Director, R&D Strategy and Competitive Intelligence (Billerica MA)

EMD Serono, Inc.; Billerica (MA); On-site; USD 201,000 - 301,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

PTO

Retirement contributions

Job summary

EMD Serono, Inc. in the United States seeks a Director of R&D Strategy Development to translate complex scientific and R&D information into clear, board-ready narratives and executive presentations.

You will synthesize strategic context with competitive intelligence, collaborate across Healthcare and BD teams, and shape materials for governance and decision points, balancing depth with executive simplicity.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant scientific or medical discipline (PhD/MD) required or equivalent.
• Experience in consulting, strategy, business development or comparable roles with senior stakeholders.
• Ability to translate complex scientific concepts into executive presentations and visuals.

Responsibilities

• Translate dense scientific content into coherent Board narratives and senior-exec storylines.
• Develop visually engaging slide decks, infographics and data visuals; manage timelines and version control.
• Create CI summaries for R&D collaboration with Commercial CI and support decision making.

Skills

Strategic storytelling

Executive communication

Stakeholder engagement

Visual storytelling

Education

PhD/MD or equivalent

MBA or business qualification (plus)

Tools

PowerPoint

AI landscape analysis

ChatGPT

Claude

Keynote

Google Slides

Figma

Illustrator

InDesign

Job description

Work Your Magic with us! Start your next chapter and join EMD Serono.

Ready to explore, break barriers, and discover more? We know you’ve got big plans – so do we! Our colleagues across the globe love innovating with science and technology to enrich people’s lives with our solutions in Healthcare, Life Science, and Electronics. Together, we dream big and are passionate about caring for our rich mix of people, customers, patients, and planet. That's why we are always looking for curious minds that see themselves imagining the unimaginable with us.

United As One for Patients, our purpose in Healthcare is to help create, improve and prolong lives. We develop medicines, intelligent devices and innovative technologies in therapeutic areas such as Oncology, Neurology and Fertility. Our teams work together across 6 continents with passion and relentless curiosity in order to help patients at every stage of life. Joining our Healthcare team is becoming part of a diverse, inclusive and flexible working culture, presenting great opportunities for personal development and career advancement across the globe.

This role does not offer sponsorship for work authorization. External applicants must be eligible to work in the US.

Your Role

As part of the extended Strategy, Portfolio Management and Hubs LT, the Director, R&D Strategy Development, R&D Competitive Intelligence & Communication serves as a strategic partner responsible for translating complex scientific and R&D information into clear, compelling, board-ready strategy narratives and executive presentations including but not limited to the Research and Development Committee.

Key Accountabilities Include

• Translating dense scientific content into coherent Board and senior-executive storylines; developing visually engaging slide decks, infographics, timelines, schematics and data visuals; managing timelines, feedback cycles and version control across multiple projects; and preparing speaker notes, pacing and presentation flow where required.
• Creating reusable and branded templates; partnering with relevant experts and leaders across the Healthcare organization, including but not limited to researchers, scientists, Business Development, Global Program Heads, Program Management Lead, program teams and communications specialists to ensure scientific accuracy and strategic clarity
• Create CI Summaries for Research and Development in collaboration with Commercial CI leveraging AI and deliver insights for informed decision making. Deliver key insights for R&D program planning in preparation for decision points.

Financial Dimension

• No direct P&L responsibility identified; indirect financial impact through improved quality and speed of R&D and BD decision support, competitive intelligence synthesis, governance materials and executive communication.
• Drive insights for program business case development and analytics

Strategic Impact

• Enable senior leaders and governance bodies to enhance R&D and BD decision-making by converting scientific complexity, competitive context and strategic implications into crisp, actionable narratives.
• Strengthen enterprise-level communication of R&D strategy, innovation, portfolio opportunities and external partnership logic through consistent, high-quality executive presentations.
• Improve organizational speed and consistency by building reusable visual assets, slide templates and AI-enabled approaches for recurring strategy and competitive intelligence needs.

The complexity of this role stems from the need to integrate highly technical scientific content, competitive intelligence, portfolio considerations and senior‑leadership expectations into clear, actionable strategy narratives. The role operates across multiple interfaces without direct authority, requiring strong judgment, rapid synthesis and the ability to align diverse stakeholders under time pressure. It also demands the ability to balance strategic depth with executive-level simplicity, ensuring that complex R&D and BD topics are translated into materials that support high-quality decision-making.

Management Of People

• Individual contributor role with no direct people management currently specified.
• Expected to lead workstreams, coordinate cross-functional input and influence senior stakeholders without formal authority.

Who You Are

Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced degree in a relevant scientific or medical discipline (PhD, MD, or equivalent) required/preferred based on final leveling; additional MBA or business qualification is a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in consulting, strategy, business development, or comparable business-facing roles is required, complemented by exposure to pharmaceutical, life sciences, or R&D environments. Experience engaging senior stakeholders and participating in executive-level discussions is essential.
• Demonstrated ability to convert complex scientific and R&D concepts into executive-level presentations, visuals, briefs, infographics and data-driven narratives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Mastery of visual storytelling, slide architecture, typography, color theory, layout, data visualization and executive communication.
• Advanced proficiency of utilization of AI for landscape analysis, content generation, story flow, data analysis, competitive intelligence checks and rapid storyboard development.
• Advanced proficiency with PowerPoint and modern slide/design tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, AlphaSense, Keynote, Google Slides, Figma, Illustrator, InDesign or equivalent.
• Strong collaboration, prioritization and communication skills; able to operate effectively under pressure and iterate rapidly based on changing business needs.

Location

Billerica MA

Pay Range for this position: $200,800 - $301,300

The offer range represents the anticipated low and high end of the base pay compensation for this position. The actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as location, level of experience, education, skills, and other job-related factors. Position may be eligible for sales or performance-based bonuses. Benefits offered by the Company include health insurance, paid time off (PTO), retirement contributions, and other perquisites. For more information click here.

What we offer

We are curious minds that come from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences. We believe that this variety drives excellence and innovation, strengthening our ability to lead in science and technology. We are committed to creating access and opportunities for all to develop and grow at your own pace. Join us in building a culture of inclusion and belonging that impacts millions and empowers everyone to work their magic and champion human progress!