Program Team Leader

About the role

Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who want to challenge the status quo, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. As a Program Team Leader, you will report to the Chief Business Officer and lead cross-functional drug development teams through preclinical and clinical phases, focused on the development of novel therapeutics across multiple therapeutic areas and modalities, to ensure successful global development and commercialization.

What you'll do

• Provide direction and leadership to the program team including scientific oversight of activities, data review based on key milestones, budget, and planning
• Partner with stakeholders to develop program vision, strategy, objectives, go/no go decisions, milestones, risk assessment and mitigation strategies, as well as program investment requirements. Program typically include representation from Research, Developmental Sciences, Clinical Development/Operations, Regulatory and Technical Operations (manufacturing)
• Utilize your deep understanding of disease biology and global drug development to lead programs teams and to drive strategic decisions for the program
• Work with the project manager, coordinate documentation and archiving of project deliverables and key decisions
• Effectively communicate across all functional areas so that deliverables and interdependencies are clear
• Exert influence on program direction and needs with key stakeholders and senior leadership
• Identify challenges, risks and prepares team with mitigations to navigate team through technical and program challenges as they arise
• Demonstrate ability to engage and effectively influence team members across diverse teams while prioritizing multiple projects and meeting deadlines
• Promote curiosity, scientific rigor and excellent problem-solving skills across a fast-paced, performance-driven environment
• Natural ability to assess talent to help grow the organization and add to Sana's culture

What we're looking for

• An advanced degree in life sciences or medicine (MD or PhD) and/or an MBA
• Strong leadership and an innate ability to collaborate with program teams
• 10+ years of drug development experience with 5+ years of experience leading cross-functional development teams, especially in late preclinical (pre-IND) through early clinical development. Experience in cell therapy and/or diabetes therapeutic development preferred
• Able to comfortably dive into any area of the program, understand business needs, and make decisions based on changing priorities
• Proven leadership and demonstrated ability to engage and influence team members at all levels in a matrixed environment
• Demonstrate the ability to influence across the senior leaders both internally and externally
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills in order to represent program to key internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent judgement in making trade-off decisions for program scope, costs and strategy
• A mentor and leader: all team members deserve an engaged, thoughtful culture and people leader
• An inclusive individual who thrives in a team-oriented environment
• High energy and driven to deliver on the program success

What we're looking for

• An advanced degree in life sciences or medicine (MD or PhD) and/or an MBA.
• Strong leadership and an innate ability to collaborate with program teams
• 10+ years of drug development experience with 5+ years of experience leading cross-functional development teams, especially in late preclinical (pre-IND) through early clinical development. Experience in cell therapy and/or diabetes therapeutic development preferred
• Able to comfortably dive into any area of the program, understand business needs, and make decisions based on changing priorities
• Proven leadership and demonstrated ability to engage and influence team members at all levels in a matrixed environment
• Demonstrate the ability to influence across the senior leaders both internally and externally
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills in order to represent program to key internal and external stakeholders
• Excellent judgement in making trade-off decisions for program scope, costs and strategy
• A mentor and leader: all team members deserve an engaged, thoughtful culture and people leader
• An inclusive individual who thrives in a team-oriented environment
• High energy and driven to deliver on the program success

What you should know

• Working safely in person on a predictable and regular in-person basis is an essential job function for this position, and the Company requires that all individuals working in-person be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including receipt of a vaccine booster shot if recommended by the CDC

How we work together

• Lead from every seat – we seek to understand, act with honesty, and engage in the crucial conversations
• Thrive as a team – we hire amazing people, are intensely curious, and cultivate inclusion and personal connectivity
• Make it happen – we value vigorous debate, alignment around our decisions, and resilient execution

Get to know us

At Sana, we believe that a diverse workforce strengthens us as a company and helps us to achieve our mission to meaningfully change the outcome of many human diseases. This belief is a pillar of our business and is critical to our success. Our goal is that Sana is the place for talented people to bring their authentic selves to work, to have a great career and to deeply, positively impact patients.

Core to our values, we believe there is nothing more important than the health and wellness of you and your family. For benefit eligible employees, we cover 100% of the cost for employee health coverage and offer generous time-off, parental leave, short- and long-term disability, employer paid basic life insurance,  additional voluntary life insurance protection, financial wellness programs including financial planning resources, a 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match, Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually.

We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental or sensory disability (including the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability), genetic information, actual or perceived HIV or Hepatitis C infection, medical condition (cancer or a record or history of cancer and genetic characteristics), marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, veteran status, political ideology, social class (including caste/caste identity), taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The job description listed above is representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions described above.