Senior Director, Portfolio Management

Role Summary

The Senior Director, Portfolio Management role (based in Princeton, NJ; San Diego, CA; or South San Francisco, CA) is a hybrid position requiring in-office presence about three days per week. The role will shape and execute the strategic direction of the company’s development and commercialization portfolio, driving enterprise-wide portfolio prioritization, cross-functional alignment, and efficient decision-making to maximize value creation. It requires deep collaboration with Finance, R&D, and Commercial to ensure portfolio investments are strategically sound, financially viable, and aligned with market opportunities and scientific innovation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of portfolio prioritization frameworks that balance scientific innovation, commercial potential, and financial impact.
• Partner closely with Finance to assess investment scenarios, optimize resource allocation, and ensure portfolio decisions are grounded in financial rigor.
• Collaborate with R&D leadership to align pipeline strategy with portfolio goals, ensuring scientific feasibility and milestone-driven execution.
• Engage with Commercial teams to incorporate market insights, competitive intelligence, and launch readiness into portfolio planning.
• Facilitate governance processes that promote transparency, agility, and accountability across the portfolio lifecycle.
• Drive continuous improvement in portfolio operations, leveraging data and analytics to inform strategic decisions and enhance execution efficiency.
• Lead focused initiatives supporting continuous improvement of Acadia’s Portfolio Governance and Operating Model.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to Portfolio Governance (PG), providing clear, actionable insights on portfolio performance, trade-offs, and strategic risks.
• Champion a culture of accountability, collaboration, and innovation across teams and functions.
• Other responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in life science or related field; Advanced degree preferred. Targeting 12 years of progressively responsible, relevant experience focusing on program management with 8 years in a leadership role which includes experience managing cross-functional project teams. A successful candidate will have a strong understanding of the drug development process from preclinical pharmacology through to regulatory approval and the principles, concepts, practices, and standards of pharmaceutical program management. An equivalent combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.

Skills

• Significant amount of experience required in portfolio management, strategic planning, or program leadership within the biotech or life sciences industry.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence senior stakeholders in a matrixed environment.
• Strong understanding of drug development processes, commercialization strategies, and financial modeling.
• Executive presence and exceptional communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with governance frameworks and enterprise operating models is highly desirable.
• Advanced meeting facilitation skills and ability to lead cross-functional teams that include executive and senior management without direct authority.
• Ability to elicit cooperation from a wide variety of sources and to be persuasive, encouraging and motivating.
• In-depth knowledge and skill with Microsoft (MS) suite including MS PowerPoint, MS Project, MS Word, MS Excel.
• Must be able and willing to travel on occasion.

Additional Requirements

• Travel: Must be able and willing to travel on occasion; overnight travel may be required.