Director, Governance & Cross-Functional Operations

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a USMA Director, Governance & Cross-Functional Operations based in United States.

• Operating Model & Strategy: Design, implement, and continuously improve cross-functional operating models across Medical Governance, Contracting & Business Solutions, Clinical Drug Supply, and other assigned Medical Affairs capabilities, translating strategic priorities into clear plans, governance structures, decision rights, milestones, dependencies, resources, risks, and performance measures.
• Operational Effectiveness: Assess current-state processes, identify root causes of fragmentation or delays, and implement practical improvements covering intake, prioritization, handoffs, service expectations, escalation, issue resolution, documentation, and performance management.
• Governance Leadership: Lead and evolve the Medical Governance framework, including governance forums, risk and CAPA oversight, audit readiness, annual health checks, decision documentation, dashboards, and leadership reporting.
• Organizational Development: Strengthen organizational effectiveness through role clarity, objective setting, coaching, performance management, talent development, succession planning, resource allocation, and accountability for delivery.
• Clinical Drug Supply Partnership: Work with Clinical Drug Supply teams to strengthen forecasting, planning, ordering, packaging, labeling, distribution, inventory visibility, vendor coordination, issue escalation, and supply continuity across Medical Affairs studies and programs.
• Transformation Architecture: Define transformation strategies, future-state visions, operating models, design principles, capability requirements, roadmaps, and value measures while aligning people, processes, governance, technology, data, and decision rights.
• Transformation Execution: Establish governance mechanisms, implementation playbooks, decision frameworks, dashboards, and enabling tools that support scalable execution, manage dependencies and risks, and maintain alignment from design through implementation.
• Change & Adoption: Orchestrate adoption across U.S., global, and operational delivery teams through stakeholder alignment, communications, role clarity, capability building, technology enablement, and leader-led change.
• Strategic Partnership: Act as a thought partner to functional leaders, translating complex operational challenges into clear recommendations, decisions, implementation plans, and measurable outcomes while influencing senior stakeholders without relying on direct authority.
• AI, Digital & Analytics: Promote responsible AI adoption and use automation, analytics, collaboration platforms, and digital workflow tools to streamline operations, improve decision-making, and increase quality and efficiency while maintaining appropriate privacy, legal, compliance, and quality controls.
• Continuous Improvement: Foster enterprise thinking, proactive problem-solving, shared ownership, continuous learning, and cross-functional collaboration while tracking transformation outcomes, adoption, and value realization.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, operations, technology, life sciences, or a related field is required; an advanced degree is preferred.
• Industry Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience within pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, supply chain, or another highly regulated industry.
• Transformation Leadership: Proven experience leading strategy, transformation, organizational effectiveness, or capability development within complex matrix organizations; consulting or agency experience is preferred.
• Operating Model Expertise: Demonstrated success designing and implementing complex cross-functional operating models and large-scale transformation or operational excellence initiatives through sustained adoption.
• Medical Affairs Knowledge: Broad understanding of Medical Affairs operations, including governance, contracting, vendor management, clinical drug supply, quality, compliance, risk management, audit readiness, and evidence generation.
• Organizational Effectiveness: Ability to diagnose organizational and operational challenges and translate findings into clearer roles, decision rights, processes, systems, technology, stakeholder engagement, and team-level solutions.
• Program Leadership: Strong capabilities in planning, prioritization, dependency management, risk management, implementation, and value realization across complex programs.
• Data & Decision-Making: Advanced ability to synthesize quantitative and qualitative data, external evidence, and stakeholder insights into clear recommendations.