Strategic Planning & Operations Manager

Career Category

OperationsJob Description

About the Role

• Increasing demand for observational research and real-world evidence (RWE) from regulatory and reimbursement authorities makes observational research a critical component of drug development and commercialization.
• The CfOR Strategic Planning & Operations Manager drives operational excellence, strategic execution, workforce planning, study operations, analytics, and digital transformation across the organization.
• This role requires expertise in business operations, study management, data analytics, dashboarding, forecasting, process optimization, and digital enablement.
• The ideal candidate is analytical, execution-oriented, and capable of translating complex operational data into actionable leadership insights using tools such as Power BI.

Strategic Planning & Business Operations

• Partner closely with CfOR leadership to support strategic planning, operational execution, workforce planning, and organizational initiatives.
• Drive cross-functional operational programs and strategic initiatives across global teams, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and priorities.
• Support leadership decision-making through business analysis, operational insights, scenario planning, and executive-ready presentations.
• Manage and track organizational priorities, risks, dependencies, timelines, and action plans across multiple workstreams.
• Support headcount management, staffing analysis, requisition tracking, organizational planning, resource forecasting, and capacity planning.
• Support operational budgeting, financial tracking, forecasting, and resource planning activities across organizational initiatives and study operations.
• Analyze resource utilization, portfolio demand, operational capacity, and forecasting trends to support leadership planning and prioritization decisions.
• Lead operational transformation initiatives and strategic special projects.
• Support organizational governance activities including leadership reviews, operational planning cadences, hiring alignment, and cross-functional coordination.
• Drive operational readiness initiatives across teams by improving visibility into resource capacity, prioritization, and execution tracking.
• Partner with functional leaders to streamline onboarding, collaboration models, knowledge management, and operational communication frameworks.

Data Analytics, Reporting & Visualization

• Develop and maintain executive dashboards, operational metrics, KPIs, and reporting frameworks using Power BI and other visualization tools.
• Translate operational, organizational, and portfolio data into actionable insights for senior leadership.
• Analyze trends across resource allocation, study delivery, operational efficiency, financials, forecasting, and portfolio performance to support strategic decisions.
• Build scalable reporting solutions that improve visibility, transparency, and operational governance across CfOR.
• Partner with stakeholders to define reporting standards, business requirements, and performance measurement frameworks.
• Develop integrated reporting solutions, forecasting models, and self-service dashboards across multiple operational data sources.
• Drive data quality, reporting consistency, process standardization, and governance across operational systems.

Study, Project & Program Management

• Lead operational planning, coordination, and execution of observational research studies and cross-functional operational initiatives.
• Partner with study teams, functional stakeholders, and vendors to support study timelines, deliverables, operational readiness, and execution tracking.
• Support end-to-end study operations including planning, governance, resource coordination, risk tracking, issue resolution, and stakeholder communication.
• Develop and maintain project plans, roadmaps, RAID logs, governance trackers, and operational documentation.
• Facilitate cross-functional meetings, manage dependencies, and ensure timely completion of operational and study-related milestones.
• Monitor portfolio progress, operational risks, execution metrics, and forecasting trends to support proactive decision-making.
• Communicate project and study status, risks, escalations, and key updates effectively to stakeholders and leadership.
• Support vendor coordination, budget tracking, financial monitoring, forecasting activities, and resource management.
• Operate effectively in fast-paced, matrixed environments with evolving priorities and competing business needs.
• Observational studies related compliance responsibilities & governance with understanding of Veeva vault, regulatory information management, inspection and submission Readiness.

Digital Transformation & Operational Excellence

• Lead adoption and optimization of digital collaboration and workflow tools including Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Miro, and Power Platform solutions.
• Support SharePoint governance, content organization, operational documentation, and knowledge management initiatives across teams.
• Evaluate and implement modern workflow management and collaboration tools that improve operational scalability and team effectiveness.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational processes through automation, standardization, and digital enablement.
• Leverage AI and productivity tools such as Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, and AI agents to streamline workflows, documentation, communications, reporting, and meeting management.
• Support experimentation and implementation of emerging technologies that enhance organizational efficiency and stakeholder engagement.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on scalability, operational maturity, and user experience.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Build strong collaborative relationships across CfOR, study teams, functional partners, and enterprise stakeholders.
• Influence stakeholders across varying levels of the organization through structured problem-solving, operational leadership, and data-driven recommendations.
• Prepare executive communications, dashboards, presentations, operational summaries, leadership business reviews, and forecasting updates.
• Facilitate alignment across geographically distributed teams through structured communication, governance processes, and operational planning.
• Act as a trusted strategic operations partner capable of balancing organizational priorities with tactical execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of experience in strategic operations, program management, business operations, analytics, or related roles within pharma, biotech, healthcare, consulting, or regulated industries.
• Strong expertise in Power BI, dashboard development, data visualization, operational analytics, and reporting automation.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Power BI, Microsoft O365, SharePoint, and modern workflow/project management platforms.
• Experience supporting operational management of observational research studies or cross-functional healthcare/pharma initiatives preferred.
• Experience building executive-level dashboards and presenting operational insights to senior leadership teams.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to synthesize large datasets into actionable recommendations.
• Proven ability to manage complex cross-functional projects in fast-paced, matrixed environments.
• Experience with Agile methodologies including SAFe, Scrum, and Kanban.
• Demonstrated ability to improve operational efficiency through automation, process optimization, and digital transformation initiatives.
• Familiarity with Power Platform tools (Power Automate, Power Apps) and workflow automation solutions preferred.
• Working knowledge of AI productivity tools such as Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT, AI agents, and other emerging digital solutions.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence across organizational levels.
• Experience supporting workforce planning, hiring coordination, resource management, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic planning activities.
• Experience with operational budgeting, portfolio forecasting, capacity planning, and business planning support preferred.
• Experience building scalable operational processes, governance frameworks, and executive reporting models in matrixed organizations preferred.
• Understanding of pharmaceutical development, real-world evidence, clinical operations, or healthcare business environments preferred.
• Knowledge of GxP, regulatory, and compliance environments is a plus with understanding of Veeva vault, regulatory information management, inspection and submission Readiness.

Key Success Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capabilities.
• Highly data-driven with strong business acumen.
• Comfortable balancing strategy, analytics, operations, and execution.
• Strong ownership mindset with ability to independently lead initiatives.
• Collaborative and relationship-oriented with excellent communication skills.
• Passion for innovation, continuous improvement, and leveraging technology to drive efficiency.
• Adaptable, agile, and capable of thriving in rapidly evolving environments.

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