Senior Director, Head of Strategic Initiatives

About the Role

The Head of Strategic Initiatives is a senior leadership role within the Strategic Operational Unit (SOU), accountable for leading time-bound, high-complexity strategic events that materially reshape the External Manufacturing network. This role leads the Strategic Initiatives Team (SIT) within SOU, serving as the executive owner for supplier transitions, acquisitions, divestment-to-CMO transfers, large-scale technology transfers, supplier onboarding, remediation programs, major risk intervention, and operational excellence projects across the SOU portfolio. SIT functions as the dedicated intervention team within SOU, operating within Business Operations governance and project-management standards while maintaining direct accountability for successful execution and stabilization of critical transformation initiatives. The incumbent leads cross-functional teams across Supply Chain, Quality, MS&T, Procurement, Regulatory Affairs, Finance, Commercial, Business Development, and R&D while ensuring strategic events are delivered on time, within budget, compliant, and capable of seamless handoff into Supplier Relationship Teams (SRTs) for steady-state ownership. This role may include direct people leadership (subject to final organization design) and is expected to build, coach, and develop a high-performing team capable of executing multiple concurrent strategic transformation initiatives. This role is hybrid onsite at the Parsippany, NJ office.

Responsibilities

• Own high-complexity strategic events that reshape the SOU external manufacturing network, including supplier transitions, acquisitions, divestments, integrations, onboarding, remediation, and large-scale complex transfers.
• Lead SOU operational due diligence and translate strategic or transaction commitments into executable transition, integration, separation, Day 1, Day 100, or transition-service plans.
• Define scope, milestones, resources, dependencies, decision rights, stage gates, risks, and acceptance criteria; mobilize cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Deliver within approved scope, timeline, and budget while protecting patient supply, quality, compliance, customer commitments, and business value.
• Identify and escalate material risks and trade-offs early, drive corrective actions, and maintain clear executive reporting.
• Stabilize performance, complete a controlled handoff to the accountable SRT, and capture reusable lessons and playbooks.
• Lead global matrix teams and align priorities, resources, decision rights, timelines, and outcomes.
• Remove barriers, resolve conflicts, and accelerate decisions that affect execution, compliance, supply, or value.
• Implement the SOU governance model with Business Operations, including forums, stage gates, reporting, risk practices, tools, and performance routines.
• Maintain clear accountability: Business Operations owns standards, SIT owns transition execution, and SRTs own steady-state supplier performance.
• Provide transparent portfolio reporting, executive decision support, and continuous improvement through shared lessons and playbooks.
• Build and lead the SIT organization, setting clear goals and developing talent, capabilities, and succession.
• Foster a high-performance culture of ownership, urgency, collaboration, and compliance with Teva policies.
• Ensure assigned high-complexity strategic events are delivered on time with successful, documented handoff to SRT organizations.
• Maintain supply continuity during transitions; execute critical risk interventions successfully; identify, escalate, and mitigate transition risks early and effectively.
• Deliver programs within approved scope and budget; capture business-case objectives and transition value; provide clear visibility of financial, operational, and supply implications for executive decisions.
• Reduce strategic event workload absorbed by SRTs with improved SRM focus on steady-state supplier governance and portfolio performance.
• Build strong cross-functional stakeholder confidence in SIT governance and execution; ensure consistent adoption of Business Operations methodologies, tools, and stage gates.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Pharmacy, Chemistry, Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Supply Chain, Operations Management, or a related discipline required.
• MBA, Master's degree, or advanced scientific or technical degree strongly preferred.
• Typically 15+ years of progressive experience within pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, medical device, or another highly regulated manufacturing environment.
• Significant experience leading technology transfers, integrations, site transfers, external manufacturing programs, or strategic transformation initiatives.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex, cross-functional operational programs with material supply, quality, regulatory, technical, and financial implications.
• Strong experience in external manufacturing and supply operations.
• Proven experience influencing senior internal and external stakeholders in a global matrix.
• Prior people-leadership experience required.
• Deep understanding of pharmaceutical manufacturing, external supply networks, cGMP expectations, and product lifecycle execution.
• Strong expertise in program leadership, transition management, risk management, and execution governance.
• Ability to distinguish enterprise methodology ownership from portfolio execution accountability and operate effectively within defined guardrails.
• Exceptional stakeholder management, negotiation, and influence skills.
• Executive-level communication, decision framing, and presentation capability.
• Strong crisis management and intervention leadership skills.
• Ability to lead decisively through ambiguity, organizational complexity, and competing priorities.
• Proven ability to deliver transformational outcomes with speed, focus, and discipline.
• Fluency in English.

Pay

The annual starting salary for this position is between $193,840 – $242,300 annually. Factors which may affect starting salary within this range and level of role may include geography/market, skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate.

Benefits

• Comprehensive Health Insurance: Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription coverage starting on the first day of employment, provided the employee enrolls.
• Retirement Savings: 401(k) with employer match up to 6% and an annual 3.75% Defined Contribution to the 401(k) plan.
• Time Off: Paid Time Off including vacation, sick/safe time, caretaker time, 13 paid holidays, and 3 paid floating holidays.
• Life and Disability Protection: Company-paid Life and Disability insurance.
• Additional benefits include, but are not limited to: Employee Assistance Program, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Tuition Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account, Lifestyle Spending Account, Volunteer Time Off, Paid Parental Leave (if eligible), Family Building Benefits, Virtual Physical Therapy, Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity Insurances, Identity Theft Protection, Legal Plan, Voluntary Life Insurance, and Long Term Disability.
• Total compensation may also include restricted stock units and discretionary awards, depending on the position offered.