Vice President, Trial Engine

Overview

Formation Bio is a tech and AI driven pharma company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development. Advancements in AI and drug discovery are creating more candidate drugs than the industry can progress because of the high cost and time of clinical trials. Formation Bio, founded in 2016 as Trial Spark Inc., builds technology platforms, processes, and capabilities to accelerate all aspects of drug development and clinical trials.

Formation Bio partners, acquires, or in-licenses drugs from pharma companies, research organizations, and biotechs to develop programs past clinical proof of concept and beyond, ultimately helping to bring new medicines to patients. The company is backed by investors across pharma and tech, including a16z, Sequoia, Sanofi, Thrive Capital, Sam Altman, John Doerr, Spark Capital, SV Angel Growth, and others. You can read more at the following links.

Formation Bio values guide our mission to revolutionize the pharma industry, and every team and individual plays a key part in bringing new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.

About the Position

Own and Drive Trial Outcomes

• Own end-to-end trial execution across the portfolio, with direct accountability for delivery against asset and portfolio value inflection goals
• Serve as trial team leader on designated programs, setting execution pace and ensuring learnings are shared and implemented across the portfolio

Lead Multiple Trial Engine Enablement Teams

• Lead and develop leaders across:
• Clinical Trial Management & Operations (Trial Management, Project Management, Trial Master File)
• Site Feasibility & Operations (Feasibility, Study Startup, Recruitment)
• Clinical Data Management & Analytics
• Generate operational alpha through the pace you set, the systems and technology you deploy and the people you develop and hire.
• Build high-performing teams that scale impact without corresponding headcount

Evolve the Trial Delivery Operating Model

• Collaborate cross functionally to refine and evolve our flexible, scalable trial execution operating model
• Improve execution rhythms and decision frameworks that enable repeatable, fast, high quality decision making
• Interrogate and replace legacy processes with AI-enabled workflows and systems designed to deliver outcomes

Partner Cross-Functionally with:

• Asset General Managers, Clinical and Operations leaders to ensure we have tight coordination across program and trial teams
• Development and Business Operations teams to align strategy, execution, and tooling
• Tech partners to operationalize automation, AI, and data-driven decision-making across trial workflows

• Outcome-Driven:
  You optimize for value creation, everything is in service of that.
• AI-Native:
  You naturally embed AI and automation into team culture, workflows, and decision-making and believe this is the future of exceptional clinical trial execution.
• Generalist with Range:
  You flex across disciplines, know when to go deep, when to pull in experts, and when to rely on strong teams.
• Structured & Decisive:
  You run teams with sharp prioritization, clear responsibilities and disciplined execution.
• Comfortable in Ambiguity:
  You thrive in dynamic environments, simplify complexity, and adapt quickly without losing momentum.
• Strategically Grounded with Tactical Depth:
  You connect and communicate high-level vision to detailed, practical action and can operate comfortably at both levels.

• You don’t believe in the traditional paradigm that you can only have 2 of 3 (speed, cost, quality) and have the track record to prove it.
• You set a high bar with your team, when hiring and expect a lot of yourself and others.
• You are productively impatient and intolerant of unnecessary friction.
• You know what exceptional looks like and what it actually takes to achieve it consistently.
• You are self-aware, comfortable being wrong in public and committed to getting better.
• You have a sense of humor, especially about yourself.

Location and work model:
Formation Bio prioritizes hiring in key hubs, primarily the New York City and Boston metro areas. These positions follow a hybrid work model with 1-3 days in the…