Senior Director, Corporate Business Operations

Cargo Therapeutics

San Carlos, CA

$215,000 to $295,000 Yearly
Full-Time

Job Description

CARGO Therapeutics is seeking a Senior Director, Corporate Business Operations to deliver integrated thinking and aligned planning across all functions at CARGO while also ensuring consistency with executives and functional leaders. The position is responsible for cross-functional initiatives to ensure streamlined progression without the obstacles that geography or silos can produce. The role collaborates with all functional leaders to ensure harmonized planning processes informed by corporate objectives. This role supports the VP, Corporate Strategy & Business Operations with internal communications and preparation for Board meetings.

In addition, this role serves as a key resource for the Leadership team to champion the vision and culture that is central to CARGO’s growth. This position will represent the Leadership team in key capability build initiatives led by IT, Finance, Facilities, Legal, and HR, and may support Business Operations for other functions as well. This includes planning that ensures the knowledge management, productivity tools, project management, budget monitoring, proactive risk identification and mitigation strategies, and decision making processes serve CARGO’s needs. The Senior Director, Corporate Business Operations will cultivate a project management mindset and ensure all projects follow the expected scope and timeline efficiently and effectively. Additionally, this role should provide clarity and appropriate communication to enable CARGO to deal with ambiguity and change.

As a Senior Director, this role will display ownership in designing and implementing the project management mindset independently and demonstrate strategic agility.

This leader will have direct reports and be responsible for developing and leading a world class Business Operations team. They will lead their team’s overall development, engagement, performance, and success.

The role is based in San Carlos, CA.

WHAT YOU’LL DO AT CARGO THERAPEUTICS

Use demonstrated leadership experience in a high visibility role with full responsibility and accountability for effective Business Operations practices throughout CARGO
Focus on building and implementing approaches to project planning, monitoring, budget tracking, risk assessment and mitigation, escalation paths, etc.
Work with the Leadership team to ensure that the highest priority corporate initiatives are identified and tracked to achieve corporate objectives including identifying, elevating, and managing risks and interdependencies commensurate with corporate growth
Define and implement Business Operations processes and mechanisms
Define, implement, and revise CARGO’s operational policies and guidelines
Proactively identify operational inefficiencies; propose and implement mitigation
Keep current on latest Project Management practices; inform CARGO operations
Build and lead a world class Business Operations team; provide effective people management skills to improve workplace communication, oversee workflow, optimize productivity, and boost employee performance
Prepare for and manage weekly Leadership team meetings (agendas, secure updates, track progress of key initiatives/assigned action items, etc.)
Partner with teams to develop and monitor budgets that align with agreed upon assumptions and support Finance requirements
Define the approach to managing relevant relationships with external service partners/consultants to ensure clear direction is provided and support is being harnessed effectively
Develop and execute new growth directives
Create the essential elements of a knowledge management approach, together with appropriate business rules, to ensure systems are built to ensure efficient and accessible information/data for Business Operations
Responsible for coordinating materials and decisions that require cross-functional input and/or review
Direct Business Operations including identifying and building processes and business systems that support CARGO’s vision, culture, and strategic plans, enhance productivity, and improve collaboration
Build a project management mindset and approach for internal and external initiatives
Liaise with departmental heads to develop financial plans and ensure Company-wide operational compliance
Act as liaison between staff and senior leaders regarding CARGO’s culture and employee satisfaction

