Director, Portfolio Development Operations Lead

Job Description

CSL is transforming its R&D organization to accelerate innovation and create greater impact for patients. With a streamlined, project-led structure and a focus on collaboration, we're building a future-ready team that excels in dynamic biotech ecosystems. Joining CSL now means being part of an agile team committed to developing therapies that make a meaningful difference worldwide.

Could you be our next Director, Portfolio Development Operations Lead? The job is in our King of Prussia, PA or Waltham MA, office. This is a hybrid position and is onsite three days a week. You will report to the Senior Vice President, Portfolio Development.

You will serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the SVP, Portfolio Development, shaping functional priorities, driving strategic planning, and ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives.

You will lead the operational rhythm of the PD organization, enabling effective governance, disciplined execution, and high-performing leadership team dynamics. Acting as Chief of Staff, the role ensures seamless alignment across priorities, drives operational efficiency, and strengthens communication and engagement across the function.

Combining strategic initiative leadership, operational execution, and executive coordination, the role supports the effective functioning of the PD Leadership Team. It drives key strategic initiatives, and translates complex portfolio insights into clear, actionable strategies to support decision-making and achievement of corporate goals.

Strategic Leadership, Operations & Governance

• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the SVP, PD, shaping functional priorities, identifying organizational risks, and ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives. Lead annual and long-term strategic planning, aligning scientific and business goals while identifying opportunities for synergies, efficiencies, and resource optimization.

• Oversee the rhythm of business, including leadership team operations and governance processes (e.g., PRISM, IDC), ensuring structured preparation, effective decision-making, and disciplined follow-through on actions. Proactively identify and mitigate operational risks, triaging potential bottlenecks and escalating issues as needed.

• Drive continuous improvement across PD through data-driven insights, standardized processes, and operational rigor to enhance efficiency, execution, and organizational effectiveness.

Leadership Team Enablement & Performance Management

• Lead and optimize the PD Leadership Team operating model, including agenda setting, prioritization of critical topics, and tracking of key actions and decisions. Ensure consistent execution of core processes such as goal setting, KPI tracking, quality metrics, budget management, and talent development in partnership with Finance and HR.

• Provide clear, timely reporting on progress against strategic priorities and performance metrics to senior leadership, ensuring transparency and accountability. Support the preparation of executive-level materials, including Board and CSLB leadership updates, ensuring a high standard of clarity, synthesis, and insight.

Executive Communications & Cross-Functional Integration

• Act as a central liaison between the SVP, PD, PD LT, and broader R&D and enterprise leadership, ensuring clear, concise, and timely communication of priorities, decisions, and risks.

• Lead development of executive communications, translating complex scientific and operational data into compelling, decision-ready materials, presentations, and updates. Coordinate key internal and external engagements, including PD town halls and leadership communications, ensuring aligned and consistent messaging.

• Strengthen cross-functional collaboration across PD (Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Biometrics, Therapeutic Areas) and with enterprise partners (Regulatory, Commercial, POE, Business Development), bridging gaps and driving alignment across initiatives.

• Maintain an integrated view of PD activities through a master calendar of meetings, milestones, and key deliverables, ensuring coordination with broader R&D and Commercial priorities.

Portfolio, Resource & Program Execution

• Collaborate with POE, Finance, and PD functions to optimize resource allocation across the portfolio, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities and enterprise objectives. Support high-priority, cross-functional initiatives and programs, ensuring clear objectives, strong execution, and measurable outcomes.

• Apply structured project management and change management methodologies to drive transformation initiatives, governance or process alignment across PD, enhance team performance, and strengthen organizational cohesion and culture.  

Key Impact

• Enterprise-aligned PD strategy with clear linkage between scientific priorities and business outcomes

• High-functioning leadership team with disciplined decision-making and execution

• Streamlined governance and operating cadence with strong accountability

• Enhanced cross-functional alignment across PD and enterprise stakeholders

• Improved resource allocation and portfolio efficiency

• Clear, compelling executive communications supporting leadership decision-making

Qualifications

• A scientific degree paired with an MBA is preferred. A solid understanding of the drug discovery and development pipeline is essential.

• 8+ years of cross-functional experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry or top-tier management consulting.

• Proven ability to lead, influence, manage, and motivate others in a complex, multi-functional matrix environment

• Strong business acumen and ability to translate strategic priorities into operational outcomes

• Proven experience managing complex programs or projects in a fast-paced, matrixed environment

• Trusted advisor to senior leaders, with executive presence and strong influencing skills

• Demonstrated ability to organize, lead, and execute across diverse teams and initiatives

The expected base salary range for this position at hiring is $230,000 - $270,000. Please note this salary range reflects the minimum and maximum base pay that CSL expects to pay for this position at the listed location of Waltham MA only at the time of this posting. Individual base salary for a successful candidate is determined by qualifications, skill level, experience, competencies and other relevant factors. In addition to base salary, total compensation for this role may also include incentive compensation and equity.

CSL Behring is a global biotherapeutics leader driven by our promise to save lives. Focused on serving patients’ needs by using the latest technologies, we discover, develop and deliver innovative therapies for people living with conditions in the immunology, hematology, cardiovascular and metabolic, respiratory, and transplant therapeutic areas. We use three strategic scientific platforms of plasma fractionation, recombinant protein technology, and cell and gene therapy to support continued innovation and continually refine ways in which products can address unmet medical needs and help patients lead full lives.

CSL Behring operates one of the world’s largest plasma collection networks, CSL Plasma. Our parent company, CSL, headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, employs 32,000 people, and delivers its lifesaving therapies to people in more than 100 countries.

To learn more about CSL, CSL Behring, CSL Seqirus and CSL Vifor  visit and CSL Plasma at

Our Benefits

For more information on CSL benefits visit How CSL Supports Your Well-being | CSL.

You Belong at CSL

At CSL, Inclusion and Belonging is at the core of our mission and who we are. It fuels our innovation day in and day out. By celebrating our differences and creating a culture of curiosity and empathy, we are able to better understand and connect with our patients and donors, foster strong relationships with our stakeholders, and sustain a diverse workforce that will move our company and industry into the future.

To learn more about inclusion and belonging visit -and-belonging

Equal Opportunity Employer

CSL is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please visit -statement.