Director, Business Strategy and Operations, Pipeline and Project Management (PPM) & Data Science (EDGE)

Jazz Pharmaceuticals • US - Home-Based - PA, PA

13d • $192,000 - $288,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Director, Business Strategy & Operations (BS&O) – Pipeline & Project Management (PPM) and Data Science (EDGE) serves as the strategic business partner and Chief of Staff for both R&D organizations. Reporting to the Head of R&D Business Strategy and Operations, the Director advises the functional heads and leadership teams, establishes operating rhythms, leads workforce and resource planning, oversees budgets, coordinates communications, and drives operational transformations to support pipeline delivery and digital and AI innovation across Jazz R&D.

The role represents PPM and EDGE on enterprise R&D committees and governance forums, supports executive and board-level communications, leads planning and performance-management cadences, and partners with HR, Resource Management, Finance, Communications, and other stakeholders. It also supports business development and transaction evaluations, leads functional integration of acquired assets and external platforms, and advances process improvement and change management across global teams.

Requirements

• Extensive progressive experience in the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences industry, with substantive exposure to drug development, portfolio or project management, data science or informatics, or R&D business operations.
• Experience in strategic business operations, a Chief of Staff role, or PMO leadership, partnering directly with VP- or SVP-level executives.
• Direct experience leading workforce planning, capacity modeling oversight, named resource allocations, and timecard compliance.
• Demonstrated experience managing departmental budgets, financial forecasting, and variance tracking in collaboration with Finance.
• Experience participating in business development due diligence and leading post-deal functional integrations or external platform onboardings.
• Strong executive presence, emotional intelligence, and ability to advise and influence senior functional executives across technical, analytical, and operational disciplines.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills, including the ability to synthesize complex project management, data science, and operational information into executive- and board-level presentations.
• Ability to interpret complex resource models, algorithm demand outputs, and financial analyses and turn them into actionable business strategies.
• Financial acumen managing multi-million-dollar functional operating budgets and multi-year workforce plans.
• Track record orchestrating multifaceted initiatives across matrixed global teams and balancing competing priorities.
• Experience in process optimization, change management, and practical application of digital and AI tools to improve operational efficiency.
• Bachelor’s degree in a life sciences discipline or related business or scientific field.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (MS, PhD, or MBA).
• Lean Six Sigma, Agile, or Project Management (PMP) certification.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor, operational sounding board, and Chief of Staff to the Heads of PPM and Data Science (EDGE) and their leadership teams.
• Plan and facilitate leadership meetings, quarterly business reviews, strategy sessions, and annual offsites; set agendas, support decisions, resolve operational bottlenecks, and track executive actions.
• Develop executive briefings, board-level presentations, and strategic narratives for Executive Committee Reviews, Board of Directors Meetings, and R&D Leadership Forums.
• Represent PPM and EDGE on enterprise R&D operational committees, governance bodies, and cross-functional forums.
• Lead multi-year workforce planning and capacity modeling with HR, Resource Management, and R&D Finance across PPM and Data Science.
• Serve as functional Lead Data Steward for named allocation tools and timecard compliance, maintaining accurate resource and staffing data.
• Guide algorithm demand modeling with functional SMEs and Resource Management, including model parameters, productivity assumptions, and project drivers.
• Use capacity analytics and allocation insights to support headcount and contractor resourcing requests during annual budgets and Long-Range Planning.
• Manage the combined annual operating budgets for PPM and Data Science, including OpEx, consulting, data vendor licenses, SaaS platforms, and headcount.
• Manage monthly accruals, quarterly forecasting, variance reporting, and annual budget planning.
• Lead functional operational assessments for business development, licensing, platform acquisitions, and M&A evaluations.
• Lead post-transaction functional integrations for acquired assets, partnerships, and external data or AI platforms.
• Direct annual and long-term OKR/KPI goal-setting, translating enterprise R&D priorities into measurable functional targets.
• Develop operational scorecards and executive dashboards for pipeline health, project milestones, platform adoption, and organizational velocity.
• Report quarterly progress, milestones, performance metrics, and mitigation strategies to R&D executive leadership in partnership with the R&D Chief of Staff office.
• Partner with Corporate and R&D Communications to develop and execute internal communications across PPM and Data Science.
• Establish regular Town Halls, All-Hands forums, digital innovation showcases, and executive announcements.
• Foster a culture of transparency, accountability, and collaboration across project management, data science, and AI teams.
• Lead process improvement and operational excellence initiatives to streamline workflows, reduce administrative overhead, and improve pipeline delivery velocity.
• Promote digital transformation, modern operating frameworks, and AI-assisted ways of working.
• Apply change management principles to support adoption of modernized operational processes and standards across global teams.

Benefits

• May be eligible for a discretionary annual cash bonus or incentive compensation, depending on the role.
• May be eligible for discretionary equity grants.
• Medical insurance.
• Dental insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Flexible paid vacation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director