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R&D Strategy Manager - Life Sciences

London Job No. r00238827 Full-time

Job Description

Job Title: R&D Strategy Manager – Products

Level: Manager

Location: London

Job Description

Accenture is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services in strategy and consulting, interactive, technology and operations, with digital capabilities across all of these services. With our thought leadership and culture of innovation, we apply industry expertise, diverse skill sets and next-generation technology to each business challenge. We believe in inclusion and diversity and supporting the whole person. Our core values comprise of Stewardship, Best People, Client Value Creation, One Global Network, Respect for the Individual and Integrity.

Year after year, Accenture is recognized worldwide not just for business performance but for inclusion and diversity too.

“Across the globe, one thing is universally true of the people of Accenture: We care deeply about what we do and the impact we have with our clients and with the communities in which we work and live. It is personal to all of us.” – Julie Sweet, Accenture CEO

Our Team

As a strategy practitioner you’ll work with clients to transform the way they research and develop new drugs and set the direction for their portfolio and development strategies. The work you do will provide cutting-edge perspectives to reinvent the way pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies work in R&D, helping them to focus on the science of getting new products to patients faster - across research, clinical, regulatory, pharmacovigilance and medical affairs. 

By joining Accenture’s Life Sciences Strategy team, you will embark on a fast-paced career path to Managing Director that will allow you to utilize your deep industry experience and specialized skills to design, sell and lead industry defining transformation programs. In this role you’ll use your expertise to drive opportunity—for the company and for yourself—while maintaining the flexibility you need to keep your career ahead of the curve.

Accenture Strategy - Life Sciences

Accenture Strategy Life Sciences (ASLS) partners with clients globally to transform their businesses and unlock value: across the industry value chain, and throughout their organisations typically underpinned with technology innovation.

Are you ready to help our clients to solve their biggest R&D problems by designing and implementing strategies and operating models that enhance business performance? 

  • Do you want to help the biggest names in the Life Sciences industry understand how business, technology and operations intersect; help them simplify their technology investments; better connect them to the rest of the business and improve their organisational agility

  • Are you capable of leveraging progressive business ideas and emerging technologies to drive and deliver transformational change? If yes, then ASLS is the place for you to grow your reputation as you become an Accenture leader!

  • As strategy practitioners, we work to simplify and accelerate the journey from early research to regulatory approval and throughout the product lifecycle.

We leverage our deep industry experience and customer insights to improve business outcomes and help our clients bring life-saving medicines to market. Our practice draws on:

  • 3,000+ skilled R&D professionals across 30+ offices

  • 1,000+ people with industry experience at a Top 50 pharmaceutical company

  • 50+ years combined experience in R&D Consulting, Regulatory, Pharmacovigilance and Clinical data services across more than 26 therapeutic areas

In our team you will be expected to:

  • Use your judgment to solve complex, ambiguous client business problems, bringing structure and rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques; acting and taking decisions with little management oversight

  • Lead definition of strategic direction, using rigorous analysis to address our clients’ business challenges and deliver lasting and distinctive outcomes and value

  • Develop knowledge of prevailing trends, financials and operating drivers across Life Sciences, identifying industry specific operating metrics and linking them to relevant financial metrics to identify the key value drivers for a client;

  • Make, build and sustain trusted senior client relationships in the C-suite by remaining highly attuned to client needs and styles. Present key findings to C-suite clients

  • Develop and lead high performing multidisciplinary Strategy teams, leading by example, actively mentoring others and contributing to performance management and recruitment activities

  • Run Accenture’s business (including cost management, contract management) with discipline, rigor and integrity, contributing towards evolution of Accenture’s Growth Strategy, securing key milestones and developing next scale plays and initiatives

  • Contribute to business development activities including opportunity identification/qualification and proposal development/presentation

  • Support practice/ community building efforts such as developing offerings, assets, capabilities, and relevant thought leadership

  • Engage with the wider Strategy community in UKIA to foster collaboration and support growth and development of the business

In this role you will:

  • Lead successful strategy engagements addressing our clients’ business challenges, delivering lasting and distinctive outcomes and value in disciplines such as:

    • Solving key business problems and challenges by enabling Pharma R&D transformation, painting a picture of, and charting a journey from the current state to an ambitious future.

