Associate Director – Strategy & Consulting, Life Sciences (Pharmaceutical R&D)

Join Accenture's Life Sciences Strategy & Consulting practice as an Associate Director. Lead high-impact strategy and transformation engagements for pharmaceutical clients, focusing on Research & Development. Serve as a trusted advisor to senior client stakeholders, lead multidisciplinary teams, and help grow Accenture's Life Sciences practice.

• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior R&D stakeholders, leading executive-level problem solving on topics such as R&D strategy, innovation models, and portfolio prioritization.
• Lead end-to-end engagements across diagnostic, strategy, design, and transformation phases, ensuring high-quality delivery and lasting client impact.
• Identify, qualify, and shape new opportunities within existing and prospective pharmaceutical accounts, leading proposals and commercial discussions.

**Basic Qualifications**

• Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Medicine, Engineering, Business, or a related field.
• Typically 12+ years of relevant experience in management consulting AND the pharmaceutical industry, with significant exposure to R&D strategy, transformation, or operations.
• Proven track record leading complex consulting engagements or enterprise initiatives in pharmaceutical R&D.
• Demonstrated experience advising senior stakeholders at VP, SVP, or C-suite level.
• Strong experience in several of the following areas: R&D strategy, portfolio management, clinical development, clinical operations, trial innovation, operating model design, digital/data/AI in R&D, regulatory transformation, or external innovation.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing multiple workstreams, budgets, and senior stakeholders in an international environment.
• Professional fluency in English & French.

**Preferred Qualifications**

• Advanced degree strongly preferred, such as MBA, MSc, PhD, PharmD, MD, or equivalent.
• Direct experience within a pharmaceutical R&D organization, or a strong track record serving R&D clients in a top-tier consulting environment.
• Experience with large-scale business transformation, digital transformation, or global process harmonization in R&D.
• Familiarity with data and analytics platforms, AI/ML use cases, and digital capabilities relevant to drug discovery and development.
• Experience operating in global, matrixed organizations and multicultural teams.

**Core Skills & Attributes**

• Strong strategic thinking and structured problem solving.
• Deep credibility in pharmaceutical R&D, with the ability to connect scientific, operational, and business priorities.
• Executive presence and strong facilitation skills with senior client audiences.
• Commercial acumen, including opportunity shaping, proposal development, and deal support.
• Strong people leadership, coaching, and team-building capabilities.
• High level of ownership, resilience, and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments.

**Additional Information**

• Willingness to travel to client sites as required by project needs and local policy.
• Comfortable working in hybrid and distributed team models across geographies and time zones.