Overview Work at ROCKET PHARMA and help cure rare diseases! Rocket Pharma is a fully integrated, clinical-stage company advancing gene therapies with curative potential for multiple rare childhood diseases. Rocket places enormous value on people and considers team member progress and well-being to be as important as the progress of its pipeline. We are looking for hands-on team players who enjoy collaborating with colleagues. We share a passion for seeking gene therapy cures for devastating diseases and making a difference for patients. This is an opportunity to become an integral part of a small, highly productive team and to help grow an entrepreneurial, scientifically driven organization that is increasingly recognized as a leading biotechnology innovator. In addition to a competitive compensation package featuring a generous 401K match and stock options, the position includes excellent health benefits.
Position Summary Rocket Pharmaceuticals is an innovative cell and gene therapy biotechnology company dedicated to advancing transformative therapies in rare diseases. With a robust pipeline and a commitment to scientific excellence, we are focused on delivering impactful medicines to patients with high unmet needs.
Reporting to the COO Chief of Staff and Head of Program Management Office, the Associate Vice President, Portfolio Management & Analytics - R&D will lead the R&D portfolio management function at Rocket, ensuring robust governance, analytics, and decision-support capabilities. This role is accountable for the operational excellence of portfolio processes and serves as the subject matter expert in portfolio analytics and prioritization.
Responsibilities - Champion a culture of portfolio thinking across the enterprise, influencing decision-making with a primary focus on R&D and the ability to integrate commercial insights to ensure alignment with business strategy.
- Set the vision for analytics, governance, and decision-making frameworks across the organization.
- Oversee the design and adoption of governance frameworks, ensuring portfolio decision-making is rigorous and transparent.
- Integrate internal analytics with external market intelligence, competitive landscapes, and industry benchmarks.
- Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of portfolio frameworks, tools, and governance processes.
- Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses to evaluate pipeline programs, including scenario planning, risk-adjusted portfolio modeling, and value assessments.
- Collaborate with Program Management to ensure alignment between portfolio-level strategy and program-level execution.
- Partner with R&D, Technical Development and Operations, Finance, and Program Management to develop and maintain long-range strategic and tactical plans that guide prioritization, investment, and execution.
- Drive cross-functional portfolio reviews and prepare materials for executive and board-level discussions.
- Monitor internal and external benchmarks, competitive intelligence, and industry trends to inform portfolio strategy.
- Facilitate the portfolio governance committee, including preparation of agendas, documentation of decisions and action items, and follow-up to ensure alignment and progress on portfolio priorities.
- Develop and maintain dashboards, KPIs, and analytics for portfolio health, resource utilization, and decision-making support.
- Contribute to strategic initiatives such as business development evaluations, prioritization exercises, and pipeline acceleration opportunities.
- Oversee portfolio integration with a primarily focus on R&D, ensuring alignment and connectivity with commercial and Business Development functions.
- May oversee one or more program/portfolio manager(s), providing coaching, guidance, and performance oversight.
- Serve as a mentor to Program Management staff.
Qualifications - MBA, PhD, MD, or equivalent required.
- At least 15 years of experience in R&D program/portfolio management, corporate strategy, R&D finance, or consulting within the biotech/pharma industry.
- Strong understanding of drug development and commercialization processes.
- Ability to integrate scientific, financial, and market data into clear, actionable insights.
- Expertise in MS Office suite and in portfolio and financial modeling, data visualization, and decision-support tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI/Tableau, Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Primavera, or other state-of-the art tools).
- Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a challenging environment.
- Ability to lead teams and drive cross-functional initiatives in a matrixed environment.
- Ability to lead through ambiguity and shape enterprise-wide frameworks.
- Strategic thinking, executive presence, and communication skills.
Compensation The expected salary range for this position is $264,000 to $317,000.
At Rocket, our compensation philosophy and ranges are built upon data and insights collected from validated world-class providers. We are committed to compensating employees equitably based on several factors, including responsibilities and level of the position, depth and types of the employee's experience, location of the position and availability of similar talent in a competitive market.
For U.S.-based candidates, this is an at-will position, and Rocket reserves the right to adjust the range at hire or during the year due to market shifts.
In addition to base salary, Rocket offers a competitive total rewards package that may include bonuses (short-term incentives), medical, dental, and vision insurance, life insurance, 401(k) with company match and generous vesting, paid vacation and holidays, global shutdown days between Christmas and New Year's, and a variety of wellness resources and employee support programs. Also, certain positions are eligible for added forms of compensation, such equity awards (long-term incentives).
EEO Statement A diverse workforce fosters innovation and strengthens Rocket's business. We ensure equal opportunity without discrimination or harassment in the workplace on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, pregnancy, citizenship, status as a protected veteran, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, and federal laws.
