Engagement Leader

Shift Health; Toronto; On-site; CAD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Bonus program

Comprehensive benefits

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Shift Health in Toronto, ON, Canada is seeking an Engagement Leader to join our pharma strategy and competitive intelligence practice on a full-time, permanent basis. You will lead diverse client engagements, shape project direction, and bring subject matter expertise to elevate insights, while guiding deliverables to meet client needs.

As a member of the Management Team, you will mentor juniors, manage project risks, oversee resource planning, and contribute to thought leadership.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in life sciences or related field is required.
• Experience in pharma strategy and competitive intelligence is preferred.
• 5+ years of consulting experience with leadership responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead a diverse portfolio of client engagements and shape project direction.
• Provide strategic guidance and ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Mentor junior team members and support professional development.
• Manage project risks and support resource planning and client relationships.

Skills

Leadership

Client management

Strategic thinking

Mentorship

Project management

Education

PhD in life sciences

Masters in life sciences or business

Job description

Shift Health brings a science mindset to strategy consulting for the health research and innovation ecosystem. We blend scientific depth, sector leadership and global perspective, tackling our clients’ most challenging questions with curiosity, rigour and courage. Delivering sharp insights and customized solutions, we’re helping to create the future of healthcare.

Our team is driven by passion to deliver scientific, health and economic impact by coupling scientific and clinical depth with business and management acumen. We look for courageous, curious, intellectually nimble professionals who are committed to asking tough questions, applying analytical rigour and generating insights that matter; self-motivated collaborators who are committed to results and driven to excel; and creative, cutting-edge thinkers with the aspiration to design, develop and deliver innovative solutions to advance human health and wellbeing.

Job Description

Shift Health is seeking an Engagement Leader to join our dynamic team on a full-time, permanent basis and to support our growing pharma strategy and strategic competitive intelligence portfolio.

Reporting Relationships

Each Engagement Leader is assigned a Performance Coach to support their success in the firm. In the context of projects, reporting relationships vary from project to project.

Responsibilities

Engagement Leaders typically act in as strategist across a diverse portfolio of client engagements, providing guidance to shape project direction, bringing subject matter expertise to elevate insights and reviewing key deliverables to ensure they meet client needs. As members of Shift Health’s Management Team, Engagement Leaders manage operational efficiency and ensure that there are adequate professional development and training opportunities for all members of the Shift Health team. Engagement Leaders further help to strengthen Shift Health’s culture, including our commitment to Inclusion, Equity, Diversity and Accessibility (IDEA), by representing the firm at external events, contributing to mentorship activities and leading in thought‑leadership activities.

The duties and responsibilities of Shift Health Engagement Leaders include:

Project Management

• Managing and maintaining a diverse portfolio of projects;
• Acting as a senior point of contact on client engagements, typically in a risk management or relationship‑building capacity and to offer a senior voice when advising on recommendations
• Implementing innovative approaches that elevate deliverable quality;
• Supporting Project Managers in identifying project risks and leading project teams in implementing solutions;
• Supporting Project Managers in developing the overall structure and storyline of deliverables;
• Providing strategic guidance that shapes research frameworks and project direction to ensure deliverables meet client needs; and
• Providing review of key deliverables to ensure they meet a high quality standard.

Business Development

• Supporting senior team members in fostering new clients, while also developing and strengthening existing client relationships within projects;
• Leading junior team members in proposal and workplan development;
• Providing strategic guidance on the development of capabilities decks and other template material; and
• Fostering relationships with potential collaborators/partners (e.g. external stakeholders, KOLs, experts).

Key internal functions

• As a member of the Management Team, contribute to:
  • Ensuring team members are receiving the coaching, feedback, professional development/training opportunities, wellness supports and refreshment they need;
  • Conducting formal performance assessments and coaching of junior team members
  • Supporting Project Managers in ensuring that projects are properly resourced, on time and on budget, invoicing is on schedule and that project risks are anticipated, mitigated and managed; and
  • Ensuring long‑term resource planning is up‑to‑date and supports corporate decision‑making.
• Actively supports Shift Health’s culture and visibility. For example, by representing Shift Health at external events, contributing to mentorship activities and participating in thought‑leadership activities (e.g. developing white papers, presenting at conferences/events) that elevate Shift Health’s stature in the broader life sciences ecosystem.

