Associate Director, Strategic Operations & Commercial Solutions (m/f/d)

About this role

Responsibilities

• Executive partnership & strategic operations (~60%)
• Act as the VP’s primary strategic and operational partner: manage priorities, prepare executive-ready briefings, and ensure follow-through on decisions and commitments.
• Plan and drive preparation for senior leader meetings (internal and external): create agendas, pre-reads, talking points, and action logs; track and close follow-ups.
• Maintain a forward-looking view of milestones, deadlines, and risks; proactively surface issues and recommended actions to the VP.
• Represent the VP in selected internal and external meetings within agreed parameters; escalate or make decisions as appropriate.
• Build and sustain ways of working across the enterprise: create and maintain team operating rhythms (meeting cadences, reporting templates, governance mechanisms) and performance dashboards that improve clarity, enable faster decision-making, and reduce friction across franchises and markets.
• Improve team effectiveness by identifying and removing operational bottlenecks, converting strategic intent into executable workplans with clear owners and milestones, and recommend resource trade-offs to protect the team’s highest-value work.
• Commercial solutions & new launch execution (~40%)
• Lead design and activation of commercial partnership models that unlock sustainable access in L&MICs—engaging health systems, private-sector partners, NGOs, and financing bodies.
• Drive end-to-end project execution for new product launches in priority markets: scoping, planning, cross-functional alignment (Market Access, Medical, Regulatory, Finance, Regional Commercial), launch readiness, and post-launch review.
• Negotiate and structure partnership agreements that align incentives, clarify roles, and create clear pathways to scale and sustainability.
• Build and maintain project tracking systems and KPIs to give leadership real-time visibility into status, decisions, and risks.
• Conduct rigorous market and situational analyses—synthesizing commercial, epidemiological, financing, and competitive data—to prioritize opportunities and inform recommendations.
• Manage external partner relationships through the project lifecycle: maintain momentum, resolve escalations, and ensure alignment on objectives and timelines.
• Team leadership & stakeholder management
• Coach, mentor, and support team members; identify capability gaps and help shape hiring and onboarding to build a high-performing team.
• Coordinate cross-functional and cross-regional stakeholder engagement to ensure organizational readiness and accountability for initiatives.
• Serve as a thought partner on team strategy, reputation, and organizational dynamics—bringing recommendations and options for key stakeholder conversations.

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional experience with a strong mix of strategy and operations in large, matrixed organizations; experience in life sciences, healthcare, or technology preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in strategy-to-execution roles: program management, new product launch, or commercial strategy in multiple L&MIC markets.
• Prior experience supporting senior leaders (e.g., Chief of Staff-like responsibilities), or operating in a strategic planning/senior coordination capacity.
• Proven ability to lead external partnership engagements—from scoping to execution—and to align different internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills, including commercial opportunity assessments, scenario analysis, and structured problem solving.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English (additional languages are beneficial; ability to synthesize complex topics into executive-ready materials.
• High emotional intelligence, political savvy, discretion, and the ability to build relationships across levels and geographies.
• Comfortable working in ambiguity and fast-evolving environments.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.