Director, Studio Operations & Initiatives

Pfizer; Stone Cross; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Pfizer is seeking a Director, Operations and Key Initiatives Lead to drive studio operations and cross‑studio programs that keep product teams efficient. You will own operating rhythm, onboarding, budgeting, vendor management, and external narratives with leadership to ensure aligned delivery across product, engineering, and innovation.

You will lead cross‑functional initiatives, translate requests into actionable studio responses, and partner with senior leaders to balance priorities, resources

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Technology, or related field.
• Experience leading operations and complex, cross‑functional initiatives in a digital, product, consulting, or equivalent environment.
• Demonstrated judgement operating next to senior leaders: what to elevate, what to close quietly, what to refuse.
• Excellent structured communication — written and verbal — with executives and with delivery teams.
• Experience running team operations and coordinating people, vendors, budgets, and timelines without becoming a bottleneck.
• Comfort with ambiguity and with organisations in the middle of an operating‑model change.
• Ability to lead a small operations function and still do hands‑on initiative work.
• MBA or equivalent.
• Chief‑of‑staff, studio operations, or digital programme leadership experience.
• Healthcare, pharma, or other regulated‑industry experience.

Responsibilities

• Own studio and team operations: operating rhythm, onboarding and offboarding, resourcing and hiring logistics, FTE and contractor administration, vendor management, tooling, and budget tracking.
• Lead studio-level initiatives that cut across pillars (operating model, leadership reviews, enterprise programmes, major events, and time‑bound campaigns).
• Translate DLT / Digital requests into the smallest viable studio response; shield product and engineering from undifferentiated administrative load.
• Own the studio’s external narrative with Scott Gavin: plans, status, risks, and decision papers that are honest and short.
• Build and run a light operating cadence (forums, artefacts, follow‑ups) that people actually use; kill ceremonies that do not earn their time.
• Line‑manage the Sr. Manager, Product & Studio Operations; set the standard for how FTE administration, vendors, and logistics get done.
• Coordinate dependencies with sibling platforms, governance, finance, and HR so hiring, funding, and risk topics do not stall delivery.
• Spot portfolio‑level conflicts (duplicate work, unclear owners, political traps) and surface them early with a recommended call.
• Model studio culture in enterprise settings: pace, candour, and respect for craft.

Skills

Operating cadence

Team operations

Vendor management

Budget tracking

Education

MBA

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Technology, or related field

Job description

Pfizer is seeking a Director, Operations and Key Initiatives Lead to drive studio operations and cross‑studio programs that keep product teams efficient. You will own operating rhythm, onboarding, budgeting, vendor management, and external narratives with leadership to ensure aligned delivery across product, engineering, and innovation.

You will lead cross‑functional initiatives, translate requests into actionable studio responses, and partner with senior leaders to balance priorities, resources