Program Manager - Technical Operations
Description
Who We Are
Neurocrine Biosciences is a leading biopharmaceutical company with a simple purpose: to relieve suffering for people with great needs. We are dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing life-changing treatments for patients with under-addressed neurological, psychiatric, endocrine and immunological disorders. The company's diverse portfolio includes FDA-approved treatments for tardive dyskinesia, chorea associated with Huntington's disease, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, hyperphagia in Prader-Willi syndrome, endometriosis* and uterine fibroids*, as well as a robust pipeline including multiple compounds in mid- to late-phase clinical development across our core therapeutic areas. For more than three decades, we have applied our unique insight into neuroscience and the interconnections between brain and body systems to treat complex conditions. We relentlessly pursue medicines to ease the burden of debilitating diseases and disorders, because you deserve brave science. For more information, visit neurocrine.com , and follow the company on LinkedIn , X , Facebook and YouTube . ( *in collaboration with AbbVie )
At Neurocrine, strong leadership drives both business results and team success. We look for leaders who think strategically, anticipate what’s ahead and set clear direction, while building and empowering high-performing teams. Successful leaders foster an environment where people are motivated to do their best work and deliver meaningful, measurable impact through sound decision-making and accountability.
About the Role
The Program Manager, Technical Operations supports the planning, execution, and operational effectiveness of Technical Operations programs across the development portfolio. The role provides program management leadership for complex, multidisciplinary initiatives and serves as a key operational partner to CMC functional leaders, program teams, and cross-functional stakeholders.
The Program Manager is responsible for translating program objectives into integrated execution plans, establishing effective governance, and operating rhythms, identifying and managing dependencies and risks, and ensuring transparency and accountability across participating functions. The role may coordinate six or more technical sub-teams or workstreams within the scope of an assigned program and ensures that strategy, critical-path activities, interdependencies, decisions, and emerging risks are clearly communicated to appropriate stakeholders.
This position requires a strong understanding of pharmaceutical development and the interactions among core CMC disciplines, including Drug Substance/API Development, Analytical Development, Drug Product/Pharmaceutical Development, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, and CMC Regulatory. The Manager works cross-functionally with partners in Research, Clinical Development, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, Finance, and other functions to ensure Technical Operations activities support broader program and company objectives.
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Your Contributions (include, but are not limited to)
Program and Project Management
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Lead the integrated planning and execution of assigned Technical Operations and CMC programs, initiatives, and major workstreams from development planning through key program milestones
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Develop, maintain, and communicate integrated program plans, timelines, milestones, critical paths, dependencies, decision points, and key deliverables
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Establish and manage appropriate meeting cadences, governance forums, decision logs, action trackers, and status reporting mechanisms
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Monitor execution against agreed plans and proactively identify schedule risks, resource constraints, cross-functional dependencies, and emerging issues
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Partner with functional subject-matter experts to evaluate options, develop mitigation strategies, and support timely resolution or escalation of issues
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Facilitate scenario planning and trade-off discussions to enable informed decisions related to timelines, sequencing, dependencies, and execution priorities
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Maintain clear documentation of key program assumptions, decisions, risks, actions, and accountabilities
CMC and Technical Operations Integration
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Apply working knowledge of CMC development disciplines—including API/drug substance, analytical development, pharmaceutical/drug product development, manufacturing, supply chain, quality, and regulatory activities—to effectively integrate cross-functional plans
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Understand upstream and downstream impacts of Technical Operations activities and proactively connect interdependent work across functions
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Partner with technical leaders to translate functional strategies and technical activities into coordinated program-level plans and milestones
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Facilitate alignment between Technical Operations activities and broader Research, Clinical Development, Regulatory, Quality, and portfolio objectives
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Support development and maintenance of integrated CMC strategies, timelines, and readiness plans for key development and regulatory milestones
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Serve as the program management representative for assigned Technical Operations initiatives and provide clear, data-driven recommendations to program and functional leadership
Strategic and Operational Support
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Support execution of departmental and functional priorities by translating strategic objectives into clear tactical plans, deliverables, timelines, and ownership
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Provide leadership with accurate and timely visibility into program progress, risks, resource constraints, decisions, and key operational considerations
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Facilitate departmental, program, or cross-functional planning sessions and ensure resulting decisions and actions are appropriately documented and followed through
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Analyze program information and operating trends to identify near-term challenges, opportunities, and downstream impacts
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Recommend practical changes to operating approaches, processes, or governance mechanisms when they will improve execution or team effectiveness
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Contribute to resource and capacity discussions by providing visibility into workload, timing, dependencies, and program priorities
Risk, Issue, and Decision Management
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Establish disciplined approaches for identifying, assessing, tracking, and communicating program risks and issues
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Work with team members and functional leaders to develop mitigation and contingency plans for material risks
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Ensure decisions are supported by relevant data, clearly documented, and translated into updated plans and accountabilities
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Recognize when issues require broader leadership involvement and facilitate timely escalation with clear options and recommendations
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Monitor the outcomes of significant decisions and adjust plans as necessary to maintain progress toward objectives
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Promote a solutions-oriented team environment in which issues are surfaced early and accompanied by proposed paths forward
Operational Excellence
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Identify and implement opportunities to improve program management processes, workflows, governance practices, and cross-functional collaboration
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Standardize fit-for-purpose templates, planning approaches, dashboards, metrics, and reporting mechanisms where appropriate
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Partner with stakeholders to support adoption of new project management systems, digital tools, data capabilities, and operating practices
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Use data and stakeholder feedback to assess effectiveness of existing processes and recommend improvements
Requirements
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6+ years of applicable experience AND Bachelor’s degree OR
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4+ years of applicable experience AND Master’s degree OR
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2+ years of applicable experience AND PharmD, or PhD
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Direct experience supporting CMC, Technical Operations, or manufacturing is required
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Program/project management experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or drug development environments is preferred. Experience supporting analytical a