Global Program Director - Job ID: 1309

The Endocrine Rare Disease (ERD) Program Management – Global Program Director (“GPD”) will play a critical role in driving Ascendis’ sustainable growth by shepherding progress across multiple sites (Heidelberg, Copenhagen, Palo Alto, and Princeton) for late-stage development and Lifecycle Management (LCM). The role will be responsible for facilitating strategic discussions and decision-making, communicating with all relevant stakeholders (across functions and with the Executive Management Team), and ensuring execution of the program within budget and timelines (or faster). This person’s role is likely to evolve as Ascendis Program Management evolves to better support late-stage development and improve decision-making. This person will report into the Head of ERD Program Management group.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional Program Core Team; foster excellent cross-functional and cross-geography teamwork.
• Establish and communicate 3-5 year program strategy and objectives
• Strategic initiatives (e.g., plans and requirements to enter new geography, pursuit of new indication) by collaborating with line organizations and communicating options and recommendations to leadership
• Prioritizing activities and problem-solving to meet milestones and timelines
• Ensuring all members and their organizations are aligned on program progress, key milestones, risks, and mitigation strategies
• Drive program management rigor: set timelines, clarify roles and responsibilities, forecast and track resource needs, communicate action items, evaluate budget
• Effectively and efficiently communicate information to and from program activities to the organization, including Program Reviews, Board of Directors meetings
• Identify interdependencies and trade-offs to ensure recommendations and program decisions incorporate all cross-functional implications
• Establish LCM approach to maximize potential of program(s) and benefit to patients: proactively identify and evaluate LCM opportunities, collaborate to develop business cases for prioritized LCM opportunities, turn strategies into actions
• Be a key contributor to the Commercial Brand Teams as product transitions from development to commercial
• Adjust to changes in responsibilities as Ascendis Program Management evolves
• Role may shift, e.g., to further focus on late-stage development
• GPD should be willing to support other late-stage programs and potential early-stage programs

Requirements

• 12 years in project and program management in late-stage drug development, with experience across multiple line organizations (e.g., Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Medical Affairs, Commercial)
• Successful license application experience strongly preferred, ideally in multiple geographies
• Experience leading LCM efforts: ability to identify, evaluate, and prioritize LCM opportunities to meet or surpass program objectives for best-in-class product opportunities
• A general understanding of how to evaluate commercial landscape and market opportunities
• Demonstrated leadership skills, including ability to lead colleagues across line organizations outside of reporting relationships
• Strong communication skills (including presentations, written communications) with executive presence and executive communication capabilities; ability to synthesize complex, cross-functional implications
• Exceptional interpersonal skills (including cultural sensitivity)
• Excellent analytical skills and ability to provide strategic insight and problem solve, quantifying options, tradeoffs, budget, and resources needed
• Holistic mindset with ability to identify cross-functional interdependencies
• High level of organizational skills and attention to detail, balanced with ability to see “big picture”
• Master’s degree or PhD in Life Sciences or related field preferred
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time (mostly international)
• Salary Range $225-250K/Year

A note to recruiters:

We do not allow external search party solicitation.  Presentation of candidates without written permission from the Ascendis Pharma Inc Human Resources team (specifically from: Talent Acquisition Partner or Human Resources Director) is not allowed.  If this occurs your ownership of these candidates will not be acknowledged.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• 401(k)
• Paid maternity leave
• Paid paternity leave
• Commuter benefits
• Disability insurance
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)