    • Advising client organizations on how to transform their R&D functions, through changes to strategy and operating model, including harnessing the power of data and technology

    • Analysing clients’ development strategies and assets, and making strategic recommendations to evolve and improve their pipeline and portfolio

    • Collaborate with your Accenture colleagues and leaders in our SONG and Technology services to co-create innovative patient and investigator stakeholder experiences

    • Own trusted relationships with client stakeholders in R&D and related functions as you help them achieve their goals.

    • Contribute to compelling Life Sciences R&D thought leadership and share best practice as part of our Life Sciences squad network

  • Understand client strategic/operational issues and structure the problem in order to develop hypotheses around possible solutions

  • Structure and create business/market assessments and identify appropriate tools to be used and analyses to be done

  • Develop and utilize industry knowledge to be able to make implementation-oriented recommendations

  • Develop business cases to identify, measure and realise enterprise value

  • Contribute to business development activities including opportunity identification/qualification, proposal development/presentation, and commercial contract negotiation

  • Contribute to developing the Accenture Strategy Life Sciences practice and building Accenture’s Life Sciences offerings, assets, capabilities, and thought leadership.

Qualifications

Your Experience:

You will have experience with most of the following:

  • Good experience at a top tier or boutique consulting firm or through an ‘in-house’ consulting / advisory role (e.g. Group Strategy, Group Corporate Development), with a particular focus on:

    • Research & Development

    • Pipeline Management / Portfolio Strategy

    • Regulatory Affairs

    • Pharmacovigilance

  • Familiarity with recognized Strategy frameworks and techniques

  • Experience of research, quantitative analysis, structured problem solving and executive communication techniques

  • Experience of building relationships at all levels in an organization, including with Executives/Senior Executives

  • A good, broad understanding of how Life Sciences companies operate including products, players, value chain, business models, operating models, industry trends and challenges and regulatory frameworks

  • A robust understanding of research & development, pipeline / portfolio strategy, regulatory affairs and / or pharmacovigilance, including development strategies, operating models and capability development

  • Experience leading diverse teams in complex strategy/consulting engagements, delivering high-quality output in short timeframes

  • Strong programme management experience

Preferred Skills:

  • Deep experience within one or more of the Pharmaceutical, Biotech and Chemical industries, working with relevant companies in the industry

  • A drive for personal development and curiosity to learn new concepts and skills

  • Ability to understand complex issues, quickly absorb information, and work creatively in a problem-solving environment

  • Comfort with the quantitative skills required to develop financial/operational models and supervise data analysis

  • Natural leadership and the ability to quickly build effective teams, establish trust-based relationships and gain valuable insights through collaboration and communication

  • Experience with staff development and ability to mentor junior to mid-level practitioners

  • Proven presentation skills, personal impact and charisma to lead meetings, presentations and workshops

  • Confidence to articulate complex problems and solutions in a simple, logical and impactful manner with groups ranging from board rooms to business unit leads, and to constructively challenge team members and leadership to ensure the right client outcomes and value are delivered

  • First class written and verbal communication skills

  • Some exposure and/or involvement in sales origination, coupled with an entrepreneurial mind-set

  • Some involvement with the commercial management of consulting engagements

  • An ability to challenge a client's thinking by diplomatically providing an objective and independent point of view.

  • Proven ability to work creatively and analytically in a problem-solving environment

  • An ability to identify opportunities based on your deep understanding of our offerings and our client’s issues.

  • Experience managing large teams through complex situations, adapting quickly and helping others navigate change.

  • Experience structuring activities that play to a team's strengths and provide opportunities for others to grow.

  • Experience working through organizational change, developing and implementing creative solutions and closely partnering with clients to regularly confirm expectations are met and value delivered.

  • Clear understanding of key methodologies, approaches and market trends in the industry.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher

What’s in it for you

At Accenture, in addition to a competitive basic salary, you will also have an extensive benefits package which includes 30 days of vacation per year, access to app-based fitness classes and discounts on range of gyms, private medical insurance and three days leave per year for charitable work of your choice!

We strive to help our people create the right work-life balance that allows them to realise their full potential. Please speak to your recruiter about the working pattern that works best for you.
 

Location:
Your home office will be in London. This role is client-facing and may therefore involve travel, working in other parts of the UK as well as overseas depending on the needs of the project.

Closing Date for Applications 31/10/2021

Accenture reserves the right to close the role prior to this date should a suitable applicant be found.

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