Portfolio Strategy Senior Analyst

Company Overview

Kardigan is a heart‑health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable, and no longer the leading cause of death worldwide. Our mission is to develop multiple targeted treatments that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.

Led by co‑founders Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg MD, PhD, and Bob McDowell PhD, Kardigan has a cutting‑edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late‑stage candidates, and an industry‑leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.

Portfolio Strategy Senior Analyst

Portfolio Strategy

Director, Portfolio Strategy

Evanston, IL – On‑site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)

The Portfolio Strategy Senior Analyst supports Kardigan’s portfolio strategy and business development activities. The role evaluates, prioritizes, and optimizes internal R&D investments and external opportunities through financial and deal modeling, portfolio analytics, and cross‑functional business insights. It works closely with leaders across Portfolio Strategy, Finance, R&D, Corporate Strategy, and Business Development to model scenarios and develop data‑driven recommendations.

Key responsibilities include attention to detail, clear communication of complex analyses, and comfort using agentic AI tools (e.g., Claude) and emerging AI‑enabled approaches in a fast‑changing, AI‑driven culture.

• Support enterprise portfolio strategy and prioritization across discovery, clinical‑stage, and lifecycle programs.
• Build and maintain financial and deal models to evaluate portfolio investments and external opportunities, including risk‑adjusted NPV analyses, deal valuation, and scenario modeling.
• Support business development evaluations, including deal modeling, valuation of external opportunities (in‑licensing, partnerships, M&A), and due diligence support.
• Contribute to corporate strategy and long‑range planning initiatives as needed.
• Develop portfolio analytics, dashboards, and presentations to support executive decision‑making and governance discussions.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Finance, R&D, Clinical, Commercial, and Corporate Strategy teams to evaluate trade‑offs, risks, and resource allocation decisions.
• Conduct market, competitive, and landscape assessments to support strategic recommendations.
• Prepare high‑quality PowerPoint presentations and materials for leadership reviews, portfolio committees, and strategic planning discussions.
• Analyze complex data sets and synthesize findings into clear, actionable insights for senior stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to improve analytical workflows, reporting, and decision‑support capabilities by leveraging agentic AI tools (e.g., Claude) and emerging AI‑enabled portfolio management capabilities.
• Contribute to special strategic projects and cross‑functional initiatives as needed in a dynamic, high‑growth environment.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, life sciences, biotechnology, or related field.
• 3‑5 years of experience in portfolio strategy, corporate strategy, investment banking, corporate finance, consulting, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, or related analytical roles.
• Experience with financial and deal modeling, including NPV, deal valuation, and scenario‑based analyses.
• Strong analytical, quantitative, and problem‑solving capabilities with high attention to detail.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and PowerPoint.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear strategic insights and executive‑level communications.
• Experience in biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, or life sciences strongly preferred.
• Hands‑on experience or demonstrated curiosity about agentic AI tools (e.g., Claude) and AI‑enabled analytical workflows; comfort operating in a fast‑changing, AI‑driven culture.
• Strong interpersonal and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast‑paced, evolving environment.
• High degree of intellectual curiosity, ownership, and professional maturity.

Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range: $114,000 – $149,000 USD