Director of Product Management & Design

Job Description

Job Description

At Sage Bionetworks, we believe in the power of open science and interdisciplinary collaboration to create a new vision of human health. We strive for actionable biomedical insights through the responsible sharing and reuse of data, all guided by our deep scientific expertise and diligent governance controls.

We’re a dynamic, adaptable team, and we highly value individuals who can flexibly navigate various roles and functions. Diversity in experiences, backgrounds, and identities is essential for our rich culture of learning and collaboration. Our partnerships, both within Sage and with external communities, are founded on principles of trust, transparency, and a commitment to growth. Together, we are leaving a lasting imprint on the fields of science and medicine.

We are hiring a Head of Product to lead the development and execution of Sage’s product portfolio across our technology platforms, including Synapse.org and our research portals. This is a new role designed to bring stronger direction and structure to product management and design, and help balance the needs of science, engineering, and our users.

Job Summary

In this role, you will oversee Sage’s product portfolio, lead a small but growing team of product managers, designers, and technical program managers, and partner closely with engineering leads. You will establish and maintain product processes that provide clarity on what we build and why, ensuring alignment between Sage’s scientific mission, grant commitments, and user needs. You’ll also have opportunities to explore and lead emerging applications in AI / ML, and to shape how our platforms evolve in support of open science.

Key Responsibilities :

Product Leadership : Define product priorities and roadmaps across the entire portfolio in collaboration with the Chief Technology Officer and the Product Strategy and Innovation team.

Design Leadership : Guide and manage the product design team, fostering high standards of usability and visual polish across all products.

Pixel-Perfect Execution : Work with designers and engineers to ensure products are not only functional but also elegant, user-friendly, and visually consistent.

Team Leadership : Directly manage and mentor product managers, designers, and TPMs.

Execution & Readiness : Ensure each active project has a healthy backlog of shovel-ready tickets, enabling predictable and efficient engineering work.

Portfolio Management : Run regular roadmap and project-level scoping reviews, making clear trade-offs about where to focus resources.

Cross-Functional Partnership : Collaborate with engineering, scientists, and external stakeholders to turn high-level needs into actionable product goals.

Culture of Outcomes : Promote user-centered product development and measure success in terms of impact, adoption, and reliability.

We’d Love to Hear from You If You :

Have 8+ years of product management experience, including 5+ years leading PMs or product teams.

Have 3+ years experience managing design teams, with a strong eye for detail and appreciation of user-friendly, pixel-perfect design.

Thrive in ambiguous, multidisciplinary environments where research, technology, and users intersect.

Can bring order and clarity to complex problems and translate them into actionable plans.

Communicate clearly and inclusively across diverse teams and stakeholders.

Preferred but Not Required :

Experience with scientific, data-driven, or scholarly products

Experience working in grant-funded or nonprofit environments.

Familiarity with data platforms, open science, or biomedical research communities.

Comfort with Agile / iterative development practices adapted to research-driven work.

Job Functions and Physical Requirements

The following cognitive and physical activities outline the essential functions required for successful job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to fulfill these functions.

Physical Demands

Extended periods of sitting at a desk and using a computer.

Repeated wrist, hand, and finger movements.

Requires clear vision for tasks like data analysis, transcribing, computer use, and reading.

Occasionally lifting or moving objects weighing up to 10 pounds.

Cognitive Demands

Able to work effectively under deadlines.

Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.

Attention to detail and accuracy.

Flexibility to adapt to changing environments, priorities and multitask.

Additional Requirements

Travel is required a minimum of two times per year for on-site events in Seattle, WA.

Effective verbal and written communication skills.

Works well in a team and maintains professionalism.

Follows company policies, procedures, and relevant laws and regulations.

Note : This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to modification as job duties evolve.

About Us

Sage Bionetworks is a nonprofit biomedical research organization that was founded in Seattle in 2009. We focus on advancing human health through open science practices and radical collaboration, with a view to breaking down existing silos in science and technology. Through our work, we guide responsible data sharing and reuse, benchmark scientific methods and results, and empower participants to be active partners in research. We are a bold team of scientists, engineers, product developers, governance specialists and business experts, working to bring data and communities together in unique ways that accelerate medical progress. As a growing organization, Sage is supported through a dynamic portfolio of competitive research grants, commercial partnerships, and philanthropic contributions.

Sage Bionetworks is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefit package, competitive to both commercial and not-for-profit life science organizations. The plan includes : health, dental, vision, life, AD&D and long term disability benefits; paid time off; a retirement plan; flexible spending accounts; a shared incentives plan, voluntary long term care insurance, and other voluntary products. Additional information can found here : Benefits – Sage Bionetworks

At Sage Bionetworks, we implement equitable workplace strategies to guarantee fair compensation. Actual compensation is determined based on current market data, experience, and internal pay parity. This position is classified as a Sage Director, Management level position, with a hiring salary range of $160,930 to $190,303. New hires typically receive an offer between the minimum and midpoint of the range, although higher offers may be considered based on experience and market conditions.

We have a distributed workforce and support remote and / or on-site hybrid work arrangements within the United States. All interviews will be conducted virtually unless otherwise communicated.

At Sage Bionetworks, we uphold equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants without bias to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status. We strictly prohibit discrimination and harassment based on these protected categories, in compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity laws.