Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.

The Associate Director, Operations Alliance Management is responsible for supporting the management of external licensee partnerships to ensure reliable manufacturing and supply of products to out-licensed territories. This role works closely with the Director, Alliance Management to implement alliance governance structures, facilitate successful manufacturing technology transfers, supply readiness, and commercial product launches, and establish and lead Joint Operating Teams (JOTs) that support ongoing manufacturing and supply operations.
 

The Associate Director serves as a key liaison between internal cross-functional teams and external partners, ensuring alignment, accountability, and timely delivery of shared program objectives. This role requires strong project management expertise, operational leadership, and the ability to drive collaboration across complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Key Responsibilities

Alliance Governance & Operations:

• Partner with the Director, Alliance Management to implement and maintain alliance governance frameworks, including Joint Steering Committees (JSCs), Joint Operating Teams (JOTs), and other governance bodies.
• Support the development and execution of alliance governance charters, communication plans, and escalation pathways.
• Coordinate governance meetings, prepare agendas and materials, capture decisions and actions, and track deliverables across governance structures.
• Monitor alliance performance against contractual obligations, milestones, and KPIs.
• Facilitate issue resolution and decision-making processes across alliance stakeholders.
   

Project & Program Management:

• Lead cross-functional project management activities supporting alliance programs from development through commercialization.
• Develop integrated project plans aligned with partner and internal objectives.
• Track project milestones, timelines, and deliverables to ensure successful execution of alliance commitments.
• Identify and mitigate risks, dependencies, and resource constraints across alliance programs.
• Drive accountability across teams to ensure on-time and high-quality delivery.
• Technology Transfer & Product Launch Support
• Facilitate cross-functional coordination required for successful technology transfers between internal teams and external partners.
• Support planning and execution of product launches within alliance programs.
• Ensure alignment of manufacturing, quality, regulatory, supply chain, and commercial readiness activities.
• Monitor progress against launch readiness milestones and resolve cross-functional challenges.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to tech transfer and launch execution.
   

Joint Operating Team (JOT) Leadership:

• Establish and lead Joint Operating Teams (JOTs) to support day-to-day alliance execution.
• Define JOT structure, roles, responsibilities, and operating cadence.
• Facilitate JOT meetings and ensure effective communication across partner organizations.
• Drive alignment across internal and external stakeholders on project priorities and deliverables.
• Ensure timely escalation of risks and issues to governance committees.
   

Stakeholder & Relationship Management:

• Serve as a primary operational interface between internal teams and alliance partners.
• Build strong, trust-based relationships with partner counterparts.
• Promote collaboration, transparency, and effective communication across alliance teams.
• Support conflict resolution and alignment across organizations.
• Represent alliance management in cross-functional and executive-level forums.
   

Continuous Improvement & Best Practices:

• Contribute to the development and refinement of alliance management tools, templates, and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve alliance execution efficiency and operational effectiveness.
• Support lessons-learned activities following major milestones such as tech transfers and product launches.
• Maintain documentation supporting alliance knowledge management and governance compliance.
   

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Engineering, or related discipline

Experience:

• 15+ years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
• Demonstrated experience in alliance management, program management, or cross-functional project leadership.
• Proven experience supporting or leading technology transfers and/or product launches.
• Experience implementing alliance governance structures (e.g., JSCs, JOTs) strongly preferred.
• Experience working with external partners such as CMOs, CDMOs, or commercial collaborators.
   

Skills & Competencies

Project & Program Management:

• Strong project management skills with demonstrated ability to manage complex, cross-functional programs.
• Proficiency in project planning tools and milestone tracking.
• Strong risk management and issue resolution capabilities.
   

Alliance Management:

• Solid understanding of alliance governance models and operational frameworks.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders across organizations.
• Strong organizational and coordination skills.
   

Leadership & Communication:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to influence without direct authority.
• Strong facilitation and meeting leadership skills.
• Skilled at navigating complex organizational structures.
   

Technical & Functional Knowledge:

• Understanding of pharmaceutical development, manufacturing, and commercialization processes.
• Familiarity with technology transfer processes and product launch readiness.
• Knowledge of regulatory and quality frameworks preferred.
   

Key Success Metrics:

• Successful implementation and operation of alliance governance structures.
• On-time execution of technology transfers and product launches.
• Effective establishment and performance of Joint Operating Teams (JOTs).
• Achievement of alliance milestones and KPIs.
• Strong partner satisfaction and relationship health.
• Timely identification and mitigation of project risks.
   

Reporting Structure:

Reports to: Director, Operations Alliance Management

Collaborates with:

• External Alliance Partners
• Manufacturing
• Quality
• Regulatory Affairs
• Supply Chain
• Technical Operations
• Business Development & Alliance Management

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Pay Range:

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.  

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Fraud Warning: How to Identify Impersonated Cytokinetics Job Postings and Offers

Recently, there have been fraudulent employment offers being sent to candidates on behalf of Cytokinetics. Please be advised that all legitimate offers from Cytokinetics will come directly from our official email domain (Cytokinetics.com) and will only be made after completing a formal interview process.

Here are some ways to check for authenticity:

• We do not conduct job interviews through non-standard text messaging applications

• We will never request personal information such as banking details until after an official offer has been accepted and verified

• We will never request that you purchase equipment or other items when interviewing or hiring

• If you are unsure about the authenticity of an offer, or if you receive any suspicious communication, please contact us directly at talentacquisition@cytokinetics.com

Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Biopharmaceutical company developing muscle biology-based therapies for cardiovascular and neuromuscular diseases. Based in South San Francisco.

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