Senior Director Program Management

Job Description

Job Description

Ovid Therapeutics Inc. is a New York-based biopharmaceutical company dedicated to developing small molecule medicines for brain conditions and symptoms caused by excess neural excitability. Ovid is advancing a pipeline of novel targeted small molecule candidates that modulate the intrinsic and extrinsic factors involved in neuronal hyperexcitability causative of multiple neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders.

It is with curiosity, courage, and tenacity that, together, we work for meaningful change in the lives of patients and their families. With this sense of purpose and urgency we challenge the conventional and embrace the wisdom and thought that comes from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Importantly, we understand the commitment we make to our patients.

Position Summary
Ovid is seeking an experienced, highly motivated Senior Director, Program Management, to play a critical role in advancing the company’s growing neuroscience pipeline.
This is a high-impact, hands-on leadership position for an experienced Program Manager who knows how to move complex development programs forward—not simply manage processes. The Senior Director Program Management will serve as the connective tissue across the organization, bringing together Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Regulatory, CMC, Research, Patient Advocacy/Engagement, Safety, Commercial, Finance and other functions to ensure teams are aligned, decisions are made, and programs move toward meaningful outcomes.
Ovid is at an exciting stage of growth, with multiple programs progressing through Clinical Development, including Phase 1 and Phase 2 programs in CNS/neuroscience/psychiatry, with plans to expand its development portfolio. This role will have the opportunity to help rebuild and strengthen the Program Management function at a critical point in the company's evolution.
The ideal candidate is a pragmatic, confident and highly experienced Program Manager who is capable of functioning at various levels—transitioning seamlessly from specific Program tactics and implementation to overarching Program strategy.
She/he will know when to dive into the weeds, when to step back and look at the portfolio, and when to challenge a team or escalate an issue to ensure the right decision is made.
The Senior Director Program Management is expected to drive teams toward decisions and outcomes, identify opportunities to streamline development plans, accelerate timelines or bridge timeline gaps. The individual will ensure governance mechanisms actually facilitate decision-making rather than simply create additional meetings.
This role will report to the Sr VP & Head of Research Delivery & Program Stewardship.

Key Responsibilities
Program Management & Execution

• Serve as the Program Management for one or more of Ovid's key development programs.
• Lead cross-functional program teams from late-stage discovery to clinical development and ultimately toward registration.
• Translate program strategy into clear, actionable development plans, milestones and deliverables.
• Develop and maintain integrated program plans, timelines, critical paths, milestones and dependencies.
• Ensure that every program has the appropriate level of focus, accountability and cross-functional alignment.
• Proactively identify gaps, risks, dependencies and opportunities that could impact program success.
• Challenge teams constructively when plans, timelines or assumptions need to be reconsidered.
• Drive programs forward when they are behind schedule, including taking ownership of difficult issues and bringing the right functions together to resolve them.
• Ensure that teams remain focused on outcomes and decisions rather than process and activity.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Serve as the central integrator across Research/Preclinical, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, CMC/Technical Operations, Safety, Patient Advocacy and Patient Engagement, Commercial/Business Development & Finance.
• Bring functional experts together around common objectives, ensuring that each function understands how its work impacts the broader program.
• Create strong working relationships across functions and build trust through transparency, accountability and follow-through.
• Facilitate productive discussion and resolve conflicts or competing priorities.
• Ensure that information flows effectively across functions and that critical issues reach the appropriate decision-makers quickly.
• "Put the glue in the mechanics" of the organization, ensuring that functions are working together rather than operating independently.

Decision-Making & Governance

• Establish and maintain effective program governance and decision-making mechanisms.
• Ensure governance forums are decision-oriented, with clear recommendations, options, owners and next steps.
• Frame complex issues for senior leadership and governance committees, including risks, trade-offs, alternatives and recommendations.
• Drive decisions to the appropriate level of the organization and ensure decisions are translated into action.
• Establish clear stage-gate, go/no-go and other key decision criteria.
• Escalate issues appropriately while maintaining ownership of the program.
• Have the confidence to challenge decisions or assumptions—even when working with leaders two levels above the role—when doing so is in the best interest of the program.

