Director, Business Strategy and Operations, Pipeline and Project Management (PPM) & Data Science (ED in City of London

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharma company whose purpose is to innovate to transform the lives of patients and their families. We are dedicated to developing life-changing medicines for people with serious diseases — often with limited or no therapeutic options. We have a diverse portfolio of marketed medicines, including leading therapies for sleep disorders and epilepsy, and a growing portfolio of cancer treatments. Our patient-focused and science-driven approach powers pioneering research and development advancements across our robust pipeline of innovative therapeutics in oncology and neuroscience. Jazz is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with research and development laboratories, manufacturing facilities and employees in multiple countries committed to serving patients worldwide.

Brief Description: The Director, Business Strategy & Operations (BS&O) – PPM & Data Science serves as the strategic business partner and Chief of Staff supporting two vital R&D organizations: Pipeline & Project Management (PPM) and Evidence and Value Generation, Data Science and Enterprise R&D Advanced Analytics and Artificial Intelligence (EDGE). Reporting directly to the Head of R&D Business Strategy and Operations, you will operate as an executive partner and trusted advisor to the functional heads and Leadership Teams of PPM and Data Science. In this dual-function role, you will architect operational rhythms, lead multi-year workforce and resource planning, oversee departmental financial stewardship, steer organizational communications, and drive cross-functional operational transformations that accelerate pipeline delivery and digital/AI innovation across Jazz R&D.

Essential Functions

• Chief of Staff & Leadership Cadence: Serve as trusted advisor, operational sounding board, and Chief of Staff to the Heads of PPM and Data Science (EDGE) and their respective leadership teams. Architect and facilitate the executive operating rhythm across both functions, including leadership team meetings, quarterly business reviews (QBRs), strategy sessions, and annual offsites; establish strategic agendas, drive decision-making, resolve operational bottlenecks, and track executive execution. Partner with the R&D Chief of Staff, functional leadership, and Project Management to develop high-stakes executive briefings, board-level decks, and strategic narratives for Executive Committee Reviews, Board of Directors Meetings, and R&D Leadership Forums. Represent PPM and EDGE on key enterprise R&D operational committees, governance bodies, and cross-functional forums to align functional operations with corporate portfolio priorities.
• Workforce Planning & Resource Oversight: Partner with HR, Resource Management, and R&D Finance to lead comprehensive, multi-year workforce planning and capacity modeling across PPM and Data Science, ensuring appropriate resource allocation across pipeline assets, computational platforms, and enterprise AI initiatives. Serve as functional Lead Data Steward for named allocation tools and timecard compliance, ensuring resource and staffing data across both organizations is maintained with high fidelity and integrity. Lead algorithm demand modeling in partnership with Resource Management: guide collaboration between functional Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and Resource Management to ensure model parameters, productivity assumptions, and project drivers are submitted accurately and translated into actionable workforce intelligence. Leverage capacity analytics and named allocation insights to justify, defend, and secure functional headcount and contractor resourcing during annual budget cycles and Long-Range Planning (LRP).
• Financial Cadence & Budget Stewardship: Oversee and manage the combined annual functional operating budgets for PPM and Data Science in close partnership with R&D Finance and functional budget owners (encompassing OpEx, external consulting, data vendor licenses, SaaS software platforms, and headcount). Drive the financial operating cadence across monthly accruals, quarterly forecasting, variance reporting, and annual budget builds.
• Business Due Diligence & Functional Integration: Serve as the functional operations lead on business development (BD), licensing, platform acquisitions, and M&A evaluations, assessing operational viability, analytical/computational synergy, governance requirements, and resourcing impacts across PPM and Data Science. Lead post-transaction functional integrations for acquired assets, strategic partnerships, or external data/AI platforms, ensuring seamless operational onboarding, governance alignment, and process continuity.
• Goal-Setting Cadence & Performance Tracking: Direct the annual and long-term goal-setting operating rhythm (OKRs/KPIs) for PPM and Data Science, cascading enterprise R&D priorities into clear, measurable functional targets. Establish and maintain operational scorecards and executive dashboards to monitor pipeline health, project delivery milestones, analytics platform adoption, and organizational velocity. Partner with the R&D Chief of Staff office to report quarterly progress, milestones, performance metrics, and mitigation strategies to R&D executive leadership.
• Communications Cadence & Organizational Culture: Partner with Corporate and R&D Communications to design and execute a comprehensive internal communications strategy across PPM and Data Science. Establish a predictable communications cadence, including regular functional Town Halls, All-Hands forums, digital innovation showcases, and executive announcements. Foster a cohesive, forward-looking organizational culture that bridges project management rigor with data science and AI innovation, reinforcing transparency, accountability, and collaboration.
• Process Improvement & Operational Excellence: Lead and implement targeted process improvement and operational excellence initiatives that streamline workflows, simplify administrative overhead, and improve pipeline delivery velocity. Champion digital transformation and modern operational frameworks, including AI-assisted ways of working. Apply structured change management principles to ensure sustainable adoption of modernized operational processes and standards across global teams.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Key Competencies: Executive Presence & Influence, Operational & Analytical Acumen, Strategic Problem-Solving, Communication & Collaboration.
• Experience: Extensive progressive experience in the biopharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences industry, with substantive exposure to drug development, portfolio/project management, data science/informatics, or R&D business operations. Experience operating in a strategic business operations, Chief of Staff, or PMO leadership capacity partnering directly with executive leaders (VP/SVP level). Direct experience leading workforce planning, capacity modeling oversight, named resource allocations, and timecard compliance. Demonstrated track record managing departmental budgets, financial forecasting, and variance tracking in collaboration with Finance. Experience participating in business development due diligence and leading post-deal functional integrations or external platform onboardings.
• Required/Preferred Education and Licenses: Bachelor’s degree in a Life Sciences discipline (Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacology, Neurobiology, Oncology, etc.) or related business/scientific field required. Advanced degree (MS, PhD, or MBA) strongly preferred. Lean Six Sigma, Agile, or Project Management (PMP) certification is a plus.