Associate Director, Corporate Strategy (San Diego / Hybrid)
Illumina
Summary
The Associate Director, Corporate Strategy is an experienced enterprise strategist who leads major analytical workstreams and selected, bounded strategy engagements that inform Illumina's long-term direction and priority decisions. Working with a Director or Senior Director, the Associate Director translates an agreed strategic question into hypotheses, analyses, alternatives, and a clear synthesis; builds a trusted fact base; and turns complex findings into recommendations for senior leaders. The role operates across R&D, Product, Commercial, Finance, Corporate Development, Medical, Operations, and regional leadership in a global, science- and technology-driven environment. The Associate Director is an individual contributor who is expected to exercise substantial judgment over methods and analysis, identify when the initial framing is incomplete, and lead cross-functional contributors to an integrated answer without relying on formal reporting authority.
Job description
Essential Functions
- Lead major strategy workstreams and bounded engagements.
- Structure the problem and analytical approach.
- Build and validate the fact base.
- Develop alternatives and implications.
- Integrate functional expertise.
- Develop executive-ready communication.
- Lead project contributors and raise analytical quality.
- Support decision handoff and learning.
Key Competencies
- Structured problem solving
- Analytical and financial rigor
- Strategic synthesis
- Executive communication
- Scientific and technology fluency
- Project-team leadership
- AI-enabled strategy development
- Influence and working style
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in business, economics, finance, engineering, life sciences, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Typically requires 13-15 years of cumulative relevant experience.
- 3+ years in a top-tier global strategy consulting firm, such as McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, or a directly comparable firm.
- 2+ years directly supporting C-suite executives or equivalent senior decision-makers.
- 2+ years leading analytically complex strategy workstreams or bounded projects.
- 1+ year directing or coaching analysts, associates, consultants, or cross-functional contributors on strategy projects.
- Demonstrated direct use of AI-enabled approaches to accelerate strategy development.
- Strong structured problem-solving, quantitative analysis, financial modeling, scenario development, synthesis, presentation, and matrixed collaboration skills.
- Sound commercial and financial judgment and the ability to understand complex scientific and technology-driven markets.
Preferred Credentials
- MBA, master's degree, or other relevant advanced degree.
- Experience in genomics, life sciences, diagnostics, healthcare, or another technology-intensive industry.
- Exposure to both external advisory and in-house strategy environments.
- Experience contributing to ELT-level analyses or presentations in a public-company or similarly complex environment.
- Experience evaluating partnerships, acquisitions, or other inorganic options as part of a broader strategy.
Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in business, economics, finance, engineering, life sciences, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
- Typically requires 13-15 years of cumulative relevant experience.
- 3+ years in a top-tier global strategy consulting firm, such as McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, or a directly comparable firm.
- 2+ years directly supporting C-suite executives or equivalent senior decision-makers.
- 2+ years leading analytically complex strategy workstreams or bounded projects.
- 1+ year directing or coaching analysts, associates, consultants, or cross-functional contributors on strategy projects.
- Demonstrated direct use of AI-enabled approaches to accelerate strategy development.
- Strong structured problem-solving, quantitative analysis, financial modeling, scenario development, synthesis, presentation, and matrixed collaboration skills.
- Sound commercial and financial judgment and the ability to understand complex scientific and technology-driven markets.
Benefits
- Health insurance
- Dental insurance
- Vision insurance
- Retirement benefits
- Paid time off
- Family planning
- Genomics sequencing access
- Equity
Company overview
Illumina is a global leader in genomics technology, founded in 1998 and headquartered in San Diego, California. As a pioneering biotechnology company, Illumina specializes in developing, manufacturing, and marketing integrated systems for genetic analysis, with a primary focus on DNA sequencing and array-based technologies. The company's mission is to improve human health by unlocking the power of the genome, serving customers across research, clinical, and applied markets worldwide. Illumina's innovative platforms, including the NovaSeq, HiSeq, MiSeq, and NextSeq series, have revolutionized genomic research and clinical applications, enabling breakthroughs in personalized medicine, disease research, and drug development. With over 9,000 employees across 27 countries, Illumina has established itself as the dominant force in next-generation sequencing, processing more than 90% of all DNA sequencing data globally. The company's technologies support diverse applications from cancer research and rare disease diagnosis to agricultural genomics and infectious disease surveillance, making genomic insights accessible to researchers and clinicians worldwide.