Head of Portfolio & Business Excellence

Zentiva Poland; Guildford; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Zentiva Pharma UK Ltd is seeking an experienced Head of Portfolio & Business Excellence to lead portfolio performance across Generics and CHC in the UK commercial team, based in Guildford. You will shape portfolio strategy, drive lifecycle management, and partner with Finance, Supply Chain and Legal to deliver sustainable growth.

In this senior role you will translate market insights into actionable plans, own P&L considerations, and lead cross-functional transformation initiatives to optimise

Qualifications

• 5-10+ years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry, with strong exposure to the Generics sector.
• Proven experience in Portfolio Management, Commercial Strategy, Business Excellence, Strategic Planning or Consulting.
• Strong understanding of generics market dynamics, including pricing, tenders, trade margins and volume-driven business models.
• Experience with P&L ownership and commercial performance management, ideally within Generics, OTC or Consumer Healthcare.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional projects and business transformation initiatives.
• Experience working within regional or global matrix organisations is advantageous.
• Strong commercial acumen and analytical capability.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Results-driven, proactive and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute portfolio strategies across multiple product channels.
• Drive portfolio lifecycle management, including product prioritisation, optimisation and rationalisation.
• Own and drive CHC portfolio and P&L performance, ensuring delivery of commercial and financial objectives while identifying opportunities for sustainable growth and profitability.
• Develop business cases and recommendations for new product opportunities and launches.
• Support pricing, forecasting, and portfolio decision-making through market and commercial insights.
• Monitor competitor activity, market trends, tender dynamics and regulatory developments to identify risks and opportunities.
• Translate insights into clear commercial actions and recommendations.
• Lead business excellence and transformation initiatives that improve commercial effectiveness.
• Support long-range planning and contribute to strategic portfolio discussions.
• Collaborate closely with Finance, Business Development, Supply Chain, Scientific Affairs and other cross-functional stakeholders.

Skills

Portfolio Management

Commercial Strategy

Business Excellence

Strategic Planning

Analytical capability

Stakeholder management

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Job description

Zentiva Pharma UK Ltd is a leading manufacturer of generic pharmaceutical products throughout the UK and Europe. We strive to be the champions of Generics and Over the Counter (OTC) medicines to better support people’s daily healthcare needs. We are looking for an experienced Head of Portfolio & Business Excellence to join our UK Commercial team. This role will be responsible for driving portfolio performance across our Generics and CHC business, combining portfolio management, commercial insight, and strategic planning to support sustainable growth and profitability. Working closely with senior stakeholders across the business, you will use data-driven insights to inform commercial decisions, optimise portfolio performance, and identify new growth opportunities.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute portfolio strategies across multiple product channels.
• Drive portfolio lifecycle management, including product prioritisation, optimisation and rationalisation.
• Own and drive CHC portfolio and P&L performance, ensuring delivery of commercial and financial objectives while identifying opportunities for sustainable growth and profitability.
• Develop business cases and recommendations for new product opportunities and launches.
• Support pricing, forecasting, and portfolio decision-making through market and commercial insights.
• Monitor competitor activity, market trends, tender dynamics and regulatory developments to identify risks and opportunities.
• Translate insights into clear commercial actions and recommendations.
• Lead business excellence and transformation initiatives that improve commercial effectiveness.
• Support long-range planning and contribute to strategic portfolio discussions.
• Collaborate closely with Finance, Business Development, Supply Chain, Scientific Affairs and other cross-functional stakeholders.

Requirements

• 5-10+ years of experience within the pharmaceutical industry, with strong exposure to the Generics sector.
• Proven experience in Portfolio Management, Commercial Strategy, Business Excellence, Strategic Planning or Consulting.
• Strong understanding of generics market dynamics, including pricing, tenders, trade margins and volume-driven business models.
• Experience with P&L ownership and commercial performance management, ideally within Generics, OTC or Consumer Healthcare.
• Demonstrated success leading cross-functional projects and business transformation initiatives.
• Experience working within regional or global matrix organisations is advantageous.
• Strong commercial acumen and analytical capability.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Results-driven, proactive and comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment.

What is in it for you

• A high-impact role within a leading international generics pharmaceutical company.
• Strong opportunities for professional growth and internal career progression.
• A collaborative, inclusive, and supportive culture.
• Participation in social, wellbeing, and community initiatives.
• An attractive compensation and benefits package.

At Zentiva, we provide health and wellbeing for all generations, with focus on developing, producing, and delivering high-quality, affordable medicines to more than 100 million people in over 40 countries across Europe. We have four manufacturing sites and a broad network of external manufacturing partners. Zentiva employs more than 5,400 unique talents in over 30 countries, bonded together by a commitment to the people who depend on our products every day.

Visit us at www.zentiva.com

Zentiva does not use private email accounts (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo) for recruitment and does not request any payment from candidates at any stage of the hiring process. If you are contacted by someone claiming to represent Zentiva and asking for payment or using a non-corporate email address, please treat this as fraudulent and report it to us immediately.