Senior Manager – Business Transformation & Process Excellence (Life Sciences) - Onsite

Cognizant; Bridgewater (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off

401(k) plan and contributions

Long-term/Short-term Disability

Paid Parental Leave

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

Cognizant is seeking a Senior Manager to lead strategic transformation initiatives for Life Sciences clients in the United States. You will guide enterprise-wide programs, design future-state models, and facilitate executive workshops with senior stakeholders to deliver measurable value.

The role demands extensive consulting experience, a strong background in process excellence, and the ability to collaborate with global teams while mentoring delivery staff. Travel is expected.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in management consulting, business transformation, operational excellence, or strategic advisory roles.
• Proven success leading large-scale transformation programs and stakeholder-driven consulting engagements.
• Experience in at least one Life Sciences functional area: Manufacturing, Commercial Operations, R&D, Quality & Compliance, Regulatory Affairs, or Supply Chain.
• Exceptional facilitation, executive communication, and client relationship management skills.
• Willingness to travel and work closely with clients and delivery teams.
• MBA or advanced degree; Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt; Digital Transformation, Automation, AI, Process Mining, or Data Analytics experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide business transformation and operational excellence engagements across Life Sciences organizations.
• Conduct business assessments, maturity evaluations, and process diagnostics to identify improvement opportunities and unlock value.
• Design future-state operating models, transformation roadmaps, and process optimization strategies.
• Facilitate executive workshops, stakeholder interviews, and collaborative working sessions to align vision and drive decision-making.
• Partner with senior client leaders to address strategic business challenges and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, digital transformation, automation, and AI-driven capabilities.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional and global teams to ensure successful execution and adoption of transformation programs.
• Mentor consulting teams, foster innovation, and contribute to practice growth, thought leadership, and business development activities.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Executive facilitation

Client relationship management

Cross-functional leadership

Workshop facilitation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations

MBA or advanced degree

Tools

Lean Six Sigma

Process Mining

Data Analytics

AI initiatives

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a highly accomplished Senior Manager to lead strategic transformation initiatives for leading Life Sciences organizations. This role is ideal for a consulting leader who excels at solving complex business challenges, driving operational excellence, and influencing senior stakeholders to deliver sustainable business outcomes.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in business transformation, process excellence, and stakeholder consulting with experience in one or more Life Sciences domains, including Manufacturing, Commercial Operations, R&D, Quality, Regulatory, or Supply Chain. This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to clients, lead high-impact assessments and workshops, and help shape transformation strategies that accelerate business performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide business transformation and operational excellence engagements across Life Sciences organizations.
• Conduct business assessments, maturity evaluations, and process diagnostics to identify improvement opportunities and unlock value.
• Design future-state operating models, transformation roadmaps, and process optimization strategies.
• Facilitate executive workshops, stakeholder interviews, and collaborative working sessions to align vision and drive decision-making.
• Partner with senior client leaders to address strategic business challenges and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives leveraging Lean, Six Sigma, digital transformation, automation, and AI-driven capabilities.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional and global teams to ensure successful execution and adoption of transformation programs.
• Mentor consulting teams, foster innovation, and contribute to practice growth, thought leadership, and business development activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in management consulting, business transformation, operational excellence, or strategic advisory roles.
• Proven success leading large-scale transformation programs and stakeholder-driven consulting engagements.
• Experience in at least one Life Sciences functional area:
  • Manufacturing
  • Commercial Operations
  • Research & Development (R&D)
  • Quality & Compliance
  • Regulatory Affairs
  • Supply Chain
• Exceptional facilitation, executive communication, and client relationship management skills.
• Willingness to travel and work closely with clients and delivery teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or advanced degree.
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Black Belt, or equivalent certification.
• Experience in Digital Transformation, Automation, AI, Process Mining, or Data Analytics initiatives.

What Makes You Successful

• A strategic thinker with a passion for transforming businesses and solving complex operational challenges.
• A trusted advisor who can influence executives and build lasting client relationships.
• An engaging facilitator who excels at leading workshops, assessments, and executive discussions.
• A collaborative leader who inspires teams, drives innovation, and delivers measurable business value.

Salary and Other Compensation:

The base salary for this position is between $110,000 - $130,000k depending on experience and other qualifications of the successful candidate. This position is also eligible for Cognizant’s discretionary annual incentive program, based on performance and subject to the terms of Cognizant’s applicable plans.

Benefits:

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance
• Paid holidays plus Paid Time Off
• 401(k) plan and contributions
• Long-term/Short-term Disability
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Disclaimer: The salary, other compensation, and benefits information is accurate as of the date of this posting. Cognizant reserves the right to modify this information at any time, subject to applicable law.

Cognizant will only consider applicants for this position who are legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring company sponsorship now or at any time in the future.