US Launch Operations - PH Vet Launch Leader

Role Summary

As the US Pet Health Vet Launch Manager, you will lead project management activities to ensure successful, on-time launches of veterinary products. In this role, you will partner closely with the US Pet Health Vet Launch Managers, and cross-functional stakeholders to design robust launch plans, proactively manage risk, and ensure alignment with Elanco Launch Excellence standards. Your work will directly enable the delivery of high-quality products to customers at launch.

Responsibilities

• Independently lead project management activities for prioritized US Pet Health launch initiatives to ensure launch readiness
• Partner with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, Finance, New Product Planning, Innovation Strategy, and Affiliate Commercial teams to develop and maintain integrated launch plans
• Define, manage, and communicate launch scope, milestones, deliverables, and timelines using approved project management tools
• Identify and actively manage critical path activities, risks, and leading indicators impacting launch milestones
• Monitor performance to plan, escalate issues as needed, and drive corrective actions in partnership with the US Launch Excellence Lead
• Develop and maintain detailed launch timelines and process maps, ensuring alignment across functions
• Proactively manage schedule updates and communicate changes to stakeholders
• Partner with Brand Managers to support launch budget planning, forecasting, and re-forecasting
• Provide leadership with clear visibility into cost implications of launch scenarios and variances
• Lead launch risk assessments, mitigation strategies, and contingency planning, with clear ownership and escalation
• Proactively identify risks impacting launch timelines or portfolio milestones and take action to mitigate or avoid delays
• Apply a strong quality mindset across all project activities and escalate issues appropriately
• Ensure accurate documentation of decisions, scope changes, metrics, and launch readiness indicators
• Coordinate launch governance, including meeting logistics, agendas, documentation, and minutes
• Influence cross-functional teams to operate with a consistent quality and execution mindset
• Assess resource constraints and capacity risks, providing recommendations on scope, budget, and resourcing impacts
• Drive continuous improvement by identifying, sharing, and embedding best practices across launch and project management teams
• Lead and participate in retrospective reviews to capture lessons learned and improve future launch execution

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Biotechnology, Engineering, Business, or equivalent
• Required: Minimum of 5 years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with direct involvement in product launch, commercialization, or new product introduction
• Required: Proven experience managing cross-functional projects in a matrixed environment
• Required: Strong project management capabilities including timeline development, milestone tracking, risk mitigation, and budget oversight
• Required: Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence diverse stakeholders
• Preferred: Strategic mindset with the ability to translate market insights into actionable launch plans
• Preferred: Strong analytical skills, including interpretation of market, sales, and forecast data
• Preferred: Experience with end-to-end launch readiness, from pre-launch planning through operational execution
• Preferred: High level of stakeholder management across Commercial, Supply, Regulatory, Medical, and other functions
• Preferred: Comfort leading through ambiguity in fast-paced, evolving environments
• Preferred: Digital fluency with project management tools, dashboards, and forecasting models
• Preferred: Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and influence teams without direct authority

Additional Requirements

• Location: Global Elanco Headquarters, Indianapolis, IN – Hybrid work environment
• Travel: less than 10% of time.