Associate Director, Integrated Biologics R&D Execution & Engagement Lead

Lonza; Basel; On-site; CHF 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Lonza is seeking a senior transformation leader in Basel to define and drive strategic frameworks across R&D. You will coordinate enterprise-wide transformation initiatives, governance, and cross-platform priorities while advising R&D leadership on capability development and new offerings.

The role emphasizes building sustainable change capabilities, developing senior talent, and delivering measurable improvements in organizational performance across Lonza’s network.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading large-scale organisational transformation in a complex, matrixed environment.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and manage cross-functional programs.
• Professional certification in Change Management (e.g., PROSCI) is highly advantageous.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field is required or highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the strategic framework implementation guiding transformation across R&D functions.
• Oversee enterprise integration of transformation activities with strong governance across portfolios.
• Act as a trusted advisor to R&D leadership to build capabilities and offerings.
• Set people and capability strategies for continuous improvement and professional growth.
• Drive organizational effectiveness and long-term innovation roadmaps across Lonza network.

Skills

Strategic Stakeholder Management

Business Integration

Organisational Development

Talent Development

Change Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Organizational Development, Business, Psychology, Science, or Engineering

Certifications: PROSCI Change Management

Experience in management consulting

Job description

Switzerland, Basel

Key Responsibilities & Behaviours

• Strategic framework implementation: Establish the strategic scientific and operational frameworks that guide transformation practices across all R&D functions
• Enterprise leadership: Lead the integration of transformation activities across multiple areas, defining priorities for cross-platform portfolios with strong governance
• Trusted advisor: Serve as a senior advisor to R&D leadership, leveraging internal and external networks to build new organizational capabilities and offerings
• Capability strategy: Set the people and capability strategy for R&D transformation, acting as a sponsor for continuous improvement and professional growth across the network
• Organizational effectiveness: Identify and solve complex business and industry challenges by driving new ideas into practical strategic options and long-term innovation roadmaps

Key Accountabilities

• Strategic alignment: Accountable for enterprise-wide stakeholder alignment and the successful realisation of transformation benefits
• Sustainable capability: Building internal, sustainable change capability within R&D rather than relying on project-based interventions
• Thought leadership: Providing external and internal thought leadership on organizational readiness and transformation effectiveness

Success Measures

• Measurable business impact: Delivery of enterprise-wide initiatives that result in quantifiable improvements in organizational performance
• Network consistency: Establishment of practices that result in consistent quality and the reuse of best practices across the Lonza network (CoE, R&D Centres of Excellence)
• Cultural evolution: Demonstrated shift in organizational behaviours and a strengthened internal capability to manage future transformations

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strategic Stakeholder Management: Ability to lead and shape stakeholder strategy across teams and functions, ensuring alignment between scientific capability and business needs
• Business Integration: Bridging technical innovation with company and platform strategy to ensure transformation benefits are realised commercially and operationally
• Organisational Development: Setting people and capability strategies for a domain to shape a culture of continuous learning and collaboration
• Talent Development: Building team capability by developing senior talent and fostering inclusive, high-performance cultures

Core Competencies

• Influencing & Negotiation: Driving cross-functional alignment to accelerate innovation cycles and influence high-level decision-making
• Strategic Execution: Execute the innovation roadmap and ensuring all initiatives integrate scientific creativity with business objectives
• Empowerment & Coaching: Empowering diverse teams to achieve strategic R&D goals and supporting professional growth across all career paths
• Change Leadership: Moving beyond project-based interventions to establish permanent scientific frameworks and practices that support consistency and innovation
• Critical Thinking & Innovation: Fostering a culture of critical thinking and encouraging the integration of emerging methods to maintain a competitive advantage

Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Organizational Development, Business, Psychology, Science, or Engineering
• Experience: Significant experience supporting or leading large-scale organisational transformation and influencing senior stakeholders in a complex, matrixed environment
• Experience in management consulting is highly desirable
• Certifications: Professional certification in Change Management (e.g., PROSCI), coaching, or organisational development is highly advantageous

Every day, Lonza’s products and services have a positive impact on millions of people. For us, this is not only a great privilege, but also a great responsibility. How we achieve our business results is just as important as the achievements themselves. At Lonza, we respect and protect our people and our environment. Any success we achieve is no success at all if not achieved ethically.

People come to Lonza for the challenge and creativity of solving complex problems and developing new ideas in life sciences. In return, we offer the satisfaction that comes with improving lives all around the world. The satisfaction that comes with making a meaningful difference.

Reference: R80036