Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant scientific discipline (Master's preferred)
5-7 years of relevant industry experience in pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, or agritech
Experience leading informatics solution projects (e.g., ELN, LIMS implementations)
Familiarity with scientific workflows and key data concepts in life sciences
Strong communication skills to influence stakeholders and convey technical concepts
Proven ability to collaborate in multi-disciplinary teams and manage project deliverables
Responsibilities
Lead and define project success through effective communication and collaboration
Manage business analysis deliverables including user and functional requirements
Conduct vendor evaluations and develop implementation strategies
Oversee large projects/programs including scheduling and risk management
Facilitate project meetings and communicate status updates
Mentor associates and guide their professional development
Track project metrics to ensure success and adherence to operational standards
Benefits
Accrued vacation
Medical, dental, and vision insurance
401k with company matching
Life insurance
Flexible spending accounts
Full Job Description
Position Overview:
The Associate Scientific Strategy Consultant sits within the North American consulting group wherein key accountabilities include driving project elucidation, stakeholder management and defining & driving project success in partnership with internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will lead medium-to-high complexity consulting engagements for multiple customers. This role blends scientific expertise, industry knowledge, and informatics/data skills with leadership and collaboration to deliver high-quality solutions. You will work closely with senior consultants, client stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to ensure project success, drive operational excellence, and contribute to business development.
Key Responsibilities:
Consulting & Scientific Strategy
Engage as a leader to define and own project success, leveraging core consulting behaviours such as active listening, empathetic collaboration, strong sense of ownership and effective communication across multiple audiences
Own accountability for business analysis deliverables including user requirements specifications (URS), functional requirements specifications, data & process maps, workflows, gap analyses, implementation roadmaps, evaluation methodologies, and questionnaires.
Conduct vendor evaluations and define implementation strategies to enable effective decision-making by pharma/biotech/agritech clients.
Assess system landscapes and contribute to IT, informatics and data landscape roadmaps.
Project Execution & Leadership
Manage one or more large projects/programs, including estimation, scheduling, risk management, and milestone tracking.
Facilitate project meetings, communicate status updates, and escalate risks when necessary.
Mentor associates across Zifo, guiding their project engagements and professional development.
Track and monitor key project metrics to ensure the success of client engagements as well as adherence to operational components of project delivery.
Customer Engagement & Collaboration
Serve as primary point of contact for clients and internal stakeholders, managing expectations on process, quality, schedule, and delivery - all with an overall view of what qualifies as successful engagement
Build rapport with client managers and support and/or drive strategic customer meetings.
Identify opportunities for additional value creation within client organizations and internal process improvements.
Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement
Plan and track billable effort, manage utilization and productivity of themselves and teams, and support budget forecasting.
Manage escalations, identify & track risks to project execution, initiate corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
Support internal training programs, and mentor team members in emerging areas.
Business Development & Thought Leadership
Assist in proposals related to emerging opportunities with clients and supporting RFP responses.
Contribute to case studies, presentations, and white papers.
Attend industry conferences for learning, networking, and representing Zifo.
Learning, Mentorship & Continuous Improvement
Demonstrate continuous learning in scientific domains, informatics systems and data strategies, change management and strategic consulting methodologies.
Identify needs and drive efforts for internal development and knowledge-sharing initiatives.
Mentor other analysts across business units within Zifo, fostering collaboration career development.
Requirements
Qualifications:
Bachelor's or Master's degree in a relevant scientific discipline such as biology, chemistry, chem/bioinformatics among others (Master's preferred)
5-7 years of relevant industry experience in pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, or agritech.
Experience leading informatics solution projects (e.g., ELN, LIMS implementations)
Familiarity with scientific workflows (e.g., bioanalysis, compound management, medicinal chemistry)and key data concepts within the life sciences industry and relevance to operational activities and enabling decision-making.
Strong communication skills and ability to drive problem elucidation activities, influence internal and external stakeholders and convey technical concepts to diverse audiences.
Proven ability to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams as well as manage project deliverables and stakeholder expectations.
Desired Attributes:
Proactive problem-solving and adaptability in fast-paced environments.
Interest in further developing leadership capabilities and taking ownership of project outcomes.
Able to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity on problem statements and potential solutions.
Travel expectations:
Travel (up to 25%) to client sites and for internal meetings as needed.
Benefits
We offer a competitive compensation package including accrued vacation, medical, dental, vision, 401k with company matching, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts.
