VP, R&D Pipeline & Project Management

Essential Functions

Strategic Portfolio Leadership & Governance Support

Oversee the integrated R&D pipeline strategy, ensuring alignment of priorities, resources, and risk based decision making, ensuring alignment to corporate priorities and therapeutic area strategies. Strengthen pipeline governance and decision processes, evolving R&D governance practices across the pipeline. Partner with FP&A, Commercial, Medical, and R&D leaders to align pipeline and portfolio plans with strategic value and fiscal constraints. Ensure program analytics allowing strengthened evidence-based prioritization decisions. Own and continuously improve pipeline governance, including cross program reviews, stage-gate readiness, and decision cadence. Provide clear, data-driven insights to support executive decisions on investment, resourcing, risk, and pipeline trade-offs. Proactively identify and manage cross program risks, interdependencies, and strategic delivery constraints. Own and continuously improve governance, including pipeline reviews, stage-gate readiness, and decision cadence. Provide clear, data-driven insights to support executive decisions on investment, resourcing, risk, and pipeline trade-offs. Proactively identify and manage cross program risks, interdependencies, and strategic delivery constraints.

Strategic R&D Planning

Identify strategic gaps in project delivery, resource utilization, deployment and optimization, or operations-and propose targeted transformation initiatives. Co-develop the R&D transformation roadmap aligned with corporate priorities and growth strategy. Shape long-term strategic objectives, operating models and digital capability priorities and translate into tactical execution plans across program/project operations, functional enablement, process improvement, and system adoption. Identify structural and process inefficiencies across R&D and propose high-impact initiatives with clearly defined KPIs and ROI.

R&D Transformation

In collaboration with the Transformation Office this role has accountability to shape, lead, and govern the global R&D transformation agenda, partnering with R&D leadership to deliver a comprehensive transformation strategy that advances Jazz's R&D pipeline ambitions. Lead planning, implementation, and execution of multiple transformation programs across R&D, ensuring high quality delivery and measurable business impact. Introduce new ways of working that enhance R&D efficiency, speed, and decision making quality. Anticipate future changes and emerging trends to advance long term agenda and strategy. Serve as principal thought partner to the EVP, R&D on strategic organizational evolution ensuring industry-competitive capabilities across R&D functional areas. Lead operational and digital transformation leading process mapping, root cause analysis, and optimization efforts across the R&D lifecycle usingLean Six Sigmatools (e.g., DMAIC, SIPOC, FMEA). Lead process mapping, root cause analysis, and optimization efforts across the R&D lifecycle usingLean Six Sigmatools (e.g., DMAIC, SIPOC, FMEA). Implement scalable solutions to digitize workflows or optimize R&D systems (e.g., EDC, CTMS, eTMF, IRT, safety systems) to reduce cycle times, improve data flow and enhance data-driven decision making.

Cross Functional R&D Project Management

Define and oversee standardized pipeline, programme, and project management practices across R&D. Ensure strong discipline in planning, change control, risk management, dependency management, and reporting. Monitor cross portfolio pipeline performance using data and analytics, providing regular updates to senior leadership and stakeholders, identifying and executing interventions. Lead complex, cross functional transformation projects, ensuring structured plans, cross functional alignment, and timely and costdisciplined delivery. Drive functional adoption of updated R&D operating models, systems, and processes. Identify and remove roadblocks to ensure successful delivery of transformation initiatives. Communicate complex issues in clear and actionable formats to executive leadership bodies (e.g., RDLT, Executive Committee, Board). Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and accountability across R&D.

Change & Executive Stakeholder Management

Drive collaborative alignment across stakeholders in R&D and at an enterprise level, ensuring cross functional input, clarity and ownership. Influence and collaborate with senior leaders across Jazz to secure buy in and build shared commitment to transformation objectives. Build strong, trust-based relationships with senior leaders, programme sponsors, and functional partners to drive engagement, and sustained execution. Communicate programme vision, progress, and outcomes in a clear and compelling way. ApplyProsci's ADKARor similar frameworks to structure adoption plans for process, systems, and culture shifts

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in scientific, business, or related discipline required; advanced degree. (MBA, MS, PhD) is strongly preferred.

• Significant experience in a globally matrixed pharmaceutical/biotech R&D, including transformation and portfolio project leadership.

• Extensive experience in Portfolio Project Leadership and governance within the biopharma sector and in-depth knowledge of drug development and global operating models.

• Proven experience in shaping, refining and executing functional / enterprise-wide strategies to enable transformation and long-term business growth.

• Ability to influence and mobilize teams through direct leadership and matrixed cross functional collaboration to accelerate change

• Outstanding people leadership grounded in Jazz values including; building alignment, inspiring followership and fostering conditions needed for cultural and operational growth

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including presentations to large groups, and attention to detail and ability to understand, interpret and explain clinical data.

• Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred