Associate Director/Director, Program Manager, CLYM116

Associate Director/Director, Program Manager, CLYM116

About Climb:

Climb Bio is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing therapeutics for patients with immune-mediated diseases. Our product candidates include budoprutug, an anti-CD19 monoclonal antibody that presents us with an exciting opportunity given its broad potential applicability across a number of B-cell mediated diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, immune thrombocytopenia, and membranous nephropathy and CLYM116, an anti-APRIL monoclonal antibody in development for IgA nephropathy.

At Climb Bio, our team has a knack for seeing what no one else sees — and a drive to achieve results no one expects. We believe that our combined strength conquers any summit, and our core values – Build Trust, Decide & Commit, Accelerate Impact, and Mark the Moment – guide how we work, collaborate and innovate. They reflect our commitment to patients, each other, and the pursuit of transformative science.

About the Role:

This is a cross-functional role accountable for translating the CLYM116 asset strategy into an integrated execution plan and for driving day-to-day delivery against it. Reporting to the CLYM116 Program Leader, the Program Manager owns the program's integrated timeline, risk management, and operating rhythm — ensuring the program team stays aligned, decisions are made and documented, and commitments are delivered. The role partners closely with Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Regulatory, CMC, Nonclinical, Quality, Finance, and Commercial, and supports the Program Leader in managing the collaboration with our development partner. The ideal candidate brings strong execution, forward-planning, and facilitation skills, and uses AI tools and integrated systems to scale how the program team plans, tracks, and communicates.

Key Responsibilities:

• Translate the CLYM116 Integrated Development Plan (IDP) into an integrated program timeline and own it end to end — building and maintaining the detailed schedule, interdependencies, critical path, and resourcing across all functions, and leading day-to-day execution against it in partnership with the Program Leader.
• Maintain a shared, current view of program commitments and status, from regulatory interactions and ongoing clinical studies through registrational development and launch readiness.
• Prepare regular program updates for leadership and develop materials supporting Board presentations, translating program status, risks, and decisions into clear, concise messages.
• Lead forward planning and scenario analysis — timeline, enrollment, study design, and investment options — to frame trade-offs and inform program team, Leadership Team, and Board decisions.
• Manage program-level risks, issues, and dependencies; drive mitigation and contingency plans and escalate to the right forum at the right time.
• Run the program team operating rhythm, including agendas, pre-reads, decision and action logs, minutes, and follow-through, ensuring discussions move to decisions and decisions move to action.
• Partner with the Program Leader to implement program governance processes, decision frameworks, and accountability mechanisms, and prepare the program for governance forums with clear asks, options, and recommendations.
• Integrate study-level plans and status from Clinical Operations (including the Clinical Program Lead) into the program plan, and align workstream plans and dependencies with CMC, Regulatory, and Nonclinical.
• Support the Program Leader in managing the partner collaboration — coordinating joint governance (JSC, JDC, and working groups), tracking actions, contract milestones, and deliverables, and surfacing issues early.
• Partner with the Program Leader, functional leaders, and Finance to contribute to annual and long-range planning inputs, and flag contract and SOW changes that affect the plan.
• Use AI tools, automation, and integrated systems (e.g., Smartsheet, Microsoft 365, AI assistants) to streamline planning, reporting, and communication, and build reusable templates, dashboards, and workflows that scale across programs.
• Lead or support cross-functional initiatives beyond CLYM116 as priorities evolve (e.g., portfolio planning, process improvement, and shared program management tools).

Qualifications:

• 8+ years of biotechnology or pharmaceutical drug development experience (10+ for Director), including 5+ years of program or project management on clinical-stage programs (7+ for Director).
• Demonstrated drug development experience from pre-IND through Phase 2, including managing an integrated, cross-functional development plan across clinical, regulatory, CMC, and nonclinical workstreams; Phase 3 experience strongly preferred.
• Proven ability to facilitate a cross-functional matrix team to decisions and drive delivery without direct reporting authority.
• Working knowledge of program budgets and experience partnering with Finance on spend tracking and planning inputs.
• Hands-on fluency with AI tools and a strong drive to quickly learn, adopt, and build AI-enabled ways of working that scale how program teams plan, track, and communicate.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparing materials for executive audiences.
• Bachelor's degree in life sciences, business, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, PharmD, MBA, or equivalent) or PMP certification.
• Experience supporting a program through Phase 3 start-up, registration, or launch readiness.
• Strong working knowledge of the drug development lifecycle, including IND/CTA submissions, global health authority interactions (e.g., pre-IND, EOP2), major regulatory submissions, and the transition from early clinical to registrational studies.
• Experience supporting a co-development, licensing, or collaboration partnership.
• Experience building and scaling AI-enabled workflows (e.g., AI assistants, automation, live dashboards) that drive efficiency in planning, reporting, and decision-making.
• Experience with low-code automation, APIs and data integration, or BI platforms (e.g., Power Automate, Smartsheet integrations, Power BI).
• Experience operating in a lean, clinical-stage organization where program teams work hands-on across functions.

This is a hybrid position and will be based out of our Wellesley, MA office.

Base salary offered may vary depending on the individual's skills, experience, and competitive market value.

Salary Range:

• Associate Director: $195,000-$215,000
• Director: $220,000 - $255,000

Additional total rewards include discretionary annual bonus, comprehensive benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Life & Disability, 401k company match, generous paid time off, and equity.

For more information, please visit climbbio.com.

Climb is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, place of origin, religion, family status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and disability or any other federal, state, provincial or local protected ground