment: Partner with scientific, technical, operational, and other organizational leaders to ensure program priorities, dependencies, constraints, and resource needs are understood and appropriately addressed.
• Strategic Prioritization: Help identify competing priorities, capacity constraints, sequencing considerations, and organizational tradeoffs; facilitate escalation and decision-making when resolution is needed.
• Risk Management: Establish a proactive approach to identifying and managing program and portfolio-level risks, dependencies, and issues.
• Portfolio Visibility: Establish and maintain effective mechanisms for understanding and communicating the status, priorities, milestones, risks, dependencies, and resource needs across Sage's scientific program portfolio.
• Leadership Reporting: Develop clear and useful portfolio reporting that enables leadership to understand progress, emerging risks, resource needs, and areas requiring organizational attention.
• Program Support & Intervention: Partner with Scientific Program Managers when programs encounter significant challenges, helping identify solutions, remove barriers, and escalate issues when they require organizational decisions.

• Build Program Management Discipline & Standards:
• Operating Model: Establish and continuously improve the operating model for Scientific Program Management at Sage, including roles, responsibilities, expectations, and ways of working.
• Standards & Practices: Develop pragmatic standards, frameworks, planning practices, reporting expectations, and risk-management approaches for Scientific Program Management.
• Program Management Tools: Ensure Scientific Program Managers have effective tools and systems for planning, tracking, communicating, and managing their programs.
• Capacity Management: Develop approaches for understanding SPM capacity and workload, identifying gaps, and balancing resources across programs as organizational priorities evolve.
• Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities to improve how Scientific Program Managers plan, communicate, collaborate, make decisions, and manage program complexity.
• Technology, Automation & AI: Evaluate and support the adoption of technology, automation, and AI-enabled approaches that improve the efficiency, quality, and consistency of Scientific Program Management.
• Change Leadership: Lead adoption of new practices and processes in a way that builds trust, encourages collaboration, and minimizes unnecessary administrative burden.

• Lead & Develop the Scientific Program Management Team:
• Direct People Leadership: Manage and develop Scientific Program Managers, including setting expectations, coaching, providing feedback, supporting performance, and creating opportunities for career growth.
• Team Development: Build a strong SPM community through shared learning, mentoring, cross-training, collaboration, and knowledge sharing.
• Career Development: Establish clear expectations for Scientific Program Management capabilities and support career progression across the function.
• Role Clarity: Create clarity around the role and responsibilities of Scientific Program Managers and how they partner with scientific and organizational leaders.
• Leadership & Culture: Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, transparency, continuous improvement, and shared ownership across the SPM team.

Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Business, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Advanced degree in a relevant technical, scientific, or business discipline is a plus.

Experience

• 7+ years of progressive experience in scientific program management or a closely related field, including responsibility for leading complex, cross-functional scientific programs.
• 3+ years of experience directly managing, mentoring, and/or developing Scientific Program Managers or other experienced program management professionals.
• Demonstrated experience building, scaling, or significantly improving a Program Management function, operating model, or organizational practice.
• Experience leading programs involving multiple scientific disciplines, teams, stakeholders, or organizational dependencies.
• Demonstrated ability to operate strategically while remaining close enough to program execution to identify and address emerging issues.
• Experience influencing decisions and creating alignment across teams and leaders without relying solely on formal authority.
• Strong judgment and the ability to navigate ambiguity, competing priorities, and evolving organizational needs.

Nice to Have

• Experience in a biomedical, biotech, academic research, health technology, or scientific research environment.
• Experience with open science, research data, data sharing, research platforms, or collaborative scientific initiatives.
• Experience working in a nonprofit, grant-funded, or mission-driven research organization.
• Experience leading distributed teams in a remote-first or highly matrixed environment.
• Experience developing Program Management career frameworks, competency models, capacity models, or organizational standards.
• Familiarity with Agile, traditional, or hybrid program management approaches and the judgment to adapt practices to the needs of different scientific programs.
• Experience with program management tools such as Jira, Smartsheet, Asana, Airtable, or similar platforms.
• Experience using automation, analytics, or AI to improve program management practices and organizational decision-making.
• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification.

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Job Functions and Physical Requirements

The following cognitive and physical activities outline the essential functions required for successful job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to fulfill these functions.

Physical Demands

• Extended periods of sitting at a desk and using a computer.
• Repeated wrist, hand, and finger movements.
• Requires clear vision for tasks like data analysis, transcribing, computer use, and reading.
• Occasionally lifting or moving objects weighing up to 10 pounds.

Cognitive Demands

• Able to work effectively under deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing environments, priorities and multitask.

Additional Functions

• Travel two times per year for on-site events in Seattle, WA.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Works well in a team and maintains professionalism.
• Follows company policies, procedures, and relevant laws and regulations.

Note: This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to modification as job duties evolve.

Compensation & Total Rewards

Sage Bionetworks implements equitable workplace strategies to ensure fair pay. Actual compensation is determined by market data, specific experience, and internal parity.

• Job Level: Associate Director
• Annual Salary Range: $140,000 - $180,000
• Note: New hires typically receive an offer between the minimum and the midpoint of the range to allow for future growth within the role. Higher offers may be considered for exceptional experience or specific market conditions.
• Comprehensive Benefits: We offer a package competitive with both commercial biotech and nonprofit sectors:
• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, AD&D, and long-term disability.
• Future Security: Robust retirement plan and flexible spending accounts (FSA).
• Work-Life Harmony: Paid time off and flexible work arrangements.
• Learn more at: Benefits – Sage Bionetworks

Equal Opportunity & Inclusion

Sage Bionetworks is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Accommodation Request: If you require a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact HR during the scheduling process.

Modern Hiring & Responsible AI

We value your talent and your time. To ensure a fair and inclusive experience, we operate with the following principles:

• Responsible AI in Recruiting: To help us find the best talent, we may utilize AI tools within our recruiting platforms. We use these technologies responsibly to avoid the pitfalls of bias and discrimination. We believe technology should enhance human judgment, not replace it, and we regularly audit our processes to ensure every candidate is evaluated fairly based on their unique skills.
• Work from (Almost) Anywhere: We are a distributed workforce and support remote or hybrid arrangements within the United States.
• Virtual-First Interviews: All interviews are conducted virtually to ensure accessibility and flexibility for all candidates.

About Sage Bionetworks: Science for the Common Good

At Sage Bionetworks, we believe the greatest barriers to medical progress aren't just biological—they are structural. Since 2009, our Seattle-founded nonprofit has been on a mission to tear down the "silos" of traditional science. We don’t just conduct research; we redefine how it’s done through open science, radical collaboration, and ethical data sharing.
When you join Sage, you aren't just taking a job; you’re joining a bold collective of scientists, engineers, governance experts, and visionaries. We empower patients to be partners, not just data points, and we provide the platforms that allow the global scientific community to accelerate life-saving discoveries.

The Sage Way: Our Core Values

We don’t just talk about change; we live it through these five pillars:

• Science Driven: We use data and evidence to ensure our work creates a measurable, positive impact on human health.
• Accountable: We deliver on our promises through a foundation of trust and radical transparency.
• Growth Oriented: We stay curious, seek out the hardest challenges, and constantly aspire to improve ourselves and our field.
• Empathetic + Inclusive: We embrace our differences and build environments where every voice is empowered.
• Radically Collaborative: We believe the best solutions come from teamwork and building diverse, global communities.

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