Pioneering Medicines: Executive Director, Product Innovation
Flagship Pioneering
What if... We could harness the power of Flagship’s scientific platforms and create novel treatment options that benefit more patients, sooner?
Pioneering Medicines, an initiative of Flagship Pioneering, is building a world-class biopharmaceutical R&D capability focused on conceiving and developing life-changing treatments for patients by harnessing the power of Flagship's scientific platforms and applying those innovative approaches to serious diseases with unmet medical need. Unique to Pioneering Medicines’ approach is the opportunity to combine platforms to create truly novel and potentially transformative treatments.
About Us:
Pioneering Medicines is on a mission to discover, develop, and deliver transformative therapies for patients with urgent, unmet medical needs. Our diverse portfolio spans multiple therapeutic areas and leverages cutting-edge science and innovative technologies. We foster a collaborative environment where creativity and excellence drive us to pioneer new therapies.
Role Overview:
We are seeking a dynamic, results-driven, and visionary leader to serve as Executive Director, Product Concept Innovation (PCI). This key leadership role will be responsible for defining and executing a long-term strategy that advances breakthrough therapies, driving operational excellence, and managing a high-performing team. The ideal candidate will blend strategic foresight with hands-on execution, ensuring our innovation pipeline aligns with the organization's overarching goals while fostering a culture of accountability, efficiency, and bold thinking.
Leading a team of up to 8 professionals, this leader will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our innovation initiatives, integrating operational rigor, and optimizing resource allocation to accelerate discovery and development.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Execution
- Define and drive a cohesive product concept innovation strategy that translates cutting-edge science into differentiated therapeutic opportunities.
- Lead cross-functional efforts to assess, prioritize, and shape product concepts from platform insights, ensuring alignment with enterprise-level goals.
- Serve as a senior thought partner to platform leaders, therapeutic experts, and key stakeholders—integrating scientific, clinical, and strategic dimensions into concept evaluation.
- Build and scale organizational capability by developing clear frameworks for early decision-making, portfolio entry, and milestone progression.
Innovation & Product Development
- Guide concept development from ideation through early-stage validation, ensuring high scientific rigor and translational potential.
- Leverage deep scientific knowledge, disease insight, and external landscape awareness to identify high-impact opportunities across diverse therapeutic areas and modalities.
- Set strategic direction for early product hypotheses, enabling successful advancement into development-stage programs with strong scientific and commercial rationale.
Operational Excellence & Process Optimization
- Establish consistent, fit-for-purpose approaches for concept evaluation and progression across modalities.
- Lead long-range planning and resourcing for the PCI function to support scalable growth of the portfolio.
- Ensure operational efficiency and transparency through rigorous milestone tracking, scenario planning, and cross-team coordination.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a senior liaison with internal stakeholders, Flagship platforms, and external pharma partners to guide origination efforts and shape collaborative strategy.
- Represent PCI in leadership forums, portfolio governance, and joint steering committees, with responsibility for communicating strategy, rationale, and progress.
- Influence decision-making at the enterprise level by articulating scientific opportunity in the context of clinical impact, portfolio strategy, and business priorities.
Qualifications & Experience
- Advanced degree (PhD, MD, or MD/PhD) in Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, or a related field.
- 10+ years of experience in biopharmaceutical R&D or translational science, including strategic roles spanning early-stage product or portfolio development.
- Proven ability to lead concept development and advance programs from scientific idea to clinical candidate nomination or early IND-stage development.
- Strong executive presence and experience influencing cross-functional and cross-organizational stakeholders, including platform leaders, governance bodies, and partners.
- Demonstrated success in building and leading high-performing teams, fostering a culture of scientific rigor, creative thinking, and accountability.
- Deep understanding of the drug development landscape, including scientific trends, regulatory expectations, and the dynamics of external partnerships.
- Ability to translate complex technical insight into strategic direction and actionable frameworks that guide investment and decision-making.
Why Join Us?
- Impact: Take a lead role in shaping the future of healthcare and improving patient lives.
- Innovation: Join a forward-thinking organization that values bold ideas, cutting-edge research, and continuous learning.
- Growth: Advance your career in a supportive environment that encourages professional development and leadership opportunities.
- Culture: Collaborate with an inclusive team committed to diversity and united by a shared vision to transform medical innovation.
About Flagship Pioneering:
Flagship Pioneering conceives, creates, resources, and develops first-in-category life science platform companies to transform human health and sustainability. Since its founding in 2000, the firm has originated and fostered the development of more than 100 scientific ventures, resulting in over $34 billion in aggregate value, 500+ issued patents, and more than 50 clinical trials for novel therapeutic agents.
