Associate Director, Obesity Pipeline Commercialization & Strategy (PCS) Analytics & Performance Excellence (APEX)

Associate Director, Obesity Pipeline Commercialization & Strategy (PCS) Analytics & Performance Excellence (APEX)
Mettawa, IL
Hybrid
Approximately 6-month contract (through the end of 2026) with potential extensions
$68-$72/hr based on benefits
 
Orion Group is seeking an Associate Director, Obesity Pipeline Commercialization & Strategy (PCS) Analytics & Performance Excellence (APEX)who will serve as a strategic insights leader, supporting our pharmaceutical client’s obesity pipeline assets and disease-area strategy.
This individual will partner with cross-functional stakeholders to synthesize complex information from multiple sources, generate actionable business insights, and guide strategic decision-making across pipeline indications and future commercialization efforts.
The ideal candidate combines strong strategic thinking, analytics, market intelligence, and communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment across functions. This role will play a critical part in helping leadership understand current market dynamics, future market evolution, competitive landscapes, and key opportunities that support successful clinical development and launch planning.
Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the APEX lead supporting obesity pipeline assets and disease area strategy.
• Act as a trusted advisor to cross-functional teams by generating insights that inform business strategy and key decision-making.
• Lead synthesis of insights from market research, competitive intelligence, analytics, forecasting, and other strategic workstreams.
• Frame, prioritize, and address critical business questions to support rapid and informed decision-making.
• Develop executive-level recommendations and communicate findings to audiences ranging from functional teams to senior leadership.
• Identify opportunities to leverage market research, analytics, competitive intelligence, and emerging data sources to improve strategic planning.
• Assess current market conditions and anticipate future market evolution over the next 5–10 years to guide development and commercialization strategies.
• Support asset teams in evaluating clinical development plans, launch readiness strategies, and growth opportunities across obesity and related disease states.
• Lead project planning, timeline management, stakeholder coordination, and cross-functional execution.
• Participate in initiatives that strengthen APEX analytics, insights generation, and organizational capabilities.
• Ensure all activities are completed on time, within budget, and in compliance with financial, legal, and ethical standards.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree (MBA, MPH, MS, PhD, PharmD) preferred.
• Significant experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare consulting, commercial strategy, market insights, analytics, forecasting, competitive intelligence, or related fields.
• Experience supporting pipeline assets, brand strategy, commercialization, or launch planning within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Strong ability to synthesize information from multiple data sources into clear, actionable business recommendations.
• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Experience leading cross-functional projects and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Excellent executive communication and presentation skills.
• Strong project management and organizational capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment.

Must-Have Skills

• Strategic insights generation and synthesis
• Pharmaceutical commercial strategy experience
• Market research and competitive intelligence
• Executive-level communication and storytelling
• Cross-functional stakeholder management
• Project leadership and timeline management
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Ability to simplify complex topics for multiple audiences
• Experience leveraging and validating AI-generated insights

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Obesity, metabolic disease, diabetes, cardiovascular, or related therapeutic area experience
• Pipeline commercialization and launch planning experience
• Consulting background (life sciences strategy, commercial, or market access consulting)
• Forecasting, advanced analytics, or business intelligence experience
• Experience supporting multiple pipeline indications simultaneously
• Advanced degree (MBA, MPH, MS, PharmD, PhD)

Ideal Candidate Profile

This role is best suited for candidates coming from:

• Pharmaceutical commercial strategy teams
• Market Insights & Analytics organizations
• Competitive Intelligence functions
• Commercial Excellence / Business Excellence teams
• Life Sciences Consulting firms (e.g., Deloitte, Accenture, IQVIA, ZS, Trinity, LEK, Putnam, ClearView)
• Pipeline Strategy and Launch Readiness organizations

Candidates should be comfortable operating at both a strategic and executional level while partnering closely with senior leaders to shape the future direction of the company’s obesity portfolio.
 


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Orion Group was founded in 1987 and is now one of the largest, independent, international recruitment companies. We have a network of 200 employees working from 24 offices, delivering a range of services – Talent Acquisition, Recruitment Outsourcing Services, Retained Search, Global Workforce Solutions, Completions & Commissioning and Materials Management – across 68 countries. As a global leader in workforce solutions, we recruit personnel across the Engineering & Technical, Office & Commercial, Scientific and Skilled Trades disciplines, for sectors including Oil & Gas, Life Science, Power & Utilities, Constructions & Infrastructure, Manufacturing and Renewables.