Strategic Program Management

• Partner with senior leadership to translate corporate and development strategy into program strategy and execution plans.
• Operate effectively at both strategic and tactical levels.
• Identify "white space" within programs and proactively identify opportunities to improve, accelerate or streamline development plans.
• Continuously assess whether processes are adding value and eliminate unnecessary activities, meetings or layers of complexity.
• Bring a pragmatic mindset to program management, asking: What do we actually need to accomplish, and what is the best way to get there?
• Support portfolio-level discussions as Ovid's pipeline expands, while maintaining a primary focus on individual program execution.
• Over time, contribute to the development of a more formal portfolio management capability as the organization grows.

Financial & Resource Management

• Partner with Finance/FP&A and functional leaders to develop and manage program budgets.
• Track program spending against plan and proactively identify financial risks or resource constraints.
• Support resource allocation decisions across programs.
• Understand the financial implications of program decisions and communicate budget and resource impacts to leadership.
• Ensure program timelines, resources and budgets remain aligned with strategic priorities.

Team & Organizational Leadership

• Establish Ovid's Program Management function for its next stage of growth, with practical, scalable Program Management practices without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
• Serve as a role model for accountability, urgency, collaboration and execution.
• Build strong relationships across the organization and influence without direct authority.
• Mentor and support colleagues in effective Program Management practices.
• As the function evolves, help to determine the appropriate structure, capabilities and resources needed to support Ovid's growing portfolio.

What We're Looking For
The successful candidate will be an experienced Program Manager who combines deep development experience with exceptional people and influencing skills.
We are looking for someone who:

• Has significant experience leading complex drug development programs in biotechnology or pharmaceutical organizations.
• Has managed programs across multiple stages of development, ideally including Phase 1, Phase 2 and later-stage development.
• Has experience working across multiple functions and therapeutic areas.
• Brings strong understanding of the drug development process and knows how Research, Clinical, Regulatory, CMC, Safety, Operations and Commercial functions need to work together.
• Can move comfortably between strategic thinking and detailed execution.
• Is highly comfortable operating in a lean organization where there may not be a large Program Management team to support them.
• Is willing and able to do the work themselves, including building timelines, managing risks, coordinating teams and driving deliverables.
• Is confident enough to challenge assumptions, ask difficult questions and push teams toward decisions.
• Is pragmatic and understands that the goal of program management is not to create processes, it is to drive programs toward outcomes.
• Has strong business and financial acumen.
• Can communicate effectively with senior executives and functional experts.
• Has exceptional interpersonal skills and can build alliances across an organization.
• Is curious, collaborative and genuinely interested in understanding the perspectives of other functions.
• Has the judgment to know when to get into the details and when to "zoom out" and look at the broader strategic picture.
• Brings energy, urgency, confidence and a strong sense of ownership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences, business or a related field required; advanced degree preferred.
• 15+ years of pharmaceutical or biotechnology experience, with substantial experience in drug-development Program Management.
• 10+ years of direct cross-functional Program Management experience.
• CNS / neuroscience / psychiatry experience is preferred, particularly experience in neurology, neuropsychiatry or rare neurological disorders.

• Demonstrated experience leading complex development programs through multiple stages of development.
• Experience working in a biotech environment with significant cross-functional responsibility and limited organizational infrastructure.
• Strong understanding of global drug development and the interactions among clinical, regulatory, CMC, safety and other development functions.
• Demonstrated experience with:
  • Integrated development plans
  • Program timelines
  • Critical-path management
  • Risk management
  • Resource planning
  • Budget development and monitoring
  • Governance
  • Executive-level reporting
• Strong business and financial acumen.
• PMP certification or equivalent experience is a plus.

Ovid operates in a hybrid-work model. Candidates applying must be willing and able to be in the NYC office in coordination with their manager's expectations, as well as department and business needs.

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