Director, R&D Strategic Partnership Management

Director, R&D Strategic Partnership Management

What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity? At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients. Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.

The Director, R&D Strategic Partnership Management will establish and lead a team to drive execution of a portfolio of Illumina's most complex, high-value strategic partnerships. This role is responsible for building a scalable operating model that ensures disciplined execution, clear accountability, proactive risk management, and senior leadership visibility across multi-year, cross-functional partnerships. This leader will manage a team of partnership program managers and serve as an orchestration layer across R&D, corporate & business development, commercial, service & support, and focused business groups, as well as with external partners, combining best-in-class alliance & project management practices and governance models.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and scale the R&D strategic partnerships team:
• Shape and evolve the vision, scope, and mandate of the R&D Strategic Partnership Management function
• Establish a clear operating model, governance, and decision rights to enable speed, accountability, and transparency
• Define and standardize partnership execution practices, templates, and operating cadences, while maintaining flexibility for partnership-specific needs
• Design and actively manage a flexible prioritization and staffing model to deploy resources against highest-impact partnerships
• Build, lead, and scale a high-performing team of Partnership Program Managers, including hiring, coaching, and performance management
• Ensure effective hand-offs and transitions from Corporate Strategy, Business Development, and other teams as partnerships transition into execution-heavy phases
• Strategic partnership portfolio execution & governance
• Oversee execution of strategically important, cross-functional partnerships with significant R&D complexity and delivery risk
• Serve as the central execution leader for named partnerships, aligning stakeholders on roles, responsibilities, escalation paths, and ways of working
• Establish and lead governance forums, including executive Steering Committees, cross-functional core team cadences, and joint partner meetings
• Ensure partner commitments are clearly tracked, delivered, and escalated appropriately, closing gaps between strategic intent, contractual agreements, and on-the-ground execution
• Proactively manage dependencies, risks, and resource constraints across matrixed internal teams and external partners
• Own portfolio-level visibility through dashboards, executive readouts, and governance materials for internal and external stakeholders
• Executive engagement, influence, and alignment
• Manage interactions with senior leaders and governance forums to surface risks, tradeoffs, opportunities, and recommendations
• Influence decision-making to ensure alignment with enterprise strategy, priorities, and resource plans
• Serve as a trusted thought partner to leadership, helping navigate ambiguity and drive decision?oriented discussions
• Continuously evolve partnership and program management practices to improve clarity, accountability, and execution speed
• Build strong internal and external relationships to enable alignment and delivery
• Strategic program leadership in addition to scaling the team, this role may directly own execution across select high-value partnerships or initiatives
• Serve as the single accountable program manager to own execution, leveraging cross-functional resources
• Establish partnership governance and operating cadence across steering committees, cross-functional core team, extended and function-specific teams, and external partner forums
• Develop and manage program plans, milestones, success metrics, critical paths, and decision points aligned with executive priorities
• Translate scope, budget, timeline, and risks into actionable plans, proposals, and execution strategies
• Ensure consistent progress, follow-through, and timely escalation of issues impacting strategic outcomes
• Partner with functional leaders on risk mitigation, contingencies, and change management plans, reinforcing a high quality partner experience

Qualifications / Success Profile

• MBA, PhD or other advanced degree preferred; technical or scientific background strongly preferred with strong business acumen
• 12+ years of experience in strategic program management within life sciences, healthcare, or regulated industries
• Proven leader of people and of a portfolio of partnerships, with experience scaling teams while managing strategic partnerships with significant complexity and enterprise visibility
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategic intent into executable plans and sustain momentum across multiple workstreams
• Effective in matrixed organizations, influencing stakeholders at all levels, including senior executives
• Strong written and verbal communicator; skilled at executive-level synthesis, facilitation, and decision framing
• Outcome-oriented, adaptable, and comfortable operating amid ambiguity; anticipates and proactively addresses risks early
• Ownership mindset with a strong sense of urgency and personal accountability; brings structure to complexity without adding unnecessary overhead
• Experience with project and program management tools (e.g., MS Project, Smartsheet, PPM platforms), PMP or equivalent certification preferred

The estimated base salary range for the Director, R&D Strategic Partnership Management role based in the United States of America is: $187,400 - $281,000. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. The range reflects long-term growth in the role; therefore, most candidates are hired between the minimum and middle of the range. Placement depends on experience, skills, location, and internal equity. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off. We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact View email address on click.appcast.io. To learn more, visit: The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.