Sr. Director of Programs- Breakthrough Bio

Senior Director, Breakthrough Bio

MassChallenge

Location: Boston, MA or Dallas, TX | Reports to: Sr. Director of Programs | Compensation: $125,000 to $150,000

About MassChallenge

MassChallenge is the global network for innovators who are working to solve massive challenges. We connect startups, experts, corporations, and communities to grow and transform businesses and economies. Our mission is to equip bold entrepreneurs to disrupt the status quo and create meaningful change. Our mission is BIG, and thus we are a team that gives 100% every day. Our values ensure that we stay true to our mission and our core beliefs.

About Breakthrough Bio

Breakthrough Bio is a MassChallenge global accelerator for the next generation of international healthcare and life sciences startups, anchored in Boston with additional U.S. engagement in San Diego and Philadelphia. The program brings together elite, high-potential biotech and medtech startups from partner countries, including Taiwan (in partnership with the Development Center for Biotechnology) and Israel (in partnership with the National Technological Innovation Authority), and supports them through a milestone-driven acceleration journey toward U.S. market, regulatory, clinical, and investor readiness.

Breakthrough Bio is more ambitious and later-stage than most MassChallenge programs. Startups typically join at Seed to Series A, and every cohort company is working toward three core outcomes: new partnerships, new funding, and new regulatory milestones. The Senior Director's mentorship and personal network are central to helping startups reach these outcomes.

MassChallenge is excited to be seeking a Senior Director for our Breakthrough Bio program to join our team for this new global accelerator, working with some of the best healthcare and life sciences startups in the world. If you have the skills we are seeking, we want to talk to you, so go ahead and apply to this role.

Why You Should Join Us

MassChallenge was just named the #2 accelerator in the U.S. and #1 in Massachusetts by TIME and Statista, with 85% of the ranking driven by feedback from the founders we serve. That puts us among the very best in the country. It also gives us a new target. We are building on that recognition, growing what works, and raising our ambitions for what MassChallenge can do next. If you are looking for a place where there is real energy behind the work and plenty left to build, we want to talk to you.

Position Summary

The Senior Director will be responsible for the successful delivery and execution of Breakthrough Bio, a global accelerator for elite healthcare and life sciences startups. Breakthrough Bio brings together high-potential biotech, medtech, and pharma companies, including AI drug discovery companies, from multiple countries, supporting them through a milestone-driven, six-month acceleration journey that spans virtual programming, U.S. ecosystem immersion, and a finale showcase and demo day, across different cities.

This role will dedicate approximately 30% of its time to program delivery, ensuring startups and stakeholders receive the tools, resources, and support needed for success. About 70% of its time will be focused on partner relationship management, market engagement, and network building to enhance the program's ecosystem and partnerships. This role requires flexibility to accommodate partners and startups based internationally, including Israel and Taiwan, which may include early morning or evening calls outside standard business hours.

The ideal candidate will be a client-facing, relationship-driven leader with deep global experience and a strong network in healthcare and life sciences (HCLS), specifically in biotech, along with enough technical grounding in biotech and/or medtech development, regulatory pathways, and commercialization to credibly assess startup technology and guide founders' strategic decisions. As a natural convener, this individual will bring together founders, partners, and industry stakeholders to foster collaboration and drive program impact.

Location

This Senior Director will be expected to work from the MassChallenge Boston office, as well as attend key industry events, including those in Philadelphia and San Diego, to successfully deliver the program. Occasional work after-hours will be necessary to support the execution of programs and other healthcare-focused events. Travel may be required.

What You'll Do

Ecosystem Development

• Serve as MassChallenge's recognized voice and subject-matter authority in the biotech, medtech, and pharma ecosystem, representing the organization at industry conferences (e.g., BIO International, LSI USA), panels, and thought-leadership forums
• Build and maintain a personal network of senior biotech/medtech leaders, VCs, and government innovation officials that MassChallenge can draw on for deal flow, mentorship, and partnership opportunities
• Act as a trusted technical sounding board for founders and partners, lending credibility to program evaluation and investment-readiness decisions given deep domain expertise
• Identify and cultivate emerging hubs, incubators, and research institutions internationally to keep Breakthrough Bio's pipeline aligned with cutting-edge science
• Contribute original content (articles, talks, panel appearances) that positions MassChallenge as a leader in biotech commercialization, reinforcing the Senior Director's role as a credibility-multiplier for the program

