Senior Program Director – Regulatory and Clinical Development

Role Overview

• Own and execute program and portfolio management strategy across Akero’s development organization
• Serve as primary cross functional integrator, ensuring alignment between strategy, execution, governance and decision making across programs.
• Partner with Development Therapeutic Area VPs and senior leaders to advance strategic priorities and ensure clear accountability, ownership, and decision rights.
• Design, implement, and run Akero’s development governance model in alignment with the parent organization.
• Establish and maintain decision-making frameworks, escalation pathways, and executive visibility into risks, trade-offs, dependencies, and outcomes.
• Lead Akero Development governance meetings and ensure consistent alignment with parent company processes and expectations.
• Collaborate with TechOps (CMC) to develop, gain approval, and execute on the project strategy in alignment with parent company
• Lead cross-functional alignment across departments, proactively identifying and resolving risks, conflicts, and misalignments.
• Oversee program timelines, integrated development plans, and delivery of key milestones across the portfolio.
• Manage trade-offs and dependencies, escalating issues to senior leadership as needed to maintain progress and alignment.
• Identify gaps in capabilities, training, and processes (e.g., GCP training), and partner with Quality to support compliance activities as needed.
• Establish scalable systems, templates, tools, and best practices for program and portfolio management.
• Own portfolio-level risk and issue management, ensuring mitigation strategies are proactively developed and executed.
• Monitor program performance and intervene as needed to keep programs on track.
• Partner with Finance and leadership on development budgets, forecasting, and resource allocation across the portfolio.
• Build, mentor, and develop program management talent.
• Organize and deploy project management support across functional areas and programs.
• Foster a high-performing, accountable, and collaborative program management culture.

Requirements

• Minimum of a bachelor's degree required, advanced degree (master's or PhD preferred), preferably within a scientific discipline or other related fields.
• 15+ years of proven experience in biotech / pharma portfolio and project management at a strategic and operational level
• Preferred experience working with Phase III trials for liver indications
• Demonstrated ability to lead transformation initiatives and drive organizational change.
• Strong financial acumen and experience with budget ownership and planning.
• Expertise in governance frameworks and decision-making processes.
• Track record of building and developing high-performing teams.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Knowledgeable about lab-engineered analogs highly preferred

Tech Stack

• Google Cloud Platform

Benefits

• medical, dental and vision coverage
• life insurance
• disability insurance
• 401(k) savings plan
• flexible spending accounts
• employee assistance program
• tuition reimbursement program
• group legal
• critical illness
• identity theft protection
• pet insurance
• auto/home insurance
• sick time policy
• flexible vacation policy
• parental leave policy