Head of Business Operations - PTE

F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG; Madrid; On-site; EUR 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Roche seeks an accomplished executive to lead Business Support within the Pharma Technical Operations Digital & Operational Excellence (PTE) organization. You will partner across global functions to drive strategic governance, organizational change, and capability-building initiatives, reporting to the Global Head of Digital, Data, AI and OE.

You will lead a diverse team including CoS, governance board, PMO, and training programs, ensuring alignment with the 10-year pharma vision and

Qualifications

• Executive Leader with proven business acumen and enterprise-wide strategy experience.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams in regulated industries such as biopharma or life sciences.

Responsibilities

• Lead governance, project management and change management for PT Digital & Operational Excellence (PTE).
• Oversee AcademyX and capability-building initiatives across global operations.
• Direct administrative leadership and executive-support functions for PTE leadership.

Job description

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

At Roche, we thrive to deliver more benefits to our patients as part of our 10-year Pharma vision. An integral part to achieving this vision is to deliver new and innovative data analytics solutions to our scientists across Pharma Technical Operations (PT). To do so, we have formed PT Digital and Operational Excellence (PTE) with the aspiration to build industry-leading digital and lean operations across functions and our entire PT footprint. PTE is the organization that catalyzes the global development and execution of PT’s Digital and Operational Excellence strategy to enable PT to realize our performance promises. We build a strong cross-functional and inclusive community, put the power of data into the hands of our people, further develop the Lean and Digital skills across PT, and scale up our Digital and Advanced Analytics solutions, for the benefit of our colleagues and patients. We aim to activate data citizenship and a digital mindset, revolutionize our FAIR data ecosystem, re-design excellent processes, and generate transformative insights.

Main Responsibilities

We in PTE work in partnership across major global business functions (PT-Quality, PT-Development, PT-Regulatory, PT-Manufacturing, PT-Technology, etc.) establishing and implementing an overall Digital / Technology and Operational Excellence strategy. The Head of Business Support role reports directly to the Global Head of Digital, Data, AI and Operational Excellence (PTE) and is accountable for ensuring the successful execution, adoption, and operational stability of PTE's transformative initiatives. This position will also sit on the PTE Leadership Team. This role requires strategic foresight, deep operational knowledge, and a passion for developing people. You will lead a diverse organization that encompasses governance, organizational change management, project execution, and capability building.

Key Accountabilities

• PTE Chief of Staff (CoS): The PTE Chief of Staff will report directly into this role, ensuring cohesive strategic alignment, streamlined execution of leadership priorities, and effective operations of the broader PTE Leadership Team.
• Governance & Digital Innovation Board (DIB): Manage the Digital Innovation Board (DIB) to ensure the successful representation, prioritization, and execution of roadmap use cases. You will ensure effective governance of all digital and Operational Excellence (OE) initiatives, bringing clear structure and continuously evolving the governance model to improve transparency, optimize resources, and enhance cross-functional synergy.
• Organizational Change Management (OCM): Lead a dedicated team of OCM professionals to drive sustainable transformation. Proactively mitigating adoption risks (such as change fatigue) and leveraging industry trends in behavioral science to shape the transformation approach. Applying robust change methodologies (e.g., Prosci, ADKAR) and human-centric design with a strong focus on employee adoption and stakeholder experience. Fostering a high-performing, purpose-driven culture that embeds change resilience into the organization.
• Project & Program Management: Build and lead a high-performing project and portfolio management office. You will lead project managers, program managers, and scrum masters dedicated to digital and OE initiatives, institutionalizing rigorous methodologies to ensure consistency, accountability, and the efficient execution of complex global initiatives.
• AcademyX & Capability Building: Sponsor and lead AcademyX, driving strategic capability-building efforts and global OCM initiatives. You will define skill requirements, standardize processes, and ensure executive adoption and a pervasive digital mindset across the organization.
• Administrative Leadership: Lead and oversee the administrative assistants for PTE, ensuring seamless operational support and efficiency for the broader leadership and organization.

Qualifications & Competencies

• We require a proven Executive Leader who operates with profound business acumen and possesses a demonstrated history of shaping enterprise-wide strategy.
• Leadership Model: You must be a recognized practitioner and passionate advocate of the VACC (Visionary, Architect, Coach, Catalyst) executive model, capable of influencing, challenging, and aligning senior leadership.
• Education: Master’s degree (BS/BA) in Business, Engineering, or a related field; an MBA is highly desirable, along with certifications in Lean, Six Sigma, or Operational Excellence.
• Experience: 15+ years leading multi-disciplinary teams and managing people in highly regulated industries like biopharma or life sciences.
• Strategic & Systems Thinking: Ability to bridge the gap between high-level strategy and operational reality, understanding the E2E Pharma ecosystem, and proactively driving transformation rather than just executing plans.
• Authentic Influence: Exceptional ability to collaborate across matrixed functions, build consensus, and drive change without relying on formal authority.

Roche embraces diversity and equal opportunity in a serious way.

We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills.

The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100'000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact. Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

We believe it’s urgent to deliver medical solutions right now – even as we develop innovations for the future. We are passionate about transforming patients’ lives. We are courageous in both decision and action. And we believe that good business means a better world. That is why we come to work each day. We commit ourselves to scientific rigor, unassailable ethics, and access to medical innovations for all. We do this today to build a better tomorrow. We are proud of who we are, what we do, and how we do it. We are many, working as one across functions, across companies, and across the world. We are Roche.