Sr. Director, Launch Project Management (Hampton, NJ)

Celldex is now entering an exciting new chapter – building a commercial team to launch barzolvolimab - the most advanced anti-KIT therapy in pivotal development that has the potential to redefine treatment for multiple allergy and dermatological diseases with Phase 3 studies in CSU, ColdU, SD and phase 2 studies in AD and PN. The Senior Director, Launch Project Management translates corporate strategy into integrated launch plans, proactively identifies risks, drives timely decision-making, and ensures all functional teams are executing against key milestones.

About Celldex:

Celldex is pioneering new horizons in immunology to deliver life-changing therapies. We are relentless in our pursuit of novel antibody-based treatments that engage the human immune system and directly affect critical pathways to improve the lives of patients with allergic, inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. We have built a culture where innovative and talented people thrive—focusing a significant effort on attracting and retaining passionate and motivated employees who want to play a role in helping people with serious health conditions and who see this effort as personally rewarding. In our highly entrepreneurial environment, employees are empowered and the opportunity for professional development occurs every day.

 

Celldex is now entering an exciting new chapter – building a commercial team to launch barzolvolimab - the most advanced anti-KIT therapy in pivotal development that has the potential to redefine treatment for multiple allergy and dermatological diseases with Phase 3 studies in CSU, ColdU, SD and phase 2 studies in AD and PN. We’re looking for curious, driven builders who can connect their day-to-day work to enterprise-level impact, endlessly prioritize what matters most, and deliver on their commitments with urgency and ownership.  If you’re energized by building something meaningful, excited to grow personally and professionally, and motivated to create lasting impact in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment, we’d love to meet you.

 

Ready to make an impact? Learn more about joining the Celldex Team today! 

Overview:

The Senior Director, Launch Project Management, is responsible for leading and coordinating cross-functional activities required to successfully prepare for and execute the commercial launch of Celldex products. This role serves as the central integration point across Development, Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Medical Affairs, Commercial, Market Access, Supply Chain, IT, and external partners to ensure launch readiness and organizational alignment.

 

The Senior Director, Launch Project Management translates corporate strategy into integrated launch plans, proactively identifies risks, drives timely decision-making, and ensures all functional teams are executing against key milestones. This individual will establish governance structures, facilitate communication across stakeholders, and support the organization's transition from a clinical-stage biotechnology company to a fully integrated commercial organization.

 

The Senior Director, Launch Project Management, will work closely and support VP, Marketing and Commercial Operations. Position reports to the VP, Project Management.

Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities

 

Commercial Launch Leadership

• Lead end-to-end cross-functional commercial launch planning for biologic products from pre-BLA through post-launch activities. Focus on architecture of integrated key event launch map.
• Coordinate launch readiness activities across all functional areas.
• Establish launch governance structures, meeting cadence, and executive reporting mechanisms.
• Facilitate strategic decision-making and escalate issues requiring leadership attention.
• Ensure alignment between corporate objectives, launch strategy, and operational execution.

Cross-Functional Program Management

• Partner closely with: Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Manufacturing, Quality Assurance, Supply Chain, Medical Affairs, Commercial, Market Access, Market Research, IT, Finance, Legal, Compliance, External partners and vendors
• Responsibilities include:
  • Implement project management best practices, tools, and processes.
  • Drive accountability for deliverables and commitments.
  • Proactive identification of task interdependencies
  • Develop and maintain integrated launch timelines, milestones, dependencies, and critical path activities.
  • Facilitate risk mitigation, issue resolution and decision-making.
  • Monitor progress against launch milestones.
  • Ensure consistent communication among stakeholders.
  • Continuously improve launch planning methodologies.

Launch Readiness Planning

• Develop and maintain launch readiness frameworks and scorecards.
• Coordinate development of launch playbooks and operational plans.
• Track functional readiness activities and deliverables.
• Identify gaps and implement mitigation strategies.
• Support field force preparedness, training, and enablement activities.
• Coordinate market access and reimbursement readiness efforts.
• Support supply chain and distribution planning.

Risk Management

• Establish and maintain RAID (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Decision) logs.
• Identify potential obstacles that may impact launch timelines or commercialization efforts.
• Develop mitigation and contingency plans.
• Escalate critical risks to senior leadership.
• Conduct scenario planning exercises.

Governance and Communications

 

• Facilitate Launch Team meetings, Steering Committee meetings, and Executive Committee updates.
• Prepare executive presentations, dashboards, and status reports.
• Maintain meeting minutes, decisions, and action items.
• Ensure transparency of progress, risks, and decisions across the organization.
• Drive effective stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications:

• Minimum of 10+ years’ experience directly managing pharmaceutical or biologic launches in the US and/or ROW.
• Therapeutic Area Experience: Inflammatory, Dermatology or Allergy a plus.                
• Demonstrated experience in mentoring/coaching team members to improve communication, planning and collaboration skills.
• Demonstrated ability to adapt to new situations or emerging challenges. Proactively takes the lead to resolve an issue or challenge.  Able to work without hierarchical authority in an environment with agile business processes.
• Timeline Management: SmartSheet and/or Microsoft Project (or similar software tool): Intermediate or advanced (preferred) skill level.
• Microsoft Office Suite (E.g., SharePoint, Teams, PowerPoint, Word and Excel): Intermediate (minimum) skill level.
• Up to 15% Travel Required

 

Compensation

 

The expected base salary range for this position is $203,157 to $263,841.

We are committed to compensating employees equitably based on several factors including experience, education, licensure/certifications, skill level, location of the position, and availability of similar talent in a competitive market.

Compensation for this role includes base salary, annual discretionary bonus, long term incentive, 401(K) plan with employer contribution, health care and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), paid holidays, vacation, and sick days. A summary of our benefits can be found on our careers page.

Celldex is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that strives to foster a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are committed to promoting a diverse environment through development, recruiting and community outreach