Director, Program Management

About the company

Kyverna Therapeutics is a patient-focused biopharmaceutical company at the clinical stage, advancing cell therapy approaches for people living with autoimmune disease. The organization is driven by a set of core values centered on purpose, collaboration, clear leadership, innovation, and accountability, with the goal of reshaping how autoimmune conditions are treated.

This role offers a high-visibility opportunity to work across the company, partnering with senior leaders and functional heads to align teams, move programs forward, and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the organization.

Role summary

The Director of Program Management will provide strategic program leadership to support Kyverna’s engineered T cell therapy programs. This person will convert program strategy into integrated plans, guide cross-functional teams through major milestones and decisions, and help ensure delivery against timelines, commitments, and outcomes.

The position requires strong analytical thinking, organization, and interpersonal influence, along with the ability to support communication and collaboration across a fast-growing matrixed environment.

Location and reporting

This role is based in Emeryville, California in a hybrid arrangement, with remote work preferred for candidates on the west coast. The position reports to the SVP, Clinical and Development Operations.

Key responsibilities

The Director, Program Management will lead one or more highly complex development efforts and/or major partnerships, while supporting governance, planning, communication, and execution across functions.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate brings extensive biotech or pharmaceutical program management experience, particularly in drug development, and has a strong grasp of clinical, regulatory, and CMC aspects of the development lifecycle. Deep familiarity with FDA processes and clinical trials is required, and experience with late-stage development, regulatory submissions, and cell or gene therapy programs is strongly preferred.

Compensation and benefits

The national base salary range for this position is $200,000 to $230,000 per year. Actual pay may differ depending on education, experience, tenure, skills, abilities, internal equity, and market alignment. This role is also eligible for bonus compensation, benefits, and participation in the company stock plan.

Additional information

The role is expected to contribute to team building, process improvement, and operational efficiency. The successful candidate may also be responsible for recruiting and supervising one or more Project Management Associates.