RA Capital

Director, Program Management

Location: Watertown, MA (On-site)

Reports to: SVP, Finance & Corporate Development

About the Company:

Diagonal Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company pioneering a new class of medicines. While nearly every antibody drug works by blocking an overactive signal, Diagonal does the opposite — our clustering antibodies bridge two receptors at the cell surface to turn normal signaling back on, reaching diseases the blocking model cannot. Our lead program, DIAG723, is the first clustering antibody in the clinic, designed to address the root cause of both hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Behind it, our platform pairs computational and experimental discovery to build a pipeline across cardiovascular, renal, and other diseases.

Position Summary:

Diagonal Therapeutics is seeking a highly motivated and strategic Director, Program Management, to drive the planning. Coordination, and execution of our development program. This role will serve as a key partner to Clinical development, Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, CMC, Research, Translational Sciences, Bioanalytical, Medical Affairs, Patient Advocacy, and Executive Leadership, ensuring alignment and execution as we advance through clinical development.

This role will support across the whole pipeline, including both pre-DC research and clinical development programs. The Director of Program Management will play a critical role coordinating and planning key activities aligned to our pre-DC research and development plans, driving cross-functional collaboration, managing risks, and identifying solutions, and ensuring achievement of key development milestones. This individual will thrive in a fast-paced biotech environment and be comfortable operating at both a strategic and hands-on level.

Responsibilities:

Program Leadership & Strategic Planning

• Build and maintain the integrated master program timeline, overlaying functional timelines to surface interdependencies, critical-path drivers, and cross-functional risks, and partner with functional leads to develop mitigation plans.
• Work closely with the Chief Development Officer to establish program priorities, development strategies, and resource plans aligned with corporate objectives.
• Drive operational execution of development programs while maintaining focus on strategic goals and priorities.

Clinical Development & Execution

• Build and maintain master program timelines for research-stage programs.
• Support preparation for regulatory submissions, health authority interactions, and key development decisions.
• Ensure clinical timelines and deliverables remain aligned with overall program objectives and identify functional risks and solutions.

Governance & Executive Communication

• Facilitate and manage governance meetings, including Program Development Meetings, Functional Team, and Executive Review meetings.
• Develop executive dashboards, milestone reports, and Board-level updates to communicate program progress, risks, and opportunities.
• Drive decision-making through clear communication of program status, critical path activities, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Ensure alignment among stakeholders across scientific, clinical, and operational functions.
• Maintain core program operations, including meeting management/minutes, action item tracking, risk log maintenance, and stakeholder communications.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Serve as a central point of coordination across the core development and clinical functions.
• Foster strong partnerships and accountability among internal teams and external partners, including CROs, consultants, and vendors.
• Facilitate effective communication and resolution of issues impacting program execution.

Risk Management & Operational Excellence

• Identify program risks, resource constraints, and development challenges, implementing proactive mitigation plans.
• Establish and enhance project management processes, tools, and best practices to support organizational growth.
• Support portfolio planning, scenario analyses, and strategic resource allocation discussions.
• Contribute to building a scalable program management function within a rapidly growing biotechnology company.

Qualifications & Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Life Sciences, Biology, Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, or related discipline.
• 7+ years of program management experience supporting clinical-stage drug development programs.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional teams within a clinical-stage biotechnology environment.
• Proven ability to build and manage a full program plan and integrated master timeline identifying critical-path risks and interdependencies arising at their intersections.
• Strong understanding of biologics development, including clinical development, regulatory, CMC, bioanalytical and translational sciences, medical affairs, and patient advocacy.
• Exceptional organizational, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to influence without direct authority and drive execution in a matrixed environment.

Preferred:

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, PharmD, MBA, or equivalent).
• Experience in antibody therapeutics, protein engineering, immunology, or related biologics modalities.
• Experience in venture-backed or emerging biotechnology companies.
• Direct experience supporting mid- to late-stage or registrational clinical programs.
• PMP certification or equivalent project management training.
• Familiarity with Smartsheet, Microsoft Project, Planisware, or similar project management tools.

Compensation & Benefits:

Diagonal offers a competitive compensation package, including an annual bonus, and equity-based compensation. Benefits include contributions to a tax-advantaged health savings account and comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance. We recognize the value of diversity in our workforce and are committed to equal opportunity. We consider all qualified employment applicants regardless of race, religion, color, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, partnership status, protected veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. Individuals who hold legal work authorization applicable to employment in the United States will be considered without regard to citizenship/alienage.