Sr. Director of Strategic Insights & Data Science

Job Scope:

The Sr. Director of Strategic Insights & Data Science will spearhead the establishment of a world-class team to deliver a robust data strategy - advancing capabilities to collect, maintain and activate real-time data & insights, and establishing market leading practices in strategic foresight, data-driven decision-making and value-creating competitive advantage. The ideal candidate is a visionary leader with deep expertise in preferably life sciences and / or pharma, passion for innovation, and a proven track record in leveraging data & insights to influence strategic direction and business growth.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Market Insights & Data Leadership:

• Develops and implements the organization's market insights, data and research strategy, that supports business and marketing objectives & growth targets.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team, offering multi-faceted data & insights to shape business strategies, innovation, and differentiated market positioning.
• Advocates for a data-driven culture and customer-centric decision-making by demonstrating the strategic value of data & insights to all types of stakeholders.

2. Data Infrastructure & Market Insights Integration:

• Oversees the development of a secure, scalable data ecosystem that ensures collection, analysis, and integrity of market, trends, and competitive intelligence across global markets.
• Introduces processes and tools to continuously monitor customer needs, satisfaction metrics, actionable insights into market dynamics, customer needs, and emerging opportunities.
• Drives the creation of predictive models and analytics to forecast industry trends, and to accelerate the development of a future-back insights ecosystem. 

3. Research Excellence:

• Leads primary and secondary research initiatives, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and alignment with business priorities.
• Leverages external data sources (e.g., syndicated industry reports, third-party analytics) while building internal capabilities.
• Cultivates relationships with external research organizations, academic institutions, and thought leaders to access cutting-edge customer, competitive, and industry insights, proxy data and benchmark statistics.
• Establishes rigorous methodologies and quality standards for research activities, ensuring data integrity and credibility.

4. Team Leadership and Development:

• Builds and leads a high-performing Market Research, Data and Insights team, fostering a culture of collaboration & industry-leading excellence, and ensuring the growth of key capabilities around data engineering and primary data & insights generation.
• Mentors and develops marketing talent, to ensure they also possess the skills and expertise to hone-in on insights and address evolving business needs.
• Helps set clear performance expectations and KBIs for marketing sub-teams, ensuring alignment with enterprise and marketing organizational goals.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Partners with marketing, sales, R&D, and executive leadership to integrate data & insights into product development, customer engagement (not only pre-acquisition but also retention, and loyalty), marketing performance and strategic planning.
• Evaluates, enhances, and implements advanced dashboards and visualization tools for cross-functional decision-making.
• Functions as a thought leader, presenting findings and recommendations in a clear, compelling manner to stakeholders at all levels.

6. Innovation and Continuous Improvement:

• Identifies and implements advanced tools, emerging technologies, and globally standardized - regionally applicable techniques to enhance research capabilities and analytical depth.
• Stays abreast of industry developments, emerging trends, and innovative practices to ensure the marketing department remains at the forefront of market excellence.

Qualifications and Experience:

Education:

• Preferably advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) in Business, Life Sciences, Market Research, Psychology, Sociology, or a related field
• Complemented by recent certification or demonstrated expertise in data analytics, artificial intelligence, or emerging technologies, reflecting current trends and innovations shaping human insights and decision-making.

Qualifications:

•  15+ years of leadership experience in market insights, research, or strategic analytics roles, preferably within the biotechnology, life sciences or pharma industry.
• Ability to develop and execute comprehensive market research strategies that drive business outcomes.
• Successful track record in leading cross-functional teams and managing complex projects in a global environment.

Technical Expertise:

• Proficiency in advanced research tools, analytics platforms, and methodologies.
• Proven success in building data infrastructure and insights capabilities in environments with minimal existing resources.
• Strong understanding of bio technology and / or life sciences market dynamics, customer behavior, and regulatory landscapes. 

Leadership Attributes:

• Visionary thinker with a strategic mindset and ability to influence at the executive level.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and storytelling skills to translate data into impactful narratives.
• A collaborative, results-oriented leader who fosters innovation and empowers teams.

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