Ardelyx
Senior Director, IT Delivery and Operational Excellence
TLDR
Lead the IT Program Management Office, driving operational excellence and delivery effectiveness for a biopharma company while managing an extensive portfolio and overseeing budget accountability.
Ardelyx is a publicly traded commercial biopharmaceutical company founded with a mission to discover, develop and commercialize innovative first-in-class medicines that meet significant unmet medical needs. Ardelyx has two commercial products approved in the United States, IBSRELA® (tenapanor) and XPHOZAH® (tenapanor). Ardelyx has agreements for the development and commercialization of tenapanor outside of the U.S. Kyowa Kirin commercializes PHOZEVEL® (tenapanor) for hyperphosphatemia in Japan. A New Drug Application for tenapanor for hyperphosphatemia has been approved in China with Fosun Pharma. Knight Therapeutics commercializes IBSRELA in Canada.
Position Summary:
The Senior Director, IT Delivery & Operational Excellence, is a senior IT leader responsible for the operational performance and delivery effectiveness of the IT function. This role owns the IT Program Management Office (PMO), establishes and maintains IT delivery standards and governance, and ensures the IT organization executes its portfolio of initiatives with consistency, quality, and accountability. In addition to leading delivery, this role provides operational oversight of the IT budget and vendor portfolio, ensuring the CIO and IT Leadership Team have the visibility and infrastructure needed to make sound, timely decisions. This is a core leadership role within IT, accountable both for how the function operates day-to-day and for the outcomes it delivers over time.
Responsibilities:
PMO Leadership & Portfolio Delivery:
- Design, stand up, and lead a fit-for-purpose IT PMO that brings predictability and discipline to how initiatives are scoped, resourced, and executed
- Build and develop a team of Project and Program Managers, implement a structured project intake and prioritization process, and maintain real-time portfolio visibility across status, risks, dependencies, and financial performance
- Drive delivery accountability across the IT portfolio and surface trade-offs and resource conflicts to the CIO and ITLT with recommended paths forward
IT Operating Model & Delivery Standards:
- Partner with the CIO and ITLT to define and continuously refine IT's delivery operating model, including frameworks, governance mechanisms, and ways of working
- Own the implementation of delivery methodology standards across project types, maintain the IT governance calendar and executive reporting cadence, and serve as the operational steward of IT's ways of working — ensuring the function executes consistently and cohesively against the established model.
IT Business Operations
- Lead day-to-day administration of the IT budget in partnership with Finance, including actuals tracking, forecasting, variance analysis, and annual planning
- Build and maintain financial reporting tools that provide real-time spend visibility across pillars, projects, and vendors, and proactively identify risks and optimization opportunities across the portfolio
- Maintain a consolidated view of IT vendor relationships, contract terms, renewal timelines, and performance across the portfolio
- Partner with ITLT leaders, Procurement, and Legal to ensure agreements are current and compliant, and coordinate strategic vendor governance activities that span multiple IT functions
Senior Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership
- Serve as a senior member of the IT Leadership Team, partnering closely with the VP, IT Business Technology to align delivery planning and portfolio prioritization to business strategy
- Collaborate across ITLT pillars and represent the IT function with credibility in executive and cross-functional forums
Please note: this position is hybrid-based out of our Waltham, MA office and requires a presence on-site 2-3 days per week.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree with 12+ years of progressive IT experience, with significant experience in delivery leadership, portfolio management, or IT operational leadership roles or equivalent experience
- Demonstrated success building or transforming a PMO or delivery function from the ground up in a growing or evolving organization
- Experience in IT financial management, budget administration, or technology business management, comfortable owning financial operations in partnership with Finance
- Strong program and project management credentials; PMP, PgMP, or equivalent experience required
- Proven ability to lead and develop PM talent and build delivery capability within an organization
- Experience in life sciences, biopharma, or a regulated industry environment
- Exceptional leadership presence with the ability to influence, align, and drive accountability across senior stakeholders
- Ability to translate complex operational information into clear, executive-ready communications and governance materials
- Demonstrated ability to establish operational frameworks and mature them over time, comfortable navigating ambiguity in early stages while building for long-term scalability and sustained performance
Travel: Approximately 10%, including periodic travel between Waltham and Newark office locations
The anticipated annualized base pay range for this full-time position is $251,000-$307,000. Ardelyx utilizes industry data to ensure that our compensation is competitive and aligned with our industry peers. Actual base pay will be determined based on a variety of factors, including years of relevant experience, training, qualifications, and internal equity. The compensation package may also include an annual bonus target and equity awards, subject to eligibility and other requirements.
Ardelyx also offers a robust benefits package to employees, including a 401(k) plan with generous employer match, 12 weeks of paid parental leave, up to 12 weeks of living organ and bone marrow leave, equity incentive plans, health plans (medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision), life insurance and disability, flexible time off, annual Winter Holiday shut down, and at least 11 paid holidays.
Ardelyx is an equal opportunity employer.
Benefits
Equity Compensation
equity incentive plans
Health Insurance
health plans (medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision)
Paid Parental Leave
12 weeks of paid parental leave
Paid Time Off
flexible time off
Ardelyx is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing and commercializing first-in-class medicines aimed at significant unmet medical needs. With products like IBSRELA® and XPHOZAH®, Ardelyx utilizes innovative solutions to address critical health issues such as IBS and hyperphosphatemia, both in the U.S. and through partnerships in international markets.
Senior Director