Director, Portfolio Strategy - Global Initiatives

About Flagship:

Flagship Pioneering is a scientific innovation engine that invents and builds companies that change the world. We bring together the greatest scientific minds with entrepreneurial company builders and assemble the capital to allow them to take courageous leaps in human health, sustainability, and beyond. 

What sets Flagship apart is our ability to advance biotechnology by uniting life science innovation, company creation, and capital investment under one roof in a way that is largely without precedent. Our team of scientists, entrepreneurial leaders, and professional capital managers are each aligned around an institutionalized process that enables us to innovate and create breakthroughs for the benefit of people and planet.
Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies, and has been named four times to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

Role Overview:

This is a high‑impact role at the intersection of science, strategy, and business, focused on shaping and advancing a differentiated BioMedicines R&D portfolio from early discovery through clinical development and commercialization readiness.

The role partners closely with senior BioMedicines and Flagship Pioneering leadership to define portfolio direction, build new R&D programs, and drive high‑stakes investment and prioritization decisions. You will work hands‑on with scientific leaders, internal venture teams, and partnering colleagues to translate complex science into clear strategies, executable plans, and compelling executive narratives.

Success in this role requires a roll‑up‑your‑sleeves mindset—owning analyses, building materials, structuring decisions, and moving work forward in a fast‑paced, ambiguity‑rich environment.

What You’ll Do:

• Shape portfolio strategy and investment decisions across the BioMedicines pipeline, from preclinical inception through development
• Build and advance new R&D programs, defining development paths, milestones, resourcing plans, and decision points
• Develop integrated investment cases that synthesize scientific rationale, development feasibility, execution risk, and value creation
• Lead portfolio reviews, scenario planning, and trade‑off analyses (e.g., indication selection, timing, resourcing, probability‑adjusted value)
• Evaluate internal and external opportunities, including scientific, technical, strategic, and operational diligence of prospective assets
• Identify portfolio risks, gaps, and opportunities and recommend actions such as acceleration, de‑prioritization, partnering, or termination
• Translate complex scientific, clinical, and financial information into concise, executive‑level insights and decision materials
• Collaborate across R&D, Clinical Development, Regulatory, CMC, Finance, Commercial, Partnering, and internal venture teams
• Work directly with senior scientific and executive leaders (e.g., CSOs, CMOs, CBOs) to create and execute new programs
• Support governance and decision‑making forums that enable speed, clarity, and accountability
• Contribute to special strategic initiatives with the Head of Global Initiatives and SVP, Global Initiatives

Who You Are:

You are a scientifically trained strategist who thrives at the boundary of deep science and structured problem‑solving. You are comfortable operating with senior leaders and equally comfortable doing the work yourself—from framing questions to building analyses and influencing decisions.

Qualifications

• PhD or MD in Life Sciences or a related field
• 5+ years of experience in management consulting (strategy and/or life sciences), biotech venture creation or investing, biopharma portfolio strategy, or related roles
• Strong understanding of biopharma R&D, clinical development, and regulatory pathways
• Experience working across multiple programs and stages of drug development
• Demonstrated experience with portfolio construction, scenario planning, and risk‑adjusted decision‑making
• Exceptional ability to synthesize complex data and communicate clearly with executives
• Proven ability to influence senior scientific and business leaders without formal authority
• Experience within the Flagship ecosystem is strongly valued

At Flagship, we recognize there is no perfect candidate. If you have some of the experience listed above but not all, please apply anyway. Experience comes in many forms, skills are transferable, and passion goes a long way. We are dedicated to building diverse and inclusive teams and look forward to learning more about your unique background. 

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Flagship Pioneering and its affiliated Flagship Lab companies (collectively, “FSP”) do not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to FSP or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Flagship Pioneering’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of FSP, and FSP will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

The salary range for this role is $172,000 - $236,500. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Flagship Pioneering currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Flagship Pioneering's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.