Executive Director, I&T Partner Ecosystem Office (PEO)

Main Responsibilities and Accountabilities:

1. Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Define and own the CSL I&T partner management strategy and target engagement model, ensuring alignment with enterprise business objectives.
• Provide leadership and direction to all PEO members (central and regional), fostering a high-performance culture centered on transparency, trust, and accountability.
• Establish and drive enterprise-wide partner segmentation and governance frameworks, including criteria for segmentation and guidelines for partner onboarding/offboarding.
• Chair strategic partner review boards and governance councils at executive, strategic, and operational levels to maximize value, introduce innovation, and ensure relationship satisfaction.
• Ensure alignment of partner management strategies with other CSL functions, including Finance, Legal, Procurement, and HR.

• Oversee the performance and development of the Program Lead, Partner Management Lead, and Contract and Commercial Leads.
• Establish and continuously improve partner management tools, frameworks, policies, playbooks, SOPs, and best practices.
• Track global adoption of partner management processes and ensure process adherence across I&T and critical functions.
• Lead executive-level relationships with key strategic partners, in partnership with the relationship owner.
• Manage escalations and serve as the final escalation point for performance, commercial, and delivery issues.

• Oversee financial tracking, budgeting, and forecasting for >$400M annual partner spend, ensuring commercial terms and pricing structures are accurately reflected in financial systems.
• Develop and publish regular performance dashboards, including OKRs, KPIs, SLAs, budget vs. actuals, and forecasted spend.
• Track and monitor compliance with contractual obligations, including milestones, deliverables, SLAs, and penalties.
• Identify and escalate commercial, contractual, and compliance risks, and support audits and regulatory queries.

• Support continuous improvement by gathering feedback, sharing best practices, and ensuring partners evolve with organizational needs.
• Act as the central knowledge manager and change agent for partner management transformation.
• Conduct stakeholder and partner satisfaction surveys, and implement action plans based on feedback.

• Perform other related duties as assigned by I&T leadership.

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Information Technology, Finance, or a related discipline; advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) preferred.

• 15+ years of progressive experience in business or technology disciplines, with significant exposure to partner/vendor management, contract management, and financial oversight in a global, matrixed environment.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing complex programs, services, and transformation initiatives at scale, preferably in the life sciences or similarly regulated industries.
• Proven ability to communicate a vision, set clear objectives, and influence both executive and operational stakeholders.
• Experience working across multiple countries and cultures, with a strong ability to build and maintain executive relationships.
• High-level financial acumen and experience managing large budgets and commercial negotiations
• Industry connections and awareness of trends and best practices in partner management.

• Strategic Thinking & Visioning: Ability to define long-term partner strategies aligned with business goals.
• Executive Stakeholder Management: Skilled at engaging C-level leaders and managing strategic relationships.
• Business and financial acumen.
• Vendor Segmentation & Portfolio Management: Deep understanding of partner tiering and value/risk assessment.
• Change Leadership: Ability to drive organizational alignment and lead transformation.
• Risk & Compliance Oversight: Proficiency in navigating legal, regulatory, and operational risk in vendor engagements.
• Collaboration & Influencing: Champions a culture of inclusiveness and teamwork, influencing stakeholders toward enterprise outcomes
• Interpersonal Savvy: Builds constructive and effective relationships, uses diplomacy and tact, and can diffuse high-tension situations comfortably.