Sr. Principal Program Mgmt Specialist

Director Of Transformation

The Director of Transformation will lead strategic and operational transformation initiatives across the organization, driving measurable improvements in performance, scalability, and customer value within a pharmaceutical services environment. This role is responsible for identifying, designing, and executing enterprise-wide initiatives that enhance operational efficiency, accelerate growth, and enable innovation across laboratory services, engineering, supply chain, and scientific operations. The ideal candidate combines strong business acumen, deep operational experience, and a proven track record of delivering complex transformation programs in highly regulated environments.

Transformation Strategy & Execution

• Lead the design and execution of end-to-end transformation programs aligned to corporate strategy and value creation objectives
• Identify and prioritize initiatives across operations, lab services, engineering, and support functions
• Drive implementation of large-scale change initiatives, ensuring delivery against timelines, budgets, and KPIs
• Establish and manage transformation roadmaps, including critical path dependencies and risk mitigation plans

Operational Excellence

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, and other operational excellence methodologies
• Optimize processes across lab operations, asset management, lab computing, and scientific services
• Deliver measurable improvements in cost efficiency, service quality, and throughput
• Standardize best practices across multiple sites and regions

Stakeholder Leadership

• Partner with senior leadership (P&L owners, site leaders, functional heads) to align on priorities and execution plans
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on transformation strategy and performance improvement
• Lead cross-functional teams and influence without direct authority in a matrixed organization

Must Have Skills

• Operations Transformation
• Lab Optimization
• Continuous Improvement
• Consulting

Financial Impact & Value Creation

• Identify and deliver EBITDA improvement opportunities through cost reduction, productivity gains, and revenue enablement
• Develop business cases and track financial impact of transformation initiatives
• Support private equity value creation plans where applicable

Program Governance & Change Management

• Establish governance frameworks, reporting cadence, and performance tracking mechanisms
• Drive change management efforts to ensure adoption and sustainability of new processes and tools
• Develop communication strategies to align stakeholders and maintain engagement

Digital & Innovation Enablement

• Partner with IT and digital teams to implement technology-driven improvements (e.g., lab systems, automation, data analytics)
• Champion data-driven decision-making and performance management

Qualifications

• Education & Experience
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred
• 10+ years of experience in transformation, operations, consulting, or strategy roles
• Experience in pharmaceutical services, life sciences, or highly regulated industries strongly preferred
• Proven track record of leading large-scale transformation or operational improvement initiatives
• Skills & Competencies
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate strategy into execution
• Deep knowledge of operational excellence methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma)
• Financial acumen with experience building and managing business cases
• Exceptional leadership and stakeholder management skills
• Strong communication and executive presence
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, matrixed environment

Key Success Metrics

• Delivery of transformation initiatives on time and within budget
• Measurable EBITDA improvement and cost savings
• Operational KPI improvements (e.g., productivity, turnaround time, service quality)
• Adoption and sustainability of implemented changes
• Stakeholder satisfaction and engagement