Associate Director, S&OP Process Owner – Operations (Multiple Locations)

Role Summary

Associate Director, S&OP Process Owner – Operations (Multiple Locations) drives the Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process design and discipline including Sales and Operations Execution (S&OE), championing continuous improvement within the Operations organization. Fosters cross-functional collaboration across Global Operations, Commercial, and Operations & Commercial Finance to strengthen strategic decision-making, governs S&OP and S&OE adherence, and leads transformational changes to enhance procedural maturity and sustainable business performance.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and drive process adherence of S&OP/S&OE within Operations including senior leadership.
• Drive governance of S&OP/S&OE processes and manage cross-functional interdependencies; create and implement an audit schedule for Operations/Supply Chain across the S&OP cycle (Demand Review, Supply Review, Reconciliation, and Executive S&OP) as well as S&OE; establish best practices and standard templates.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of S&OP/S&OE processes using analytics, methodologies, and technologies to optimize planning and decision making.
• Partner with senior-level stakeholders to drive alignment and support S&OP/S&OE implementation across Commercial, Finance, and Operations.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders to strategize business objectives and develop a continuous improvement roadmap; coordinate with Change Management for smooth implementation.
• Build and maintain cross-functional relationships; work with technology teams on system improvements to drive automation and efficiency.
• Collaborate with Training and Change Management to develop training materials and conduct training sessions as needed as a Subject Matter Expert (SME).
• Facilitate performance metric development and monitor Operations for areas of improvement.
• Drive consistent application of S&OP/S&OE analytics in Operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in business, operations management, finance, science or engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of experience, with 4+ years in the pharmaceutical industry in Operations, Commercial, or Finance functions.
• Proven experience fostering cross-functional collaboration and influencing without authority.
• Experience in formal S&OP and/or S&OE processes.
• Strong analytics skills; ability to identify trends, solve complex programs, develop action plans, and drive continuous improvement.
• Executive presence with strong leadership and communication skills (oral and written); ability to deliver results with minimal supervision; collaborative team player.
• Proficiency with JDA (or similar Demand Planning software), SAP (or other ERP), and QlikSense (or similar reporting tools) preferred.

Skills

• Cross-functional collaboration
• Process design and governance
• Change management
• Data analytics and reporting
• Training and SME capabilities
• System optimization and automation