Jeff Smith

Vice President Program Management at Nkarta

Jeff Smith has a diverse work experience in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. Jeff started their career as a Research Biologist at Gilead Sciences, where they developed cell-based assays and co-authored publications. Jeff then transitioned to a Project Manager role, managing antiviral programs and implementing project team structures and cost tracking methods.

After Gilead Sciences, Jeff worked as a Project Manager at Pharmacyclics and later became a Senior Project Manager, responsible for managing projects and budgets. Jeff then moved on to InterMune, where they implemented a new team structure and managed therapeutic area and project teams.

Jeff's experience continued at Avidia, a biotech start-up, where they established the Project Management Department, implemented project management methodologies, and built a comprehensive portfolio model. Jeff also played a significant role in the post-acquisition integration with Amgen.

At Amgen, Jeff served as the Research Operations Director, overseeing projects and managing alliance partnerships. Jeff then joined Acerta Pharma B.V. as the Director of Program Management before moving to Jazz Pharmaceuticals as the Director of Project Management.

Most recently, Jeff has been working at Nkarta, Inc. Jeff started as the Senior Director of Program Management and was later promoted to Vice President of Program Management.

Throughout their career, Jeff has demonstrated strong leadership skills, implementing effective strategies and managing cross-functional teams. Jeff has a proven track record of success in program and project management, budgeting, and alliance management.

Jeff Smith's education history begins in 1977 when they attended UC Santa Barbara, where they pursued a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Aquatic Biology. Jeff spent five years there and successfully completed their degree in 1982. Following this, they enrolled at San Francisco State University in 1988 to obtain a Master of Arts (MA) in Cell & Molecular Biology. This program spanned from 1988 to 1990. Lastly, Jeff pursued additional education by acquiring a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute, although specific dates and field of study are not available for this qualification.

Links

Previous companies

Jazz Pharmaceuticals logo
Amgen logo
Pharmacyclics logo
Gilead Sciences logo

Org chart

Timeline

  • Vice President Program Management

    August, 2020 - present

  • Senior Director, Program Management

    March, 2019

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