Aerska
Discovery Portfolio Manager
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Role Summary
As Discovery Portfolio Manager, you will drive the portfolio focus, discovery operations and execution across a rapidly evolving pipeline of programs and platform capabilities.
This is a high-impact, hands-on role operating across preclinical discovery, strategy, and execution. You will work closely with the discovery scientific program leaders, internal matrix teams and external partners to ensure our programs progress efficiently from discovery to high-value assets.
You will have visibility across the full portfolio, enabling better decisions on what to prioritise, accelerate, or stop — and how to do so efficiently.
Key Responsibilities
Drive Portfolio Focus & Decision-Making
- Continuously help to prioritise programs across AOCs, drug delivery strategies, and platform innovations
- Help define what work is best performed internally vs externally
- Manage and coordinate CRO operational activities across the discovery portfolio in collaboration with discovery program leads and matrix teams
- Work with scientific preclinical project leaders to ensure externally generated data is:
- high quality
- timely
- aligned with program decision needs
- Prevent “black box” outsourcing by maintaining scientific and operational visibility
Embed Scientific Operations Across the Discovery Portfolio
- Establish lightweight systems for:
- portfolio tracking
- experiment-to-decision alignment
- cross-program visibility
- Facilitate discovery project teams in best practices around:
- planning experiments and storing data
- tracking project progress against agreed deliverables
- making effective data-driven decisions
- Ensure consistency in how data is generated, evaluated, and used across programs
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Translate Platform into Pipeline
- Ensure platform capabilities (e.g. conjugation chemistry, targeting strategies, payload optimisation) are translated into repeatable, scalable programs
- Help define what is platform vs asset-specific work
Act as a Force Multiplier to Leadership
- Support Scientific and corporate leadership with portfolio reviews and strategic decisions
- Prepare materials for board and investor updates
- Bring structure to ambiguous problems and drive alignment across teams
Person Specification
- PhD (preferred) in molecular biology, chemistry, or related field
- PMP qualification ideal
- 5–10+ years in biotech/pharma, with exposure to:
- antibody therapeutics, oligonucleotides, or conjugates
- early discovery and preclinical development
- Managing complex R&D programs in fast-paced environments
- Working across internal teams and external partners/CROs
- Experience with multi-disciplinary or platform-based programs
- Comfortable operating in high ambiguity, low structure environments
Values and Culture
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Aerska is a Values-driven Organisation, Guided By The Belief That “we Live In Each Other’s Shelter”, Reflecting Our Deep Sense Of Interdependence And Collaboration. Every Member Of The Team Is Expected To Embody Our Shared Values
- Walk on Air: Pursue bold ideas with ambition to solve meaningful problems that create real impact
- Time is Neurons: Every moment counts for patients – act with urgency and care, making data-driven decisions without compromise.
- Win or Learn: Embrace curiosity, adapt quickly and continuously improve
- We Before Me: Seek diverse perspectives, collaborate with humility, openness and respect, and prioritise collective success above individual advancement.
About Us
Aerska is a biotechnology company pioneering RNA medicines to treat, delay, and prevent diseases of the brain. We are leveraging advances in ‘brain shuttles’ to enable targeted delivery of next-generation RNAi therapeutics to the CNS. By silencing the genes that cause harm, Aerska aims to preserve the minds, protect the memories, and enable our loved ones to live longer, healthier lives.
We are entering an exciting period of growth and are seeking talented individuals who want to be part of a mission-driven company redefining how brain diseases are treated. Joining now means helping shape a fast-growing organisation with the potential to change millions of lives.
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