Strategic Innovation Director

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Strategic Innovation Director based in the United States.

This Director-level role shapes enterprise innovation strategies that influence growth, differentiation, and the long-term direction of a global diagnostics portfolio.
You will operate at the intersection of healthcare strategy, innovation, technology, clinical needs, and business development.
The role offers significant visibility and the opportunity to influence investment decisions, portfolio priorities, and future innovation roadmaps.
You will lead complex, cross-functional initiatives from opportunity identification and evaluation through strategic decision-making and execution.
Working with senior stakeholders across strategy, marketing, R&D, medical affairs, customer service, and commercial operations, you will turn market and clinical insights into actionable opportunities.
You will also assess partnerships, licensing opportunities, venture investments, and M&A prospects using rigorous commercial, technical, and financial analysis.
This is an ideal opportunity for a strategic leader who thrives in ambiguity, brings strong executive presence, and wants to create meaningful impact across healthcare.

Accountabilities:

• Define and advance the strategic innovation agenda, ensuring alignment with enterprise priorities, clinical needs, market opportunities, and long-term growth objectives.
• Identify and prioritize unmet clinical and technological needs, emerging innovation areas, market dynamics, competitive developments, and other external trends that may shape business and R&D strategy.
• Lead enterprise-level innovation initiatives through structured, stage-gated processes covering opportunity definition, evaluation, risk assessment, negotiation, and launch.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams and senior stakeholders to move strategic innovation opportunities from initial insight through informed investment and execution decisions.
• Conduct and oversee market, clinical, technical, intellectual property, and asset valuation assessments to evaluate potential licensing, collaboration, partnership, venture investment, and M&A opportunities.
• Develop rigorous business cases and strategic recommendations that clearly articulate opportunity, risk, value potential, and strategic fit.
• Build and maintain portfolio analytics, KPIs, standard processes, and performance insights to support data-driven strategic decisions.
• Monitor innovation portfolio performance and identify opportunities to improve prioritization, investment allocation, and strategic outcomes.
• Deliver concise, compelling, and executive-ready recommendations to senior leadership to inform portfolio direction, business strategy, and investment decisions.
• Establish effective collaboration and communication across globally distributed teams and diverse business functions.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders and negotiate effectively to advance strategic opportunities.
• Provide strategic leadership and direction across initiatives while adapting priorities and approaches as the innovation function evolves.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; an advanced degree is preferred, particularly in a clinical, scientific, engineering, healthcare, or related discipline.
• 10+ years of professional experience within healthcare, including medtech, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, consulting, investing, or related environments.
• At least 5 years of experience in strategy, business development, corporate development, management consulting, venture investing, open innovation, or a comparable strategic function.
• Strong understanding of the diagnostics and broader healthcare ecosystem, including clinical workflows, healthcare providers, payers, pharmaceutical companies, research institutions, and emerging technology organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-level, cross-functional strategic innovation initiatives using structured evaluation and decision-gate processes.
• Proven experience assessing external opportunities through market and technical diligence, intellectual property analysis, asset valuation, commercial assessment, and strategic-fit evaluation.
• Strong strategic thinking and analytical capabilities, with the ability to synthesize complex market, clinical, technical, and financial information into actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and stakeholders, align competing priorities, and drive decisions in complex and ambiguous environments.
• Strong negotiation and partnership-management skills, with sound business judgment and the ability to evaluate and advance external opportunities.
• Excellent executive presence, communication, facilitation, and presentation skills, including the ability to develop senior leadership- and Board-ready recommendations.
• Ability to work collaboratively across functions including strategy, business development, marketing, R&D, medical affairs, customer service, and commercial operations.
• Comfortable operating independently in a remote, globally distributed environment and collaborating across multiple time zones.
• Willingness to travel up to approximately 30% as required.

Benefits

• Competitive annual base salary ranging from $143,900 to $197,868 USD .
• Medical insurance coverage.
• Dental insurance coverage.
• Vision insurance coverage.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Life insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Paid sick and safe time.
• Paid parking and/or public transportation benefits, where applicable.
• Remote-based work environment with flexibility to collaborate across global time zones.
• Opportunity to lead high-visibility strategic innovation initiatives with enterprise-wide impact.
• Exposure to senior leadership and multidisciplinary teams across strategy, R&D, commercial operations, medical affairs, and other functions.
• Opportunity to influence investment decisions, portfolio strategy, partnerships, and the future direction of healthcare innovation.
• Collaborative, inclusive environment focused on professional growth, innovation, and meaningful healthcare outcomes.

How Jobgether works:

We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.

We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!

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We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.