Program Management

• Lead end-to-end delivery of Breakthrough Bio across all program phases, from strategic design and startup recruitment through Boston kickoff, virtual acceleration, California Market Access Sprint, and Philadelphia finale
• Apply industry experience to core program elements, including curriculum development, event execution, and tailored founder support
• Build and activate a strong network of founders, mentors, partners, and industry leaders, particularly across healthcare, life sciences, and biotech
• Serve as a client-facing representative and trusted relationship manager with program partners, including government innovation agencies, fostering meaningful connections and acting as a natural convener within the regional innovation ecosystem
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships to support program success, including sourcing mentors, speakers, and industry collaborators
• Establish feedback loops and performance metrics to continuously improve program delivery and outcomes
• Contribute to broader organizational initiatives and support additional accelerator programs as needed

Team Empowerment

• Manage the program delivery team
• Add to collective knowledge and best practices on startup acceleration and commercialization
• Be a collaborative colleague across the program and network team nationally
• Support the greater MassChallenge program execution team as needed

What You Bring

Education and Experience Requirements

• Substantive, hands-on experience in biotech and/or medtech (for example, therapeutic or device development, FDA regulatory pathways, clinical trial design, or commercialization of a life sciences technology) sufficient to credibly evaluate startup technology, guide investor and partnership conversations, and earn the trust of technical founders
• Familiarity with major industry conferences such as BIO International Convention or LSI USA is a plus
• Experience managing international cohorts or working with government agency partners is a plus
• Record of strong business skills, leadership, people management, strategic thinking, and sound judgment
• Willingness and ability to engage business, philanthropic, civic, and academic leaders in business networking settings
• Bachelor's degree
• Seven or more years of experience in project/program management
• Experience in accelerator operations, recruitment, and supporting small businesses

Who You Are

• You are a recognized voice in biotech, medtech, or pharma, with a track record that gives you instant credibility with founders, investors, and government innovation partners
• You have a deep personal network across healthcare and life sciences, built through years of hands-on work in the space, and you know how to activate it on behalf of an organization or program
• You are energized by representing an organization publicly, comfortable on stage, on panels, and in one-on-one conversations with senior industry leaders
• You can credibly evaluate startup technology and guide technical founders, drawing on real domain expertise rather than general business acumen alone
• You are a natural convener who brings people together across sectors, institutions, and countries, and you thrive on building coalitions rather than running day-to-day operations
• You have enough project leadership experience to oversee a small delivery team and keep a program on track, but your strength is in relationships, credibility, and network, not process management
• You can navigate ambiguity, shifting international stakeholders, and cross-cultural business norms (particularly Taiwan and Israel) with diplomacy and ease
• You have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, especially in representing technical and scientific credibility to non-technical audiences
• You have experience with government innovation agencies, dual-use innovation ecosystems, or international cohorts, which is a strong plus
• You are excited to represent MassChallenge's biotech ecosystem work, more than to be its internal operator

Who We Are

MassChallenge is the global network for innovators who are working to solve massive challenges. We connect startups, experts, corporations, and communities to grow and transform businesses and economies. At MassChallenge, we:

• Help entrepreneurs build the next generation of transformational businesses by connecting them with the resources, partnerships, and communities that help them launch, grow, and scale their startups
• Help our partners build, grow, and evolve their corporate innovation practices
• Leverage the power of entrepreneurship to strengthen global innovation ecosystems

Our Core Values

• Founder Mindset: Optimism, Tenacity, Love the Problem
• Connect and Collaborate: Empathy, Inclusion, Fun, Build Community, Connect the Dots
• Progress over Perfection: Build on Experience, Fail Fast, Demonstrate Traction

Compensation

• MassChallenge offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a supportive working environment
• Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and commensurate with skills and experience
• For this position, the base salary range is $125,000 to $150,000
• Internal equity considerations and the average salary of the peer range will be reviewed before making a final offer

Equal Opportunity Employer

MassChallenge is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We seek individuals from a broad variety of backgrounds with varying levels of experience who have a desire to do meaningful work. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote regardless of race, color, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.