Required Qualifications and Experiences

Engagement Leaders must have:

• Completed a graduate degree (PhD, Masters or equivalent) in the life sciences or a related field. A focus in vaccines/infectious disease or oncology is a distinct advantage
• A research‑based graduate degree in the life sciences and/or a business degree/certification may be an advantage; and
• At least 5 years of consulting experience, including a minimum of 3 years focused on pharmaceutical commercial strategy and competitive intelligence (e.g., primary CI), ideally in vaccines/infectious disease or oncology, with demonstrated experience in conference coverage.

Knowledge, skills and personal attributes required

To effectively conduct their essential functions, Engagement Leaders are required to demonstrate excellence across the following dimensions:

• Leadership and client management skills, at both the project and portfolio level;
• Overseeing multiple diverse projects and identifying opportunities to implement innovative approaches to meet project objectives and client needs;
• Proven history of effective leadership and mentorship that fosters team development;
• Track record of applying strategic and agile thinking to ensure projects meet endpoints; and
• Deep knowledge of the health, research and innovation ecosystem, particularly private sector and in infectious disease or oncology.

Travel

Travel to client offices or off‑site locations may be required. Engagement Leaders may dedicate approximately 10-15% of their time to domestic or international travel.

Location

Shift Health currently practices a hybrid model. Our office is in Toronto, ON, Canada.

Remuneration

This is a full‑time, permanent position; a competitive salary is offered along with a bonus based on personal and corporate performance. A comprehensive industry‑leading benefits plan will also be provided.

Equal Employment Commitment

Shift Health values and aspires to create a diverse and inclusive work environment. We welcome and encourage applications from people with diverse abilities, members of racialized and minoritized groups, women, Indigenous Peoples, and others with the skills and knowledge to succeed in this position. Accommodations are available on request for candidates in all aspects of the selection process.

About Shift Health

Shift Health brings a science mindset to strategy consulting for the health research and innovation ecosystem. We blend scientific depth, sector leadership and global perspective, tackling our clients’ most challenging questions with curiosity, rigour and courage. Delivering sharp insights and customized solutions, we’re helping to create the future of healthcare.

Every member of the consulting team at Shift Health started as a health and life sciences researcher and possesses the unique ability to couple scientific and clinical depth with business and management acumen. We bring this unique experience and expertise to leading organizations across the globe, including top pharma and within their multi‑billion dollar flagship programs, pioneering not‑for‑profit and funding organizations, leading academic centres, hospitals and patient advocacy groups who all contribute across the innovation system.

Shift Health’s Commitment to Anti‑Racism

At Shift Health, we believe anti‑racism cannot simply be a corporate value: it must be central to our corporate mission. Shift Health is committed to combatting systemic racism and creating opportunities for Black, Indigenous and other racialized and minoritized groups to develop skills and experiences required to build a career in the health and life sciences. Our determination to help dismantle systemic racism is guided by the following five commitments:

1. We will appoint and appropriately resource internal leaders who will work with the broader Shift Health team to drive and sustain our anti‑racism agenda.
2. We will undertake an immediate review and renewal of our policies, codes and practices through the lenses of anti‑racism and white privilege.
3. We will invest further in formal and experiential learning opportunities to ensure that all members of our team have the knowledge, awareness and literacy to engage fully in anti‑racist praxis.
4. We will create safe spaces for frank dialogue about racism, oppression and discrimination.
5. We will reach into our communities, building respectful partnerships that uplift Black, Indigenous, and other racialized and minoritized groups, and helping our team both serve as and find role models who inspire personal and professional growth.

You can read more about Shift Health’s commitment to anti‑racism HERE.

Shift Health’s Work Environment

Shift Health cultivates a fast‑paced, high‑energy work environment that provides diverse experiences and opportunities. Our consultants are highly collaborative, working as members of high‑performing teams on a variety of projects across sectors. In addition to the opportunity to work on a spectrum of exciting projects with clients who are world leaders in their fields, Shift Health is committed to fostering performance excellence through training, mentorship and professional growth.