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Executive Director, Portfolio Strategy

Chicago, Illinois, United States

About Us 

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world.

It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.
 
Led by Tassos Giannakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.
 
We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.
 
At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.
 
These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.
 
 

Job Title: Executive Director, Portfolio Strategy

Department: Portfolio Strategy

Location: Chicago (preferred), South San Francisco, CA, Princeton, NJ - On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)

Reports to: Chief Strategy Officer

 

DESCRIPTION 

The Executive Director, Portfolio Strategy will play a key role in enabling data-driven, cross-functional decision-making on Kardigan’s investments in development programs and evaluation of trade-offs across the development pipeline. This individual will partner with Global Program Heads and the broader Program Teams to develop and maintain forward-looking decision frameworks, ensuring clarity on decision scope, trade-offs, and associated risks. They will conduct and oversee development of decision support analytics, such as eNPV analyses. They will drive and facilitate portfolio decision forums, including agenda setting, preparation of supporting materials, and communication of outcomes. The Executive Director will collaborate closely with Finance to develop and maintain dynamic budgets at both the asset and portfolio levels, enabling scenario planning and prioritization aligned with the company’s strategic goals. This role will also lead the semi-annual portfolio planning cycle and support the preparation of materials for executive and Board-level discussions.

Beyond these core responsibilities, the Executive Director will be responsible for building and refining the operational infrastructure that supports portfolio governance, including development of scalable processes, templates, and tools. They will develop best practices, foster cross-functional alignment, and ensure that portfolio decisions are informed by integrated business and scientific perspectives. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with strong analytical and communication skills, proven leadership in cross-functional settings, and the ability to operate with clarity in a fast-paced, evolving environment. 

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES 

  • Lead development and continuous refinement of the company’s portfolio strategy across clinical and preclinical assets.
  • Establish objective, data-driven prioritization frameworks (NPV, probability-adjusted risk modeling, scenario planning).
  • In partnership with the Global Program Heads, develop forward-looking decision framework and infrastructure/templates to ensure clear decision objectives, alternatives and trade-offs, as well as robust analysis and risk identification
  • Develop and evolve decision-support analytical models
  • Lead and manage both regular and ad hoc decision forums, ensuring clear supporting materials, outputs, and organizational communication
  • Partner with Finance in developing dynamic budgets across assets and portfolio to facilitate trade-off discussions and scenario planning
  • Drive a semi-annual portfolio planning process
  • Prepare materials for Executive Team and Board discussions related to pipeline strategy and capital allocation.
  • Related to the above responsibilities, develop and maintain clear processes and templates to facilitate planning, budgeting, and portfolio decision exercises
  • Build and manage a team to support Kardigan’s portfolio strategy activities
  • Work in close concert with the Corporate Strategy team; flexibly manage team resources across the Portfolio Management and Corporate Strategy teams when necessary to optimize overall resource utilization and facilitate career development opportunities
  • Develop best practices, seeking cross-functional input and communicating best practices across the org

 

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SKILLS

Education:

  • BA or BS, with preference for advanced degree, e.g. MBA or science-oriented MA/PhD

Experience:

  • 12+ years of relevant industry experience with a focus on portfolio management, complex scenario analysis, and strategic planning OR 5+ years of experience in strategic management consulting with focus on biopharma and exposure to portfolio-related or comparable strategy work
  • Familiarity with business case modeling and valuation methodologies, such as Net Present Value (NPV)
  • Understanding of clinical development principles, including clinical trial design parameters and alternatives, common trade-offs and statistical considerations
  • Broad knowledge of the drug development lifecycle and the roles of cross-functional partners (e.g., Research, Clinical, Regulatory, CMC), including significant exposure to late-stage development and/or commercialization.
  • Strong capability in complex scenario analysis and strategic trade-off evaluation
  • Demonstrated ability to distill complex issues and communicate clearly with executive leadership
  • Experience driving structured decision-making and influencing senior stakeholders
  • Experience communicating with executive teams to drive robust decision-making and clear communication processes

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

  • Ability to lead workstreams and influence cross-functionally
  • Ability to lead and manage a portfolio management team
  • Strong strategic and technical understanding; strong analytical skills and ability to anticipate operational issues and risks, and to proactively recommend mitigations and solutions
  • Strong skills in strategic framing and communication via PowerPoint presentations
  • Initiative/self-starter with a continuous improvement mindset and demonstrated experience managing across multiple functions and teams
  • Strong work ethic with a sense of urgency and demonstrated ability to consistently deliver high quality output
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills; comfortable interacting and communicating with individuals at all levels of the organization
  • Detail oriented with ability to manage multiple priorities
  • Strong sense of resilience and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, dynamic, start-up environment
  • Flexibility to travel as needed; spending time periodically with functional and program leaders and teams as well as overall corporate leadership located in SSF and Princeton will be required

 

Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range

$253,000 - $329,000 USD

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