Associate Director, Commercial Operations

ElevateBio is a technology-driven company powering the industry forward by helping partners realize the potential of their therapies from design to commercialization. We have integrated a differentiated set of technologies, end-to-end services, and industry-leading manufacturing expertise to develop advanced therapies faster and more efficiently.

The Role:

ElevateBio is seeking an Associate Director of Commercial Operations who will be instrumental in managing long-term partnerships and aiding ElevateBio’s strategic goals and objectives. This role, specifically focused on CMC partnerships in Cell and Advanced Therapies, involves process development, clinical and commercial manufacturing knowledge, and requires a high level of engagement and collaboration. The Associate Director will ensure the seamless integration of manufacturing operations and business teams. Responsibilities also include driving deal closures for existing partner statements of work and change orders, providing guidance on CMC scope, pricing, and negotiations. The Associate Director will collaborate with internal Manufacturing Services teams, including leadership teams, as well as external partners. This role will be an individual contributor with potential to lead a team as the Commercial Organization grows.

Here’s What You’ll Do:

• Own the end-to-end deal closure process for new SOWs and change orders across select partners, ensuring alignment with Manufacturing Services’ commercial objectives and growth strategy.
• Provide strategic guidance on CMC scope, pricing, and negotiation strategies; serve as a decision-maker in key contract negotiations.
• Route contracts for approval per established policies, proactively identifying and resolving bottlenecks.
• Represent the Commercial team in partner Joint Leadership Team (JLT) meetings as a primary relationship owner and voice of ElevateBio's strategic interests.
• Lead preparation, facilitation, and follow-up of Joint Steering Committee (JSC) meetings — setting agendas, driving accountability, and ensuring executive alignment on partnership milestones.
• Hold regular alliance management meetings with select partners.
• Direct operational execution of contracts with existing and new partners, aligning cross-functional teams on deliverables, timelines, and risk mitigation.
• Support strategic and budgetary planning for manufacturing operations, partnering with leadership on resource allocation and long-range financial planning.
• Serve as a senior cross-functional integrator and key member of the S&OP team, ensuring enterprise-wide visibility into partner commitments and capacity constraints.
• Review SOWs, change orders, and approval memos for commercial accuracy, strategic consistency, and policy compliance.
• Drive accountability for KPIs across alliance management; identify trends and recommend corrective actions.
• Lead executive-level internal and external discussions on contract alignment, partnership development, and resolution of complex cross-organizational challenges.
• Champion optimization of partnership workflows through cross-functional collaboration, identifying scalable improvements across the partner portfolio.
• Oversee financial partner accounts with internal and external finance teams, ensuring accurate invoicing, budgeting, and revenue recognition.
• Mentor junior alliance management team members, fostering a culture of operational excellence and strategic thinking.

Requirements:

• Minimum bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences or related field.
• 9+ years previous experience in biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, CMO, CDMO or related industries.
• Experience in cell and gene therapy CMC. Specifically, CMC operations, process development, regulatory, manufacturing and supply chain.
• Contract negotiation and interpretation skills gained through involvement in business-to-business relationships.
• Strong project management skills.
• Familiarity with Hubspot or other customer management system preferred.
• Ambitious, energetic, and dedicated to delivering objectives/targets while keeping enduring partnerships in mind.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, relationship, influence, and networking skills.
• Ability to develop and deliver effective presentations to partners and internal leadership.
• Solid understanding of business, negotiation and financial fundamentals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, multitask, and prioritize in a fast-paced environment.

The budgeted range for this position is $165,000 - $225,000. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law. 

ElevateBio is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person’s race, color, gender, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation or any characteristic protected under applicable law. ElevateBio will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.