Practice Area Leader, Data, AI & Analytics Strategy

Description


The Practice Leader, Data, AI & Analytics Strategy is responsible for setting the vision, direction, and commercial success of the firm's Data & Analytics consulting capability. This leader oversees a portfolio of client engagements and a multi level team, ensuring data, analytics and AI are used to solve real, near term pharma client problems.

The Practice Leader shapes how data strategy is developed, how complex data is interpreted, and how insights are translated into business decisions across the entire consulting business.
The role combines strategic leadership, commercial accountability, and hands on client engagement, and is accountable for practice growth, talent development, delivery quality, and cross functional partnership.

Core Responsibilities
Practice Strategy & Direction

• Define and evolve the Data, AI & Analytics consulting strategy aligned to client demand and enterprise priorities
• Establish a clear point of view on:
  • How data and analytics should be used to address pharma client questions
  • Where analytics creates value now
• Ensure the practice remains client led, insight driven, and commercially grounded
• Translate business problems into scalable and repeatable AI solutions

Client Advisory & Thought Partnership

• Serve as a senior trusted advisor to pharma and biotech clients
• Guide clients in:
  • Framing business problems solvable through data and analytics
  • Understanding what data is available and how best to use it
  • Interpreting complex, imperfect datasets to drive decisions
• Maintain close proximity to client teams-credible in their language, pressures, and timelines
• Balance strategic perspective with practical, actionable recommendations

Commercial Growth & Market Impact

• Own practice level growth, pipeline contribution, and sales targets
• Lead and support opportunity shaping, proposal development and analytical storytelling in client pitches
• Support a quick and repeatable selling cycle, focused on:
  • Immediate client needs
  • Tangible analytics use cases
  • Pragmatic solutions with clear ROI
• Partner closely with Consulting and Commercial leadership to expand accounts and build durable analytics led revenue streams

Delivery Excellence & Analytics Leadership

• Ensure delivery teams leverage analytics effectively to:
  • Answer client questions
  • Generate insight, not just outputs
  • Inform recommendations and decisions
• Guide complex analytics efforts focused on:
  • Data synthesis
  • Interpretation across sources
  • Insight development -not technology platform construction
• Ensure consistently high quality, defensible, and decision ready client deliverables

People Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, develop, and retain a multi layered analytics and consulting team, including Directors, MDs, Managers, and individual contributors
• Build a scalable, high impact practice team across architecture, data science, and consulting embedded in real client work
• Foster collaboration across Consulting, Technology, Commercial, and Clinical partners
• Build a strong culture of ownership, pragmatism, and teamwork

Ideal Background & Experience

• MBA or a graduate degree in a life sciences field
• Known authority in the market in a particular industry function or domain; able to leverage external network to improve profitable revenues and market positioning
• A strong history of successfully selling, delivering and growing revenues
• Demonstrated new business experience, from organic growth to RFI/RFP planning, development, and execution
• Demonstrated competency in building high performing, customer-focused teams
• Financial acumen in business planning and forecasting
• 12-15+ years of experience in life sciences consulting, strategy, and/or analytics
• Experience leveraging AI in support of data strategy, advanced analytics, and decision driven problem solving
• Proven track record of:
  • Leading consulting practices or large capability areas
  • Driving commercial growth through client led analytics work
  • Managing and developing senior consulting leaders
• Deep understanding of pharma and life science industry
• Strong ability to connect data strategy to client decision making
• Demonstrated success operating in mid size consulting environments where leaders must balance strategy, sales, and delivery

What Success Looks Like

• A well defined, respected Data & Analytics consulting practice with clear market relevance
• Strong, sustained analytics led revenue growth
• Clients view the firm as a go to partner for applied, decision driven analytics
• Data strategy is seen as a core enabler of Consulting impact, not a parallel technical function

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $X to $Y. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate's qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role. In addition, some positions may include eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and / or individual performance.

At Syneos Health, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. If your past experience doesn't align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. At times, we will consider transferable skills from previous roles. We also encourage you to join our Talent Network to stay connected to additional career opportunities.

Why Syneos Health? Here, you're a part of the big picture. You will collaborate with colleagues across clinical and commercial disciplines to guide premarket development through post-market commercial strategy. Every project is a chance to solve a new challenge, learn from your colleagues, and advance your career. The diversification and breadth of our new and existing partnerships create a multitude of career paths and employment opportunities. Join our game-changing, global company dedicated to creating better, smarter, faster ways to get biopharmaceutical therapies to patients. Experience the thrill of knowing that your everyday efforts are contributing to improving patients' lives around the world.

W o r k H e r e M a t t e r s E v e r y w h e r e | How are you inspired to change lives?

Syneos Health companies are affirmative action/equal opportunity employers (Minorities/Females/Veterans/Disabled)

At Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance. The benefits for this position will include a competitive compensation package, Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time. Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos Health complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.