Natera

Associate Director, R&D Portfolio Operations, Insights

Natera

full-time

Posted on:

Location Type: Remote

Location: United States

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Salary

💰 $141,400 - $176,800 per year

Job Level

Senior

About the role

  • Lead the design, standardization, and continuous improvement of portfolio management processes across the R&D organization.
  • Enable integrated planning, improving predictability, and driving portfolio transparency through scalable PMO frameworks, data infrastructure, analytics, and reporting.
  • Serve as a strategic operations partner to R&D, Finance, and PMO Leadership, ensuring a single-source of truth to enable portfolio insights and decisions.
  • Design and implement standardized PMO processes, tools, and governance frameworks across R&D.
  • Establish integrated planning processes that connect strategy, resource planning, timelines, and execution milestones.
  • Drive adoption of best practices for stage-gate governance, risk management, and cross-functional alignment.
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance operational rigor, predictability, and accountability.
  • Develop and maintain enterprise-level portfolio planning models that enable scenario planning and trade-off analysis.
  • Partner with R&D, Engineering, Regulatory, Finance to align roadmap assumptions and resource forecasts.
  • Implement forecasting and tracking mechanisms to improve milestone predictability and delivery confidence.
  • Monitor portfolio performance and proactively surface risks, dependencies, and capacity constraints.
  • Own and evolve the R&D portfolio management database, ensuring data accuracy, integrity, and usability.
  • Define data standards, KPIs, and portfolio health metrics.
  • Lead vision for automated dashboards and trending analyses to provide real-time insights to leadership.
  • Create portfolio views to support investment decisions, resource allocation, and strategic trade-offs.
  • Work with PMO portfolio leads to develop executive-ready reporting packages (monthly/quarterly) highlighting progress, risks, and trends.
  • Translate complex data into clear, actionable insights for senior stakeholders.
  • Serve as a thought partner to PMO and R&D leadership on operational effectiveness.
  • Provide key inputs into cross-functional portfolio review forums and governance meetings.
  • Influence without authority across scientific, clinical, regulatory, and commercial product management teams.
  • Lead and mentor portfolio operations team members as the function scales.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in Biology or equivalent. MS or PhD in Biological Sciences preferred.
  • Minimum of 10 years of program management experience in biotech space and educational background in molecular biology or genetics testing.
  • Certification or formal training in Program or Project Management and experience using resource management tools is a big plus.
  • Strong knowledge of creative workflows, project management tools and processes.
  • Experience compiling GANTT charts and project plans.
  • Experience with product development.
  • Familiar with design control is a plus.
  • Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to establish and build productive relationships.
  • Excellent communication within the project teams as well as with diverse stakeholders, including top level management.
  • Excellent organization and time management/multi-tasking skills (comfortable in an ambiguous and fast-paced environment, operating at both strategic and tactical levels).
Benefits
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans for eligible employees and their dependents.
  • Free testing in addition to fertility care benefits for Natera employees and their immediate families.
  • Pregnancy and baby bonding leave.
  • 401k benefits.
  • Commuter benefits.
  • Generous employee referral program.
Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills & Tools
portfolio managementprogram managementproject managementdata analysisscenario planningrisk managementGANTT chartsresource managementforecastingdesign control
Soft Skills
interpersonal skillscommunication skillsorganizational skillstime managementmulti-taskingleadershipinfluence without authorityrelationship buildingstrategic thinkingoperational effectiveness
Certifications
Bachelor's degree in BiologyMS in Biological SciencesPhD in Biological SciencesProgram Management certificationProject Management certification