Life Sciences Commercial, Management Consulting Principal Director

Accenture•Chicago, IL

About The Position

Accenture Life Sciences Commercial Consulting helps pharmaceutical and biotechnology clients modernize commercial models and drive patient-centric innovation across the value chain. The practice combines life sciences expertise with digital, AI, data, and operating-model capabilities across Access & Patient Services, Sales & CRM, Marketing & Customer Engagement, Data & AI, and Talent & Operating Model. The Principal Director is a senior commercial transformation leader responsible for shaping and delivering large, complex client engagements and building new client relationships and capabilities. The role partners with C-suite and SVP-level stakeholders, connects strategy with operational change, and delivers measurable business and patient outcomes. The position also contributes to Accenture’s commercial consulting practice through business development, talent development, thought leadership, and the incorporation of market trends, innovation, and regulatory developments into client strategies and offerings. The role requires willingness to travel up to 75% to client locations.

Requirements

12 or more years of life sciences commercial or patient services experience, including areas such as sales, marketing, commercial operations, commercial excellence, market access, customer engagement, or business unit leadership.
At least 10 years of experience across commercial and marketing continuums, from strategy through execution.
At least 5 years of consulting experience, with a strong record of delivery, business development, and client origination.
At least 5 years of demonstrated ability to independently build senior client relationships and convert them into revenue.
At least 5 years of hands-on experience applying or selling AI, data, or digital solutions in a commercial or marketing context.
Bachelor’s degree.
Willingness to travel up to 75% to client locations.

Nice To Haves

Deep expertise in one or more of the four core domains and working knowledge of all four areas.
Expertise in Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud or Veeva CRM.
Proven ability to shape and sell complex, multi-million-dollar consulting engagements.
Exceptional executive communication skills and experience delivering high-stakes presentations.
Ability to guide teams through ambiguous, unstructured challenges to innovative solutions.
Ability to develop and articulate differentiated points of view that influence senior client stakeholders and shape account strategy.
Strong track record of leading cross-functional, global teams on transformative programs combining business, technology, and change management.
Experience building and managing a disciplined pipeline with staged opportunities, conversion metrics, and clear investment priorities.
Experience helping clients build AI-enabled commercial and marketing organizations through AI design and implementation.
Recognized industry thought leadership, such as publications or conference presentations.
Experience leading global or multi-region programs.
Advanced credentials such as an MBA, MS, or PharmD, or relevant technology platform certifications.

Responsibilities

Assist life sciences clients in selecting, implementing, and capturing value from commercial platform ecosystems.
Lead large-scale programs or complex, multi-workstream engagements valued at $5 million or more, delivering high-quality, innovative work tailored to executive audiences.
Serve as a strategic partner to C-suite and SVP-level client stakeholders and influence their decisions.
Shape integrated solutions across business units, functions, insights, and teams.
Own project financials, including budget management, forecasting, and profitability targets.
Originate and sell new opportunities from ideation through contracting, leveraging Accenture thought leadership.
Guide team members’ professional development and foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.
Integrate market trends, innovations, and regulatory shifts into client strategies and Accenture offerings.
Represent the practice in external forums and conferences and through thought leadership publications.
Lead cross-functional solutioning sessions to shape multi-domain, multi-region programs addressing clients’ business, operational, and technology needs.
Influence client agendas by sharing perspectives on emerging trends, competitive dynamics, and innovation opportunities.
Oversee delivery transformation and structure programs for scalability, agility, and measurable patient and commercial impact.
Design and implement future-ready operating models, optimized business processes, and organizational structures to improve commercial agility, scalability, and cross-functional alignment.