Lead Program Manager - Strategic Initiatives

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve – we care.

What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people. If you want to be part of tomorrow’s health today, we want to hear from you.

Job Summary

The Lead Program Manager - Strategic Initiatives role is a senior individual contributor responsible for leading complex, cross‑functional programs that advance enterprise and functional strategy. This role owns end‑to‑end delivery of strategic initiatives from intake and planning through execution, governance, and value realization ensuring outcomes are achieved on time, within scope, and aligned to business priorities. The role requires strong program leadership, execution rigor, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders across a matrixed organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Program Leadership

• Own and lead large, complex, and high‑visibility programs aligned to enterprise strategy and business priorities.
• Translate strategic objectives into executable program plans, including scope, milestones, dependencies, resourcing, and success metrics.
• Ensure programs remain aligned to strategic intent while adapting plans based on changing business needs.

End‑to‑End Program Execution

• Drive disciplined program management across planning, execution, monitoring, and closure.
• Establish and manage integrated plans, schedules, risks, issues, dependencies, and financials.
• Proactively identify risks and delivery challenges; recommend and implement mitigation strategies.

Communication & Leadership

• Excellent leadership, communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence senior executives and guide large, distributed teams.
• Demonstrated success in stakeholder management and vendor management (defining contracts, tracking deliverables) is essential.

Governance, Reporting & Decision Support

• Design and operate program governance structures, including executive reviews, decision forums, and status reporting.
• Provide clear, concise, executive‑ready updates on progress, risks, tradeoffs, and decisions required.
• Track outcomes and benefits realization to ensure programs deliver intended business value.

Cross‑Functional Leadership & Influence

• Coordinate and influence cross‑functional teams across business, technology, finance, and operations.
• Act as a trusted partner to senior leaders, enabling alignment, accountability, and informed decision‑making.
• Navigate ambiguity and competing priorities while maintaining momentum and stakeholder confidence.

Change, Adoption & Operational Excellence

• Partner with change management and business leaders to support adoption of program outcomes.
• Drive consistent program management standards, tools, and best practices.
• Identify opportunities to improve program delivery effectiveness and operational rigor across the portfolio.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Technology, or a related field (MBA preferred).
• 8–12+ years of experience in program management, strategic initiatives, transformation, or management consulting.
• Proven experience leading large, cross‑functional programs with executive visibility.
• Strong strategic planning, risk management, financial, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without authority in complex, matrixed environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and PMP or Agile/Scrum certification highly desirable. Other valuable certifications include Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, SAFe, or specific technology/platform certifications (e.g. AWS, Azure).
• Experience leading enterprise technology, digital transformation, or operating‑model programs.
• Experience in healthcare or other highly regulated, large‑scale enterprise environments.

We are proud to offer a competitive compensation package at McKesson as part of our Total Rewards. This is determined by several factors, including performance, experience and skills, equity, regular job market evaluations, and geographical markets. The pay range shown below is aligned with McKesson's pay philosophy, and pay will always be compliant with any applicable regulations. In addition to base pay, other compensation, such as an annual bonus or long-term incentive opportunities may be offered. For more information regarding benefits at McKesson, please click here.

Our Base Pay Range for this position

$145,700 - $242,900

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McKesson is an Equal Opportunity Employer

McKesson provides equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other legally protected category. For additional information on McKesson’s full Equal Employment Opportunity policies, visit our Equal Employment Opportunity page.

McKesson is committed to being an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and offers opportunities to all job seekers including job seekers with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, please contact us by sending an email to (United States) View email address on aiapply.co or (Canada) View email address on aiapply.co . Resumes or CVs submitted to this email box will not be accepted.

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