Strategy Insights and Planning Associate Consultant - AOR

Shape how life-changing therapies reach patients - by helping pharmaceutical companies navigate the payer and market access landscape with sharper intelligence

ZS's Access, Strategy & Implementation team partners with leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies to solve their most pressing market access challenges, by delivering deep expertise on topics including B2B engagement, pricing and value strategy with advanced analytics, and value narrative shaping. From strategy to execution, we help enable stronger relationships with client's key customers, unlock patient and provider access, optimize performance and drive market impact.

The B2B Engagement team is part of ZS's Access, Strategy & Implementation (ASI) team. The team focuses on serving clients' go-to-market and in-market brands through pre-launch, launch, and lifecycle management. Our team provides dedicated strategic & creative thought partnership and execution for their payer and provider communications, including driving the development of value propositions, messaging, and promotional materials from strategy through execution.

As an Associate Consultant, you will collaborate with experienced consultants and client teams to generate actionable insights, evaluate market opportunities, support pipeline and brand strategy decisions and deliver high quality solutions for our clients

What you'll do

• Leverage strategic problem solving skills, research techniques, and market access frameworks to develop solutions to client's business challenges

• Conduct primary and secondary research to generate insights on payer, provider, and market dynamics that inform access and engagement strategies

• Distill complex clinical, economic, and health outcomes evidence into clear, persuasive written deliverables, including value propositions, messaging platforms, objection handlers, payer/provider narratives, and AMCP-style dossiers

• Read, interpret, and synthesize scientific and HEOR literature (clinical trial publications, real-world evidence, economic models) to ground access strategy in the evidence

• Synthesize and communicate results to clients and ZS teams through oral and written presentations.

• Develop client relationships and serve as key point of contact on aspects of projects

• Support project management activities, including work planning, timeline management, content review cycles, and coordination of deliverables across multiple stakeholders

• Coordinate across internal functions-including art, production, and design-to move deliverables from concept to final, ensuring each piece is executed on time, on scope, and to a high creative and scientific standard

• Advance problem-solving skills and improve ZS's capabilities

• Mentor and support development of Associates on your projects and teams

What you'll bring

• PhD or Masters with bachelor's degree in a field with quantitative coursework such as business, economics, marketing, psychology, life sciences and social sciences.
• In lieu of a PhD, 2-5 years of relevant post-study professional experience will be considered.

• High motivation, good work ethic, maturity and personal initiative.

• Comfort reading and interpreting scientific, clinical, and health economics literature.

• Strong oral and written communication skills.

• Empathy, adaptability and emotional intelligence.

• Close attention to detail, with a quality-focused mindset.

• Self-discipline for planning and organizing tasks.

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to juggle multiple workstreams and coordinate across internal functions such as art, production, and design

• Aptitude for, and enjoyment of, working in teams.

• Fluency in English

• Client-first mentality

• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach

How you'll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills-building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you'll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.

Hybrid working model:

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.

Travel:

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.