Senior Director, Portfolio & Program Management

# Senior Director, Portfolio & Program Management Vertex Pharmaceuticals Boston, MAFull-Time Nov 05, 2026

Pharmaceutical##

Job Description
** Job Description
**** General

Summary:

** The Senior Director, Portfolio & Program Management is a global role within the Program and Portfolio Management (PPM) organization. The incumbent is responsible for championing cross-functional project management excellence to programs across the drug development lifecycle (Research, Pre-clinical and Clinical Development, Registration and Commercialization). The incumbent is expected to lead the application of project management to identify opportunities, shape objectives and drive execution of global strategy for cross-functional drug development teams and portfolio operations initiatives.

This role is a key leadership position within PPM, with accountability for the performance and end results of a department/area.
** Key

Duties and Responsibilities:

**- Provide strategic and operational project leadership to one or more cross-functional teams, directing activities at all stages of the project lifecycle (initiation through closeout)- Drive communication cross-functionally and with senior leaders on integrated program planning topics including timelines, status, risks and issues
- Proactively identify roadblocks and/or constraints impacting strategic imperatives or project execution and lead the team through scenario planning activities
- Partner with governance forums, senior leaders and/or team lead(s) to align strategy, goals and milestones with corporate objectives
- Propose innovative approaches, define process improvements and advise leaders on opportunities to optimize project results
- Determine approach and stakeholders for cross-functional decision-making and issue resolution
- Oversee completion of project team deliverables and contribute to content development, when appropriate
- Establish project team operating norms and measure performance
- Apply subject matter expertise to mentor subordinate managers and high level professionals
- As a people manager within the organization, may have financial accountabilities and human resource responsibilities for assigned high level professionals and subordinate managers
** Knowledge and

Skills:

**- Broad and comprehensive understanding of project and portfolio management principles, options analysis, strategic planning, business case generation, finance and resource management
- Leadership experience managing cross-functional teams with an ability to influence teams to prioritize activities and allocate resources to contribute to the development of operational strategy
- Excellent written and oral communication skills, including well-developed presentation skills
- Pharmaceutical drug discovery and development expertise across multiple disciplines
- Organizational skills, an ability to manage multiple priorities
- Strong collaboration skills to effectively interact with internal or external stakeholders at all levels in the organization
- Advanced business management knowledge to assess the impact of project decisions on financial and corporate objectives
*
* Education and Experience:

**- Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or a relevant field
- Typically requires 12 years of experience and 5 years of management experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience  At Vertex, we embrace continuous learning and encourage employees to stay informed on advances in AI, technology, automation, and industry trends. We seek talent who bring an external perspective, demonstrate curiosity and sound judgment, and thoughtfully adopt new capabilities that improve decision-making, drive innovation, increase efficiency, and help deliver better…