THE RIGHT STUFF: Required Experience & Qualifications

Undergraduate degree required; advanced degree preferred
Minimum 10 years of multidisciplinary experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry, bringing familiarity with science and patient-driven organizations and the complexities of drug development through commercialization
7+ years’ leading Operations team or function including demonstrated proficiency, expertise, and impact in a project management, program management, or operations role
Scrum and/or PMP certification is strongly preferred
Superior project/program management experience in a startup environment with history of managing competing projects and milestone achievement; Project Management certification is a plus
Prior experience planning and executing complex Company meetings, including offsites, with internal and external stakeholders
Experienced leader with proven results having impact in a complex, matrix environment requiring prioritization across diversity of projects and cross-functional collaboration to execute effectively
Experienced people manager (10+ years) with a reputation for coaching, developing, and empowering others to deliver results
Exceptional communication skills (verbal, written, and presentation) including business writing/materials for senior leaders, Exec Team/C-Suite, and Board of Directors
Structured, critical thinker with proven capability developing, implementing, managing and tracking project plans and timelines, experience leveraging frameworks to guide decision-making, and strong skills in representing plans/timelines/risk assessments/progress reports in slide format for ease of communicating priorities and key issues with others
Experience identifying issues and recommending solutions, as well as architecting, framing, and structuring approaches to improve operations and productivity of team and company
Skilled at managing and coaching others/teams to adopt best practices in agile ways of working
Partner who shares constructive feedback and encouragement and understands what motivates other people to perform at their best
Independently motivated; excels at driving execution
Proficient in defining and managing operational plans, tracking, and monitoring
Detail-oriented with the ability to multitask; excellent organizational and record keeping skills
Ability to foster a culture that leverages diversity and unique perspectives
Demonstrated experience working effectively with C-level Executive management, strong sense of self-awareness and personal presence, and high degree of emotional intelligence/maturity
Outstanding record of personal integrity and track record of utmost discretion with highly confidential information
Extensive background in working with, and across, all functional areas involved in the drug development process (Clinical, Regulatory, Commercial, Medical Affairs, and Finance/G&A)
Superior knowledge of industry regulations and operational guidelines; specific knowledge of industry trends in Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, and GMP/GCP/GLP compliance is a plus
Ability to work well under tight deadlines and to respond to rapidly changing demands
Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, including productivity tools and database management
In-depth knowledge of data analysis software packages and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems
Outstanding negotiation skills and first-class people skills
Proven knowledge of performance evaluation metrics in a business setting
Domestic and international travel (up to 20%)
Willing to take on new responsibilities as CARGO grows/scales

PAY RANGE

The combined pay range for this role is $215,000 - $295,000. Title and salary will be based on our assessment of skills and experience relevant to our needs for the role.

ABOUT CARGO THERAPEUTICS

CARGO Therapeutics, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company positioned to advance next generation, potentially curative cell therapies for cancer patients. CARGO’s programs, platform technologies, and manufacturing strategy are designed to directly address the limitations of approved cell therapies, including limited durability of effect, safety concerns and unreliable supply. CARGO is currently evaluating its lead program, CRG-022, an autologous CD22 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy candidate, in a potentially pivotal Phase 2 clinical trial in patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) whose disease relapsed or was refractory (R/R) to CD19 CAR T-cell therapy. CARGO also plans to evaluate CRG-022 in patients at earlier stages of disease, including LBCL and other hematologic malignancies. Beyond its lead program, CARGO is leveraging its proprietary cell engineering platform technologies to develop a pipeline of programs that incorporate multiple transgene therapeutic “cargo” designed to enhance CAR T-cell persistence and trafficking to tumor lesions, as well as to help safeguard against tumor resistance and T-cell exhaustion. CARGO’s founders are pioneers and world-class experts in CAR T-cell therapy, and its team has significant experience and success developing, manufacturing, launching and commercializing oncology and cell therapy products. For more information, please visit the CARGO Therapeutics website at https://cargo-tx.com/.

Join us to help make a difference!

EEO & EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY

CARGO Therapeutics, Inc. is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive company. We provide equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability, or veteran status. CARGO Therapeutics, Inc. also complies with all applicable national, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification required of applicable law.

CARGO Therapeutics requires all new hires to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of their start date. This requirement is a condition of employment at CARGO Therapeutics, and it applies regardless of whether the position is located at a CARGO Therapeutics site or is fully remote. If you are unable to receive the vaccine due to a disability or serious medical condition, or because it is prohibited because of your sincerely held religious beliefs, you will have an opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation.