Head of Digital, Pharmaceutical Technical Development - Pharma Technical Operations
Roche
Summary
The Head of Digital, Pharmaceutical Technical Development (PTD) role reports to the Global Head of Digital Strategy and Value Realization and is accountable to defining the digital strategy of the research side of PTD, leading a global team to architect and implement transformative data/digital solutions, and serving as the ultimate Product/Value Owner to ensure the sustained realization of measurable value aligned with PT's performance promises. This position will also sit on the PTD Leadership Team.
Job description
Enterprise Vision and Strategic Leadership
- Define and champion the digital vision and strategy across the research side of PTD, orchestrating alignment and providing leadership to Executive Leadership Teams (PTDLT and PTDx-LT) and global functional heads.
- Author and secure executive sponsorship for critical, high-impact initiatives that reshape PT's operating model.
- Translate strategy into current and future-state capability blueprints and executive-level executable roadmap.
- Govern the multi-year portfolio for PTD to ensure resource allocation directly supports the most critical PT business priorities and performance promises.
Executive Influence and Governance
- Serve as the principal, trusted advisor and expert counsel to functional and site Leadership Teams (LTs), influencing, challenging, and shaping their investment decisions toward highest-value lean and digital initiatives.
- Lead and execute PTD executive communication strategy, conveying strategic vision, roadmap progress, and realized business impact to all internal and external senior stakeholders and partners.
- Represent the value and priority of the roadmap use cases to the Digital Innovation Board (DIB) to ensure successful execution.
- Manage multiple large, potentially diverse teams of leaders and/or senior professional staff; provide input to department or division strategy.
Digital Transformation and Value Realization
- Lead executive-level diagnostics of complex, multi-functional business processes and value chains to proactively identify and validate disruptive, high-value digital products and transformation opportunities.
- Assume ultimate Product/Value Owner accountability for digital initiatives, catalyzing implementation and governing value capture across the entire lifecycle, including instilling a culture of rigorous impact measurement.
- Mandate and oversee the strategic transition of digital products into industrialized, sustainable operating models, ensuring receiving organizations are equipped for long-term value delivery and operational excellence.
- Proactively scout, define, and cultivate strategic alliances and partnerships with external technology companies, building a robust ecosystem around core strategic pillars to accelerate PT's digital advantage.
Organizational Enablement
- Sponsor and drive organizational change management and strategic capability-building initiatives (e.g., via AcademyX), ensuring executive adoption and a pervasive digital mindset across the organization.
- Lead the development and management of the global PTD digital communities, fostering cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing focused on maximizing value realization.
- Provide senior oversight for critical activities including PT portfolio management, workforce strategy, data governance, and strategic collaboration with RDT, gRED, and pRED leadership.
Who You Are
We require a proven Executive Leader who operates with profound business acumen and possesses a demonstrated history of shaping enterprise-wide strategy. This individual must be a recognized practitioner and passionate advocate of the VACC (Visionary, Architect, Coach, Catalyst) executive model, capable of influencing, challenging, and aligning C-suite and senior leadership to secure buy-in for transformative change.
Requirements
- BS/MS in Science or Engineering Field
- Minimum of 15+ years of progressive leadership and relevant industry experience
- 10+ years of experience leading and scaling global, matrixed organizations
- Experience in architecting and implementing digital transformations, preferably in the pharma industry
- Excellent knowledge of the pharma data ecosystem, informatics systems, tools, and techniques
- Experience in systems/data management and informatics strategy development and execution
- Exceptional executive presence, analytical, and written/verbal communication skills
- Substantive and successful track record of leading disruptive change and governing complex, transformative initiatives at scale
- Proven skill in building, guiding, and inspiring high-performing teams and architecting productive, high-stakes cross-functional collaborations
- Apply lean operations and state-of-the-art digital concepts; effectively commanding multiple, interdependent, enterprise-critical projects
- Unwavering focus on delivering measurable results and proactively identifying disruptive solutions through advanced strategic thinking
- Experience in managing budget and governing strategic vendor and partner relationships
Benefits
- Discretionary annual bonus
- Health insurance
- Relocation benefits not available
Company overview
Roche is a Swiss multinational healthcare company and a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, founded in 1896 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. As the world's largest biotech company and the fifth-largest pharmaceutical company by revenue, Roche operates through two primary divisions: Pharmaceuticals and Diagnostics. The company is renowned for its leadership in personalized healthcare, combining strengths in both drug development and diagnostic testing to deliver tailored treatments for patients. Roche maintains a strong focus on oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology, and central nervous system disorders, with a portfolio that includes over 30 medicines on the World Health Organization's Model Lists of Essential Medicines. The company owns significant subsidiaries including Genentech, Chugai Pharmaceuticals, Ventana Medical Systems, and Foundation Medicine. With approximately 103,000 employees worldwide and operations in over 100 countries, Roche has established itself as a leader in cancer treatments globally while maintaining a robust pipeline of innovative therapies and diagnostic solutions. The company's commitment to sustainability has been recognized through ten consecutive years as Group Leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry.