Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world. It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve. Led by Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020. We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients. At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries. These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day. This position is based in Chicago and dedicated to supporting Prolaio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kardigan. Prolaio is a patient-centered clinical intelligence company dedicated to advancing today’s cardiology research and care with real-world patient data and insights. The company was created by cardiologists and cardiovascular scientists specifically to address the world’s number one cause of death, cardiovascular disease. Its FDA-cleared software integrates real-world clinical data and proprietary algorithms to deliver outcome-driven insights to empower patients, researchers, physicians, and product leaders. By combining scientific rigor with cutting-edge technology, Prolaio aims to expedite clinical trials and improve patient outcomes across cardiology therapeutic areas. **Position Title:**Senior Director, Corporate Strategy - Prolaio
Secondary Reporting Line: General Manager, Prolaio
**Location:**Chicago, IL – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)
Job Overview:
The Senior Director, Corporate Strategy – Prolaio is a senior individual contributor role dedicated to Prolaio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kardigan. This position will play a central role in shaping and executing Prolaio’s company strategy, leading high‑impact strategic initiatives, and supporting pricing, partnerships, and business development efforts across Prolaio’s clinical research and care delivery offerings. While the role sits within Kardigan’s Corporate Strategy function and reports to the Vice President of Corporate Strategy, it operates day‑to‑day as a dedicated strategic leader for Prolaio, working in close partnership with the Prolaio General Manager and leadership team. The role serves as a strategic bridge between Kardigan and Prolaio, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities while enabling Prolaio to operate with speed, focus, and strategic independence. This role focuses on framing Prolaio’s most critical strategic questions; conducting market landscaping, market research, and market sizing; shaping pricing and monetization strategies; developing business cases and financial analyses for new growth opportunities; and driving execution across complex, cross‑functional initiatives. The scope spans clinical research strategy, care delivery models, patient pathways, and commercialization, integrating clinical operations, regulatory considerations, provider workflows, and external partnerships. The ideal candidate is a highly independent strategic operator who can lead initiatives end‑to‑end, operate effectively in ambiguity, and influence across teams without direct authority. Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Lead and drive the development and execution of Prolaio’s company strategy, including long-term strategic direction, growth priorities, and key strategic choices, in alignment with Kardigan’s enterprise objectives. - Conduct market landscaping, market research, and market sizing analyses to inform opportunity prioritization, investment decisions, and strategic roadmaps for Prolaio. - Shape and advance new business concepts and growth initiatives, including:
Pricing and monetization strategies
Commercial and partnership models
Evaluation of new customer segments, use cases, and offerings
Develop strategic business cases and financial analyses (e.g., NPV, ROI, scenario and sensitivity analyses) to evaluate:
New business line opportunities
Pricing and commercialization approaches
Specific partnership and business development opportunities
Assess strategic and financial trade-offs across proposed growth initiatives, including market attractiveness, investment requirements, execution risk, and long-term value creation potential
Support and execute partnership and business development initiatives, including:
Strategic rationale development and deal structuring
Opportunity sizing and valuation frameworks
Cross‑functional execution of signed partnerships
Ongoing partnership performance assessment and governance
Lead strategic initiatives spanning clinical research, care delivery, and patient pathways, with a focus on:
Clinical operations and trial enablement models
Regulatory and compliance considerations
Provider, site, and health‑system workflows
(in close coordination with Prolaio’s product, technology, and data leadership as appropriate)
Frame critical strategic decisions for Prolaio and Kardigan leadership, developing clear, evidence‑based recommendations and articulating trade‑offs, risks, and execution implications. - Operate as a strategic thought partner to the Prolaio General Manager and leadership team, providing structure, analytical rigor, and execution support on the company’s highest‑priority initiatives. - Independently lead complex, cross‑functional strategic initiatives end‑to‑end, from problem definition through recommendation, alignment, and implementation support. - Leverage resources from Kardigan’s Corporate Strategy team as needed to support analyses and initiatives, without formal people‑management responsibility. - Serve as an informal mentor and collaborator to members of the broader strategy team, contributing to strategic rigor and best practices. - Prepare and present strategic analyses and recommendations to senior leadership and executive stakeholders across Prolaio and Kardigan. Qualifications and Preferred Skills:
Bachelor’s degree in business, healthcare, life sciences, engineering, or a related field
MBA strongly preferred; advanced clinical or scientific degree (e.g., MD, PhD) a plus
7–10 years of experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, business development, or a related role
Prior experience in healthcare technology, clinical research, life sciences, or care delivery innovation strongly preferred
Demonstrated experience with:
Market landscaping, market research, and market sizing
Pricing strategy, value proposition development, and monetization models
Strategic business case development, including NPV-based financial analyses
Partnerships and strategic collaborations
Working understanding of:
Clinical research operations and trial enablement
Provider and health system workflows
Regulatory and compliance considerations in healthcare environments
Proven ability to operate as a senior individual contributor, leading complex, ambiguous initiatives independently and influencing across teams without direct authority
Strong executive level communication skills, including experience presenting to senior leadership
Strong analytical skills, including the ability to leverage emerging AI-enabled toolsto support market analysis, strategic insights, and decision-making (in addition to traditional tools such as PowerPoint and Excel)
Excellent analytical and strategic thinking skills; advanced proficiency in PowerPoint and Excel
Strong stakeholder management, judgment, and cross functional collaboration skills
Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.
