Senior Director, Strategic Planning (Pharmaceutical Distribution)

McKesson•Alpharetta, GA

7d•$182,000 - $303,300•Hybrid

About The Position

McKesson is seeking a Senior Director, Strategic Planning to join the North America Pharmaceutical Distribution (NAPD) Strategy team. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, NAPD Strategy, this leader will manage the strategic planning system connecting long-range direction, business evolution, annual priorities, executive decision-making, and execution across NAPD. The role partners with senior leaders and teams to shape strategic choices and align priorities, opportunities, risks, and progress. Serving as a thought partner, planning architect, and integrator, the Senior Director will bring structure to complex and ambiguous questions, turn market and business insight into actionable plans, and establish the routines, tools, and governance that advance NAPD’s strategic agenda. The role helps leadership navigate decisions and align long-term direction with near-term execution. It also leads and develops a team of strategy professionals and influences across a large, matrixed organization. The role offers location flexibility across the United States. Candidates within 50 miles of Irving, Texas, including those based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, will work in a hybrid capacity, with at least two days per week onsite at the Las Colinas office and remaining days remote. Onsite days may vary with team needs and business priorities. Travel of up to 20% is required.

Requirements

Degree or equivalent experience; typically 13 or more years of professional experience and 6 or more years of diversified leadership, planning, communication, organization, and people-motivation skills, or equivalent experience.
Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, healthcare, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Demonstrated people-leadership experience, including coaching and developing strategy, planning, or analytical talent.
Experience leading enterprise-scale or business-unit strategic planning and managing multiple complex, cross-functional initiatives.
Ability to structure ambiguous issues, identify key drivers, evaluate choices and trade-offs, and develop pragmatic recommendations.
Experience translating long-range direction into annual priorities, initiative portfolios, milestones, metrics, and management routines.
Strong understanding of business models, P&L drivers, financial analysis, investment decisions, and value creation.
Exceptional written, verbal, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to simplify complexity and tailor messages for executive and operating audiences.
Proven ability to establish credibility, lead without authority, navigate competing perspectives, and drive alignment in a matrixed organization.
Track record of setting direction, developing talent, managing capacity, and creating an engaged, accountable, and inclusive team environment.
Ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative information, test assumptions, and turn analysis into decision-relevant insight.
Currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without employer immigration support or sponsorship now or in the future.
Ability to travel up to 20% of the time.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare and pharmaceutical industry understanding, including knowledge of healthcare stakeholders, market dynamics, economic drivers, and policy.
MBA or other relevant advanced degree.
Experience in pharmaceutical distribution, pharmaceutical services, healthcare, payer, provider, life sciences, health technology, or an adjacent industry.
Experience supporting C-suite or senior executive decision-making and preparing materials for executive leadership or Board-level audiences.
Experience with scenario planning, portfolio prioritization, transformation governance, strategic initiatives, or business-case development.

Responsibilities

Lead NAPD’s annual and long-range strategic planning processes, connecting long-term direction, business priorities, financial objectives, and execution plans.
Partner with senior leaders to frame strategic questions, clarify choices and trade-offs, and align near-term priorities with long-term aspirations.
Integrate plans and perspectives across NAPD portfolios and financial plans; identify dependencies and gaps; and elevate issues requiring executive alignment or decisions.
Establish planning frameworks, standards, and deliverables to improve the quality, consistency, and speed of strategic decision-making.
Partner with strategy leaders and business stakeholders to incorporate growth, innovation, and business evolution initiatives into NAPD’s strategic direction and planning.
Evaluate and prioritize strategic initiatives and emerging opportunities and connect them to broader business objectives and resource decisions.
Identify overlaps, dependencies, risks, and gaps across strategic initiatives and surface issues requiring leadership attention.
Translate long-term strategic direction into actionable priorities, plans, milestones, and governance processes.
Support executive strategy reviews, planning and operating reviews, Board materials, offsites, and other leadership forums.
Develop clear, concise materials that frame decisions, communicate priorities, and drive alignment.
Synthesize input from strategy leaders, business stakeholders, and functional partners into insights, options, and recommendations.
Surface key decisions, unresolved issues, dependencies, risks, and trade-offs requiring leadership attention.
Design and lead planning and review cadences connecting strategy, priorities, execution, and performance across NAPD.
Incorporate business performance, market developments, and execution learnings into ongoing strategy and planning.
Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of strategy professionals; set clear priorities and ensure high-quality delivery.
Build trusted relationships across business, functional, and strategy teams to drive alignment and informed decision-making.
Coordinate stakeholders across NAPD to connect strategic priorities, planning activities, and enterprise objectives.