Director, U.S. Operational Excellence

Ipsen•Cambridge, MA

6d•$177,000 - $260,000

About The Position

The Director, Operational Excellence is a critical leadership role supporting the Head of U.S. Field Operations, responsible for orchestrating the day-to-day execution of high-impact operational programs that enable Ipsen’s U.S. business and improve outcomes for HCPs and patients. This role serves as the operational backbone across Fleet, Congress Planning, Strategic Operations, and Project Management, ensuring seamless execution of core processes and removing barriers to performance across the organization. The Director leads enterprise-wide initiatives including Brand Planning, U.S. meetings and congress strategy, and field resource management, while continuously identifying and implementing improvements to drive efficiency, scale, and executional excellence. Operating with high influence and limited formal authority, this role requires strong cross-functional leadership, the ability to align stakeholders across Commercial, Medical, Value & Access and Global teams, and a disciplined approach to delivering complex programs. As a trusted partner to Business Operations and Strategy Leadership Team and North America Leadership, the Director contributes to the development and execution of strategic business plans while advancing sales and marketing effectiveness. This role also plays a key part in building organizational capability, developing talent, strengthening ways of working, and shaping the future operating model, making it an ideal position for a high-potential leader preparing for broader enterprise leadership responsibilities.

Requirements

12+ years of experience in pharmaceutical field operations, commercial operations, or business operations with an advanced degree; or 15+ years with a Bachelor’s degree
Strong understanding of U.S. commercial model, field execution, and operational processes
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and supporting multi-Business Unit environments
Proven ability to drive operational excellence, planning processes, and execution support at scale
Bachelor’s degree required (Business, Life Sciences, or related field)

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MS) preferred

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end commercial planning (annual cycles, brand planning, field deployment) to ensure strategy translates into consistent execution across all U.S. BUs
Align Sales, Marketing, and Operations to drive coordinated execution and eliminate gaps
Standardize and improve planning processes to increase speed, quality, and decision-making
Lead execution of field-facing activities (national sales meetings, brand planning, congresses, communications, fleet, logistics) across the U.S.
Ensure operational readiness for launches and key initiatives across Business Units
Optimize vendors and spend to deliver high-quality execution with cost efficiency
Drive consistency and scalability of field execution practices
Identify and remove operational barriers to improve field productivity and experience
Own field operations processes, systems, and governance to enable scalable, compliant execution
Define and track KPIs to drive performance and continuous improvement
Establish SOPs and standards to ensure consistency across all field activities
Partner cross-functionally to improve ways of working and execution effectiveness
Lead a multi-functional operations team
Set priorities aligned to commercial goals and business impact
Drive a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement
Influence cross-functional stakeholders to ensure aligned execution