Senior manager – competitive intelligence pharma analytics and insights

POSITION SUMMARY
The Senior Manager will lead strategic Competitive Intelligence engagements for pharmaceutical and life sciences clients, with responsibility for client relationships, delivery quality, people leadership, and account growth.
The role requires the ability to independently engage senior client stakeholders, translate business priorities into intelligence needs, provide strategic direction to project teams, and ensure outputs deliver clear insights, implications, and recommendations. The Senior Manager will also contribute to capability development, innovation, AI-enabled delivery, and business development.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Lead and manage multiple complex CI engagements, ensuring strategic oversight and alignment across client accounts.
Serve as a principal client contact, effectively managing expectations, priorities, risks, and evolving business needs.
Translate business inquiries into clear Key Intelligence Topics (KITs), Key Intelligence Questions (KIQs), and appropriate analytical approaches.
Guide comprehensive competitive assessments encompassing clinical, regulatory, commercial, and market developments.
Synthesize intelligence into actionable insights, implications, scenarios, and strategic recommendations.
Oversee engagements related to competitor monitoring, market assessments, launch readiness, business development opportunities, lifecycle planning, and conference intelligence.
Manage conference programs including planning, prioritization, reporting, synthesis, and client debriefs.
Review and challenge team outputs to ensure analytical depth, accuracy, storyline coherence, and executive-ready communication.
Oversee project scope, timelines, resource allocation, utilization, quality, budgets, and delivery risks.
Proactively identify and resolve client, project, and team-related risks.
Coach and mentor Managers, Associate Managers, and junior team members, supporting their performance management and capability development.
Drive the development of delivery frameworks, methodologies, quality standards, and best practices.
Support workforce planning, hiring, and onboarding initiatives.
Promote the adoption of AI, automation, and emerging research methodologies to enhance delivery efficiency and quality.
Identify opportunities for account expansion and contribute to proposals, pitches, solution design, and business development efforts.
Represent the CI function in senior client presentations, workshops, and internal leadership discussions.
The position may require up to 20-30% travel.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
10-15 years of relevant pharmaceutical/life sciences competitive intelligence experience, preferably within consulting, research, or intelligence-led organizations
Strong understanding of clinical, regulatory, commercial, launch, and lifecycle strategies
Proven experience in leading complex CI engagements and managing senior client stakeholders
Expertise across 2-3 therapy areas; oncology preferred
Strong knowledge of CI methodologies, secondary research, primary research, and conference intelligence
Ability to translate complex information into strategic insights, implications, and actionable recommendations
Strong analytical thinking, business acumen, and problem-solving skills
Proven people leadership experience with a track record of developing Managers and high-performing teams
Ability to manage multiple clients, projects, resources, and competing priorities effectively
Strong executive presence, communication, and presentation skills
Advanced Power Point and Excel skills; proficiency with key pharma information sources
Experience in business development, proposals, and account growth
Ability to influence stakeholders and manage conflicts effectively
Familiarity with AI-enabled research and automation tools
US/European pharmaceutical client experience preferred