Associate Director – Strategy & Consulting, Life Sciences (Pharmaceutical R&D)
About the Role
As an Associate Director in Accenture’s Life Sciences Strategy & Consulting practice, you will lead high-impact strategy and transformation engagements for pharmaceutical clients, with a particular focus on Research & Development. You will help R&D leaders address their most critical challenges across discovery, preclinical, clinical development, clinical operations, portfolio strategy, and operating model transformation.
This role combines deep pharmaceutical R&D expertise, strong consulting leadership, and commercial acumen. You will serve as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, lead multidisciplinary teams, shape strategic recommendations, and help grow Accenture’s Life Sciences practice through business development, thought leadership, and talent development.
Key Responsibilities
Client Leadership & Strategic Advisory
- Serve as a trusted advisor to senior R&D stakeholders, including Heads of Research, Translational Medicine, Clinical Development, Clinical Operations, Regulatory, and Portfolio Strategy.
- Lead executive-level problem solving on topics such as R&D strategy, innovation models, portfolio prioritization, development productivity, trial modernization, and target operating model design.
- Translate complex client issues into structured hypotheses, workplans, decision frameworks, and pragmatic recommendations linked to measurable business outcomes.
Engagement Delivery
- Lead end-to-end engagements across diagnostic, strategy, design, and transformation phases, ensuring high-quality delivery and lasting client impact.
- Oversee the development of business cases, operating models, governance structures, implementation roadmaps, and executive-level communications.
- Manage risks, interdependencies, and senior stakeholder alignment across complex, global, cross-functional programs.
Pharmaceutical R&D Expertise
- Bring deep expertise across the pharma R&D value chain, including discovery, preclinical development, early and late-stage clinical development, clinical operations, regulatory interfaces, and portfolio management.
- Advise clients on key challenges such as R&D productivity improvement, asset and portfolio prioritization, clinical trial innovation, digital and AI enablement in R&D, external innovation partnerships, and governance redesign.
- Connect strategy to execution by working closely with Accenture teams across Technology, Data & AI, and Operations to deliver integrated transformation solutions.
Business Development & Practice Growth
- Identify, qualify, and shape new opportunities within existing and prospective pharmaceutical accounts.
- Lead or co-lead proposals, RFP responses, commercial discussions, and client presentations with clear articulation of value and differentiation.
- Develop repeatable offerings, methodologies, and thought leadership focused on pharmaceutical R&D transformation and innovation.
- Contribute to the growth of the Life Sciences practice through market-facing initiatives, alliance development, and internal capability building.
People Leadership
- Lead and develop multidisciplinary teams across consulting, analytics, industry, and technology capabilities.
- Coach Managers, Consultants, and Analysts, providing direction, apprenticeship, and feedback to support growth and performance.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture that encourages innovation, accountability, and excellence.
Thought Leadership & Innovation
- Develop points of view and thought leadership on emerging topics such as AI-enabled drug discovery, precision medicine, platform trials, decentralized and hybrid trials, real-world data, and evolving regulatory expectations.
- Represent Accenture in client forums, industry events, and internal communities as a visible leader in pharmaceutical R&D strategy and transformation.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
- Typically 12+ years of relevant experience in management consulting AND the pharmaceutical industry, with significant exposure to R&D strategy, transformation, or operations.
- Proven track record leading complex consulting engagements or enterprise initiatives in pharmaceutical R&D.
- Demonstrated experience advising senior stakeholders at VP, SVP, or C-suite level.
- Strong experience in several of the following areas: R&D strategy, portfolio management, clinical development, clinical operations, trial innovation, operating model design, digital/data/AI in R&D, regulatory transformation, or external innovation.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple workstreams, budgets, and senior stakeholders in an international environment.
- Professional fluency in English & French.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree strongly preferred, such as MBA, MSc, PhD, PharmD, MD, or equivalent.
- Direct experience within a pharmaceutical R&D organization, or a strong track record serving R&D clients in a top-tier consulting environment.
- Experience with large-scale business transformation, digital transformation, or global process harmonization in R&D.
- Familiarity with data and analytics platforms, AI/ML use cases, and digital capabilities relevant to drug discovery and development.
- Experience operating in global, matrixed organizations and multicultural teams.
Core Skills & Attributes
- Strong strategic thinking and structured problem solving.
- Deep credibility in pharmaceutical R&D, with the ability to connect scientific, operational, and business priorities.
- Executive presence and strong facilitation skills with senior client audiences.
- Commercial acumen, including opportunity shaping, proposal development, and deal support.
- Strong people leadership, coaching, and team-building capabilities.
- High level of ownership, resilience, and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
Additional Information
- Willingness to travel to client sites as required by project needs and local policy.
- Comfortable working in hybrid and distributed team models across geographies and time zones.
Paris
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