Position Summary
The Pharmaceutical & Specialty Solutions Segment distributes branded and generic pharmaceutical, specialty pharmaceutical and over-the-counter healthcare and consumer products in the United States. This segment also provides services to pharmaceutical manufacturers and healthcare providers for specialty pharmaceutical products; operates nuclear pharmacies and radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities; provides pharmacy management services to hospitals, as well as medication therapy management and patient outcomes services to hospitals, other healthcare providers and payers; and repackages generic pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter healthcare products.
Strategic Planning is responsible for leadership, direction and expertise in the development of business strategy, strategic management disciplines and business analytics that support the company’s mission, vision and valuation objectives, in close collaboration with business leaders. Strategy & Business Development is responsible for developing and supporting the realization of strategic plans and management agendas including organic and inorganic growth initiatives.
The Vice President, Strategy & Business Development will focus on Cardinal Health’s upstream and downstream Specialty businesses and will report into the Senior Vice President, Strategy & Business Development for the Pharmaceutical Segment. S/he will be responsible for identifying and leading strategic projects that will drive growth for the company, bringing to bear both thought leadership and project leadership to create momentum and enable action.
Responsibilities
- Lead strategy development for the Specialty businesses and create linkages across the business strategies where appropriate
- Lead the development of and prepare best-in-class content to support strategic recommendations
- Anticipate and build alignment around the evolution of the industry landscape
- Determine strategic direction by identifying gaps in the existing portfolio as well as determining capabilities to scale which could be increased
- Lead or assist with the creation of all phases of a business case (e.g., market analysis, value proposition, strategic fit, economic models and launch) to support a new initiative
- Proactively prospect for, develop and maintain a pipeline of strategic opportunities
- Drive business unit merger and acquisition processes from the business unit perspective, in conjunction with Corporate Development. Remain involved in acquisitions post-integration with a vested interest in ensuring the acquisition becomes sustainable post integration
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the leaders across the Specialty businesses and collaborate with them in the development of strategic direction and objectives
- Serve as a senior people leader for the Strategy and Business Development team, with responsibility for hiring, coaching, developing, and managing team members while fostering a culture of accountability, growth, and high performance
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Master’s degree in business or related area strongly preferred
- Minimum of 10 years of experience in strategy and/or healthcare roles, preferred
- Strong understanding of strategic thinking, business acumen and analytical methods
- Demonstrated familiarity and understanding of the strategic landscape and competitive environment for specialty pharmaceuticals and related healthcare services
- Mergers and acquisitions and/or partnership development experience preferred
- Strategic thinker with the ability to develop actionable, high-value strategies
- Collaborator to leverage resources and capabilities across teams
- Influential leader and trusted advisor with the highest integrity
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to alter for varying audiences
- Innovative coupled with an entrepreneurial spirit
- Strong financial acumen and business savvy
- Individually motivated
Anticipated salary range: $166,300 - $281,270
Bonus eligible: Yes
Benefits: Cardinal Health offers a wide variety of benefits and programs to support health and well-being.
- Medical, dental and vision coverage
- Paid time off plan
- Health savings account (HSA)
- 401k savings plan
- Access to wages before pay day with myFlexPay
- Flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
- Short- and long-term disability coverage
- Work-Life resources
- Paid parental leave
- Healthy lifestyle programs
Application window anticipated to close: 7/31/2026 *if interested in opportunity, please submit application as soon as possible.
**The salary range listed is an estimate. Pay at Cardinal Health is determined by multiple factors including, but not limited to, a candidate’s geographical location, relevant education, experience and skills and an evaluation of internal pay equity.
Candidates who are back-to-work, people with disabilities, without a college degree, and Veterans are encouraged to apply.
Cardinal Health supports an inclusive workplace that values diversity of thought, experience and background. We celebrate the power of our differences to create better solutions for our customers by ensuring employees can be their authentic selves each day. Cardinal Health is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, veteran status, marital status, creed, status with regard to public assistance, genetic status or any other status protected by federal, state or local law.
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Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business or related field
- Master's degree in Business or related field
- 10+ years of experience in strategy and/or healthcare roles
- Strong understanding of strategic thinking, business acumen, and analytical methods
- Familiarity with specialty pharmaceuticals and related healthcare services competitive landscape
- Mergers and acquisitions and/or partnership development experience
- Ability to develop actionable, high-value strategies
- Collaborative ability to leverage resources and capabilities across teams
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
- Strong financial acumen and business savvy
- Proven leadership ability to hire, coach, and manage teams
Cardinal Health Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Cardinal Health and has not been reviewed or approved by Cardinal Health.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid time off is frequently described as generous, including examples like multiple weeks of vacation, additional sick days, and in some roles even “unlimited” or untracked time off. Parental leave, paid holidays, and volunteer time further broaden the overall leave offering.
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Healthcare Strength — Medical, dental, and vision coverage is positioned as comprehensive, with added supports such as preventive care, telehealth/clinic access, mental health resources, and EAP counseling. Wellness programs and incentives (e.g., premium discounts tied to checkups or healthy lifestyle actions) add to the perceived breadth of healthcare-related support.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) with company match, along with programs like stock purchase/equity participation and charitable matching, contribute to a stronger total rewards picture beyond base pay. Additional financial supports such as disability coverage and early wage access also enhance the overall package.
Cardinal Health Insights
What We Do
Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products, and a provider of performance and data solutions for healthcare facilities. With 50 years in business, operations in more than 35 countries and approximately 44,000 employees globally, Cardinal Health is essential to care. We are navigating the complexities of healthcare and providing scaled solutions to help our customers thrive in a changing world. We strive to be a trusted healthcare partner by driving growth in evolving areas of healthcare, while building upon our distribution, products, and solutions to meet customer needs.







