Associate Director, Discovery and Translational Portfolio Management

MSD

Associate Director overseeing Discovery & Translational Portfolio Management in R&D organization. Collaborating with teams to deliver health improvement projects and portfolio management.

Posted 7/17/2026full-timeRahway • Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $142,400 - $224,100 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in project and portfolio management within the pharmaceutical and biotechnology sectors, with a focus on translational biomarker strategies and cross-functional collaboration. Proven ability to lead teams, manage governance processes, and drive process improvements in project workflows.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Project ManagementPortfolio ManagementTranslational Biomarker StrategyLeadership and Team BuildingPharmaceutical Industry Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Project ManagementPortfolio ManagementData AnalysisProcess ImprovementMetrics Summarization

Soft Skills

CollaborationProblem-SolvingCommunicationConflict ResolutionMentoring

Tools & Technologies

Enterprise DatabasesGovernance CommitteesLeadership Team Meetings

Certifications & Qualifications

Project Management Certification (PMP)Portfolio Management Certification (PMP)

Industry Keywords

PharmaceuticalBiotechnologyDiscoveryPreclinical DevelopmentTranslational Activities

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

PMP

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Understands, synthesizes, and aligns biomarker and translational needs across Discovery and Development portfolios, including anticipated timing, in partnership with the Translational biomarker leads and cross-functional stakeholders
Works with Translational, Biomarker, and cross-functional partners within a matrixed environment to ensure strategy is supported by executable plans, appropriate timelines, and realistic assumptions
Maintains accurate portfolio data in enterprise databases
Summarizes portfolio metrics, issues and documents/presentations for senior management/governance committees to inform decision-making, with a focus on strategy and execution of Translational work
Provides our company's organizational and process expertise to teams to enable navigation of discovery, development, and corporate governance and business requirements
Collaborates effectively with functional areas, support functions, and alliance partner functions (if applicable) to facilitate project/portfolio delivery
Manages strategic, cross-functional or cross-divisional management, governance, or alliance committees
Prepares for, facilitates, and documents outcomes of leadership team meetings, ensuring meetings have clear purpose and objectives and that conflict is surfaced and resolved
Proactively identifies and helps address opportunities for process improvement in translational biomarker workflows, tools, and systems
Provides mentoring, coaching, and oversight to Specialist/Senior Specialist project/Portfolio Managers working on common projects
Actively participates and completes ongoing training and personal development activities to increase leadership competency and to gain knowledge and skill in the discipline of project/portfolio management and the business and science of pharmaceutical product discovery and development and associated translational activities
Partners with Finance to ensure resource/budget planning and management

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor’s degree required; concentration in a scientific or applied discipline strongly preferred
Minimum of five (5) years of experience in project or portfolio management or a related role required
Demonstrated leadership and ethics; demonstrated ability to hold others accountable for delivery
Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team setting, including demonstrated experience building and leading teams, committees, task forces, etc.
Strong collaboration and problem-solving skills; able to establish effective working relationships with employees at all levels, resolve conflict and provide feedback, and to devise and implement creative solutions to problems
Strong communication skills, both oral and written; demonstrated ability to speak up appropriately and to raise issues to teams and management
Advanced degree preferred (MS, PhD, MBA)
Experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry strongly preferred, specifically in the phases of discovery, preclinical and/or early development
Project management certification (PMP), Portfolio management certification (PMP) and/or formal coursework/training in project or portfolio management

Benefits

Comp & perks

medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
retirement benefits, including 401(k)
paid holidays
vacation
compassionate and sick days