Customer Engagement Lead - sSA Cluster

Roche; Johannesburg; On-site; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global healthcare organization is seeking a Customer Engagement Lead in Johannesburg. This strategic leadership role requires a visionary with significant experience in the pharmaceutical industry to shape competitive strategies and foster innovation in healthcare. The ideal candidate will hold a minimum NQF Level 7/8 qualification and have at least 10 years of experience in commercial roles, including substantial management experience. Join Roche Pharma South Africa to empower teams, engage stakeholders, and drive impactful healthcare solutions.

Qualifications

• 10 years’ experience in commercial or strategic roles within the pharmaceutical industry.
• 8 years of management experience, including 2 years at the executive management level.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning with a proven ability to implement large-scale business strategies.

Responsibilities

• Shape and guide the strategic direction and management of Roche's disease areas and product portfolio.
• Engage with stakeholders to co-create sustainable healthcare solutions.
• Drive strategic and operational management to create effective, scalable, and sustainable business outcomes.

Skills

Strategic Agility

Stakeholder Engagement

Market Analytics

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

NQF Level 7/8 in a science-related field

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

Are you ready to lead with purpose? As the Customer Engagement Lead in Johannesburg, you will shape and guide the strategic direction and management of Roche's disease areas and product portfolio, ensuring our competitiveness in the South African healthcare market.

Your role, as an integral member of the Enabling Team, will contribute to Roche’s long-term vision of achieving a triple-win outcome: to patients, the business, and the broader healthcare ecosystem. This entails fostering innovation, operational efficiency, and value creation through avenues like new patient services, cutting-edge technologies, external collaborations, and global knowledge-sharing.

As a leader of Market Enablers, Patient Journey Partners (PJPs), and Squad Leads, you will empower teams to innovate, collaborate authentically, and ensure Roche Pharma South Africa is positioned as a forward-thinking leader both internally and externally.

In this strategic leadership role, you will be tasked with navigating complexities while making Roche a trusted and transformative partner in the healthcare ecosystem

Key challenges:

• Driving strategic and operational management to create effective, scalable, and sustainable business outcomes while holding teams accountable to shared visions and goals.

• Fostering a high-performing, inclusive culture that encourages innovation, growth, and ownership.

• Overseeing commercial excellence by supporting seamless execution of product strategies across therapy areas, achieving both speed-to-market and commercial success.

• Engaging with diverse stakeholders — from therapeutic area experts to funders, regulators, and patient advocates — to co-create sustainable healthcare solutions.

• Delivering on transformation, demand planning, financial stewardship, and compliance while responding to evolving legislative and market dynamics.

• Coaching and empowering your team to adapt to agile ways of working while ensuring the alignment of mindsets, skills, and capacity across the organization.

Who you are as our ideal candidate:

We are seeking a visionary leader who thrives on making meaningful impacts. Our ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications, experience, and mindset:

Qualifications & Experience:

- NQF Level 7/8 in a science-related field (minimum).

- 10 years’ experience in commercial or strategic roles within the pharmaceutical industry.

- 8 years of management experience, including 2 years at the executive management level.

- Demonstrated experience in strategic planning with a proven ability to implement large-scale business strategies.

- A strong understanding of the pharmaceutical industry, including lifecycle management, marketing operations, and industry regulations.

Knowledge and Skills:

- Expertise in pharmaceutical commercial excellence and product portfolio management.

- Strategic agility with the ability to anticipate trends, shape decisions, and adjust priorities.

- Experience developing new business models and implementing innovative solutions.

- Exceptional skills in stakeholder engagement, market analytics, and cross-functional collaboration.

Join Roche Pharma South Africa and lead us in building a healthcare system where value reaches patients faster, health systems become more sustainable, and innovation thrives. Be part of a transformative journey where your purpose and impact can make a tangible difference.

Ready to take healthcare to the next level? Apply today!

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.