[Hiring] Director/Associate Director, BioPharma Portfolio & Program Management @Natera

Role Description

Natera’s Pharma Discovery Lab (PDL) bridges R&D execution, analytics, and target and biomarker discovery and development. We are seeking a Director/Associate Director of Portfolio & Program Management to build and run the operational backbone of PDL. The successful candidate will manage a broad portfolio of internal and external projects from inception to execution, including:

• Managing portfolio metrics
• Tracking budgets
• Stage-gating project milestones
• Coordinating wet lab / dry lab / bioinformatics
• Managing pharma-partner engagements

The role sits at the intersection of science, business, and operations, and reports into PDL leadership.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in oncology drug development, translational research, or biomarker/CDx program management, ideally spanning both pharma and diagnostics/lab-services environments.
• Demonstrated track record leading complex, cross-functional programs — governance operations, portfolio/program tracking, and stakeholder management at the senior leadership level.
• Experience managing biomarker sample operations, biorepository/biobank workflows, or CDx-adjacent laboratory operations.
• Financial acumen, including budget forecasting, resource planning, and experience supporting deal or contract structuring (fee-for-service, milestone, royalty, or licensing models).
• Strong meeting facilitation, executive communication, and document-authoring skills; comfortable presenting to senior leadership and external pharma partners.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity in a newly-formed business line and build process/governance from the ground up.
• Advanced degree (PhD, PharmD, or MS) in a life sciences required; MBA or equivalent business training a plus.

Requirements

• Prior experience in a biopharma translational medicine, biomarker portfolio, or clinical operations role at a large pharma or biotech (e.g., governance, franchise-level portfolio management, or business/program management supporting a $M+ budget).
• Familiarity with liquid biopsy/MRD (e.g., Signatera-type assays), CGP (WES/WTS/WGS), spatial transcriptomics, single-cell, or digital pathology platforms.
• Experience supporting biomarker strategy for regulatory submissions (IND/IDE, companion diagnostics) or Phase 1–3 clinical trial biomarker operations.

Benefits

• Annual performance incentive bonus
• Long-term equity awards
• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision)
• 401(k) with company match
• Generous paid time off and company holidays
• Additional wellness and work-life benefits

Compensation Range

$184,600 — $230,700 USD

The pay range is listed and actual compensation packages are based on a wide array of factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to skill set, years & depth of experience, certifications and specific office location. This may differ in other locations due to cost of labor considerations.