Associate Director, Strategic Planning (Vaccines Pharma)

About the role

The Associate Director, Strategic Planning sits within the Vaccines Pharma Business Unit and works closely with the VP Business Unit leadership. The role turns mid-term strategy and portfolio priorities into disciplined execution, strengthens business planning and performance management, and leads business-critical workstreams covering current brands, vaccines, future launches, commercial excellence, digital and AI-enabled transformation, and organizational capability. It is an autonomous, influential position with a focus on measurable outcomes.

Key responsibilities

• Translate VP strategy and portfolio priorities into execution plans with milestones, KPIs, governance and review cadence, coordinating Marketing, Sales, Medical, Market Access, Finance, Supply, Regulatory and Digital.
• Lead strategic analyses, scenario planning and business assessments, and prepare executive-ready materials for business reviews and leadership meetings.
• Coordinate end-to-end commercial forecasting for assigned brands or the portfolio, ensuring evidence-based assumptions and improving performance reviews.
• Orchestrate launch and readiness plans for vaccines, new indications and future assets, connecting local, regional and global teams.
• Lead commercial-excellence initiatives such as segmentation, targeting, field effectiveness and omnichannel execution, and pilot digital, automation, analytics and AI solutions.
• Simplify operations, redesign processes and governance, and coach project members and less-experienced colleagues.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree; advanced degree in business, life sciences, healthcare, finance, strategy, data/analytics or a related field preferred.
• Typically 7+ years of experience in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, vaccines, healthcare, consulting, consumer health or a similar complex commercial environment; equivalent experience considered.
• Demonstrated success in at least two of: commercial strategy, business operations, forecasting, business planning, finance, commercial excellence, launch excellence, transformation, consulting or program leadership.
• Track record of leading complex cross-functional initiatives and influencing senior stakeholders in a matrix organization.
• Experience with regional or global stakeholders; pharmaceutical, vaccines or Japan healthcare-market experience strongly preferred.
• Business-level Japanese and English required.

Required skills

• Strategic and enterprise thinking, with strong business and financial acumen.
• Analytical capability: structuring problems, testing assumptions, interpreting data and building scenarios.
• Executive-ready communication, facilitation and stakeholder influence in Japanese and English.
• Program leadership, governance, change management and disciplined delivery.
• Digital, AI and innovation mindset with sound judgment on value, risk and adoption.