Program Manager
About Ikena
Ikena Oncology is a clinical-stage biotechnology company that discovers and develops patient-directed, biomarker-driven therapies for cancer patients who need life-saving treatment, by understanding what drives their disease. Ikena is advancing five clinical, preclinical, and discovery programs. Ikena has entered a global strategic collaboration with Bristol Myers Squibb and raised capital from top tier investors OrbiMed Advisors and Atlas Venture.
Role Description
Ikena is seeking a highly creative, diversely experienced, and self-motivated Program Manager to join an innovative, scientifically driven, and fast paced team focused on developing breakthrough cancer therapies. The successful candidate will work closely with cross-functional teams to manage specific programs, ensure clarity of strategy, and facilitate communication across all parties. The ideal candidate will have a scientific background and experience with clinical-stage drug development.
Responsibilities
- Serve as program manager for one or more drug development programs, providing coordination and cross-functional communication to enable teams to meet their goals
- Work with team members to compile high-quality, detailed, integrated cross-functional program plans, manage program activities, timelines, and resources
- Work with the program lead to facilitate decision making and resolve conflicts; proactively identify key risks, timeline and resource constraints, and develop mitigation plans
- Effectively communicate program strategy, status, critical path activity timing, resource requirements, and related issues and/or risks as appropriate
- Effectively lead and manage team meetings by developing agendas, defining and communicating meeting objectives, capturing and disseminating meeting outcomes/information/minutes/action items, and following up on action items
- Work closely with finance team to support program budget tracking and facilitate approval of changes that arise throughout the year due to changing conditions/plans within the program
Qualifications
- BS/MS with strong scientific background
- 2+ years of relevant biotech and/or pharmaceutical industry program management experience, with broad knowledge across all facets of drug development
- Self-directed, accomplishment-driven individual with a strong sense of passion and urgency who can work both independently and in a cross-functional team environment
- Strong scientific background and knowledge of the drug development process
- Proven success working in cross-functional teams and fostering open communication, mutual understanding and cooperation
- Close attention to details, innovative problem solving and excellent organizational skills
- Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to motivate others, to influence without authority, to negotiate for conflict resolution, and to forge consensus between competing points of view
- Demonstrated success with handling multiple projects and able to handle complexity and prioritize effectively
- Proficient with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, etc.)
Personal attributes: team oriented, goal-driven, organized, highly collaborative, open-minded, data-driven, creative, persistent in the face of obstacles and uncertainty, flexible, self-aware of strengths and weaknesses, objective in the evaluation of data and strongly optimistic about overcoming obstacles.