Senior Director / Executive Director, Program Management

Company: Lycia Therapeutics
Location: South San Francisco
Posted on: February 18, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Lycia Therapeutics is a biotechnology company using its proprietary lysosomal targeting chimera (LYTAC) platform to discover and develop best-in-class therapeutics that degrade extracellular and membrane-bound proteins. These proteins drive a wide range of difficult-to-treat diseases, including autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. Lycia was established in 2019 in collaboration with academic founder and Nobel Laureate Carolyn Bertozzi, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and HHMI investigator at Stanford University. In May 2024, Lycia Therapeutics completed a $106.6 million Series C financing to advance its pipeline of LYTAC extracellular protein degraders to the clinic. Lycia is headquartered in South San Francisco. Visit https://lyciatx.com/ for more information. The role: The Sr. Director / Exec. Director, Program Management supports drug development programs to drive program strategy and execution. In partnership with the Project Team Lead, the Sr. Director / Exec. Director, Program Management integrates diverse perspectives to create comprehensive product plans and ensure that key deliverables are met on time, within budget, and with high-quality results. The successful candidate demonstrates outstanding influencing and communication skills and has a solution-oriented mindset to move programs forward with a sense of urgency. Key Responsibilities: Provide program vision, strategic leadership and representation to key internal and external stakeholders Partner with project team and functional area leads to establish and maintain integrated program plans, identifying and managing critical paths to value-creating milestones Develop and track comprehensive program timelines and budget Ensure cross-functional partnerships and resources are leveraged effectively, and with accountability, to achieve program objectives Promote open collaboration and transparent communication within the project team, encouraging members to think critically and integrate diverse functional perspectives Leverage deep knowledge of drug development to identify program risks and develop contingency plans Facilitate project team meetings, communication and decision making Ensure alignment of program strategy/plan/execution with management expectations and priorities Lead the development of scenarios and recommendations for decision making at various governance bodies Potential to serve as alliance manager for external collaborations Requirements: BA or BS in life sciences required; advanced degree (MS, PhD, MD, MBA) preferred Minimum of 10 years (Sr. Director) to 15 years (VP) of industry experience in drug development and program/portfolio management, with a strong emphasis on non-clinical and early clinical development, as well as experience in the development of large molecule therapeutics Demonstrated experience in leading teams and cultivating effective cross-functional collaborations Ability to manage multiple competing priorities and rapidly gather, assimilate, and disseminate information on critical project components and milestones Exceptional organizational and communication skills, with a track record of effective engagement with executive management Ability to work independently and under tight deadlines Experience working in small companies strongly preferred PMP certification preferred The expected base salary range for this role is $265,000-$300,000. We encourage candidates of all levels to apply as there is often flexibility on job title and responsibilities. Compensation will be based on a variety of factors, including experience, qualifications and internal equity. Lycia offers a competitive employment package that includes an annual bonus, equity, and a generous benefits package. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Lycia and other biotech companies have recently noticed an increase in email and social media scams targeting job candidates in our industry. Please note Lycia will post any legitimate job openings directly on our website or through our recruitment partner, Lever. If you wish to verify the legitimacy of a job opening, you may contact us. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Keywords: Lycia Therapeutics, Carmichael , Senior Director / Executive Director, Program Management, Science, Research & Development , South San Francisco, California