Senior Principal Strategist, Strategy & Planning

Cencora • Philadelphia, PA

1d

About The Position

The Senior Principal Strategist leads the operating engine of Cencora’s global Enterprise Infrastructure & Cloud (EIC) organization and drives its transformation to a product operating model enabled by AI Ops. The role owns how EIC plans, funds, staffs, and delivers through a product lens, including its global workforce plan, operating and capital plan, and delivery portfolio. It leads the transition from project- and ticket-based delivery to product-based operations, defining product taxonomy, accountabilities, and operating cadence. The role serves as principal advisor to the SVP of EIC and connects EIC with enterprise partners including the Office of the CDIO, Cyber Security, Finance, HR, Procurement, and Legal.

The role is accountable for advancing product-model adoption across EIC domains; managing workforce planning, portfolio governance, financial planning, and supplier performance; and running the EIC leadership operating rhythm. Success includes improving governance of technology spending, suppliers, and investments, and ensuring EIC delivers on commitments, within budget, and with appropriate staffing.

The position requires at least 15 years of progressive technology experience, including deep expertise in infrastructure, cloud, or IT operations. It requires ownership of a significant technology operating budget and supplier portfolio, as well as experience managing a global workforce across countries and delivery models. Direct enterprise AI or automation adoption experience and experience in regulated industries or technology-function strategy and planning leadership are preferred.

Requirements

• 15 or more years of progressive experience in technology, including meaningful experience and deep functional expertise in infrastructure, cloud, or IT operations.
• Credibility with both engineers and executives.
• Demonstrated ownership of a significant technology operating budget, including capital planning and multi-year forecasting.
• Demonstrated ownership of technology supplier portfolio spend, including enterprise agreements with hyperscalers or top-tier software publishers.
• Experience managing a global workforce across multiple countries and delivery models.
• Track record leading enterprise-scale transformation, such as a product operating model, cloud migration, or comparable transformation.

Nice To Haves

• Direct experience leading enterprise AI or automation adoption, including tooling selection, value measurement, and governance.
• Experience in healthcare, pharmaceutical distribution, life sciences, or another highly regulated industry.
• Prior chief of staff, business operations, or strategy and planning leadership within a technology function.

Responsibilities

• Lead EIC’s transition from project- and ticket-based delivery to a product operating model across its global domains, advancing adoption in alignment with the GDATS maturity model.
• Define and maintain the EIC product taxonomy, including product boundaries, product owner accountabilities, funding model, and operating cadence; extend it to jointly owned products and partner with domain leaders on roles, rituals, and decision rights.
• Own the EIC global workforce plan, including the position roster, approved headcount envelope, and insource/outsource mix aligned to the Talent Strategy.
• Govern requisition approvals, backfills, contractor-to-employee conversions, organizational design, and span of control with HR and Finance.
• Maintain a rolling view of skills supply and demand, and lead succession planning and talent review preparation for the EIC leadership team.
• Own EIC’s end-to-end delivery portfolio, including intake, prioritization, resourcing, dependencies, milestones, executive reporting, and portfolio governance forums.
• Represent EIC in enterprise technology investment prioritization and maintain a delivery dashboard, sustaining visibility of 90% or more of work in Jira or ServiceNow.
• Own EIC’s operating and capital plan, including annual budget development, monthly forecasting, variance analysis, accruals, and year-end landing; ensure financial controls withstand SOX audits and internal control reviews.
• Deliver committed savings targets and develop business cases and investment narratives for EIC’s strategic agenda, translating infrastructure and cloud economics into business-relevant terms.
• Establish and run EIC’s vendor performance management framework, including scorecards, quarterly business reviews, service-level accountability, and escalation paths in partnership with Procurement.
• Drive supplier consolidation and standardization when they improve economics or outcomes.
• Run the EIC leadership operating rhythm, including staff meetings, offsites, all-hands, OKRs, and the annual planning calendar.
• Prepare the SVP for executive and enterprise forums; own EIC internal and executive communications; and coordinate EIC audit, compliance, and regulatory responses.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision care.
• Benefits supporting physical, emotional, financial, and social wellness.
• Support for working families, which may include backup dependent care, adoption assistance, infertility coverage, family-building support, behavioral health solutions, paid parental leave, and paid caregiver leave.
• Training programs, professional development resources, and mentorship opportunities.
• Employee resource groups and volunteer activities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed