Director, Life Sciences Consulting, UK + EMEA

Director, Life Sciences Consulting, UK + EMEA

Full time

CF is a leading consultancy dedicated to making an enduring impact on health and healthcare. We work with leaders and frontline teams to improve health, transform healthcare, embed life science innovation and boost growth through investment.

We have extensive experience of collaborating with top life science companies, including pharma, biotech, medical devices and diagnostics. By combining deep insights into health systems with cutting-edge market research, real-world evidence, and strategic digital solutions, we accelerate the adoption and performance of innovations. 

We also create optimal policy conditions for healthcare advancements through evidence-based thought leadership, taking a proactive stance on key issues. This comprehensive, 360 approach aids clients in improving uptake of technologies, for the benefit of patients everywhere.

CF’s life sciences consulting, research and data capabilities combines deep knowledge of health systems with unparalleled access to healthcare data. We hold direct access to record-level data on 57 million patients in England and leverage the the world’s largest, linked, longitudinal patient-level data set. 

Our approach

As a trusted partner to both health systems and the life sciences industry, CF supports pharma understand and navigate the path to innovation uptake. 

We support clients with an in-depth understanding of healthcare systems and patient pathways, market research, real world evidence, digital products and strategy to drive innovation uptake and performance. We have a deep understanding of different disease pathologies and pathways and worked extensively across multiple therapeutic areas, including cancer, neurology, cardiovascular diseases, and rare diseases.

Through our strong relationships with leaders – we have worked with the majority of the 20 biggest pharma companies and in depth work with health systems– we facilitate productive collaborations between life sciences, government and health systems partners, payors and providers. We also create the right policy conditions for innovations to thrive through highly impactful thought leadership reports that take a proactive stance on key issues. This comprehensive, 360 approach aids clients in improving uptake of technologies, for the benefit of patients everywhere.

Our life sciences offer

Whilst we work closely with local affiliates, regional and global colleagues across the medicines life cycle, our particular emphasis is in market preparation and pre-launch, and post-launch support. We recognise that every uptake challenge is unique, which is why our offer covers the breadth of possible needs. Our key focus is on system shaping which can include value proposition, pathway transformation, population health management, case finding for rare disease, facilitating partnerships with health systems, establishing value based agreements. 

CF’s unique combination of consultancy, award winning data science and data engineering capabilities, and strong track record in research positions us to support you with meaningful evidence generation and strategy and application of real world data.  

This is an exciting opportunity to join our Life Sciences consulting team at a senior level, focusing on the global life sciences sector, with emphasis on consulting, research and data capabilities. Working alongside the Managing Partner, Business Development Manager, and wider CF leadership team, you will contribute to the growth and development of our life sciences offering, driving work that supports sustainable growth and innovation uptake in the industry. You will bring a strong brand, a growing reputation, and extensive experience in life sciences consulting.

Our purpose

To have enduring positive impact on health and healthcare.

Our mission

To be invaluable to our clients, supporting them to innovate and make lasting improvements and to build an exceptional company that attracts, develops, and retains a trusted and uniquely talented team.

Our strategic intent

We are focussed on building the leading consulting company dedicated to the health sector. We serve the entire sector including healthcare systems (providers, payors, regulators), life sciences (pharma, biotech, devices, and diagnostics), health investing, health tech (data, digital and apps) and the wider suppliers to the sector (infrastructure, consumables and supporting services). Our clients in life sciences focus primarily on big pharma as well as mid-size pharma and biotech, devices and health tech.

Our consulting is renowned for its use of data and the insights this creates. We have access to more UK healthcare data than any other company and are expert it its safe use for delivering healthcare, improving health, managing services, supporting uptake of innovation, undertaking research, and generating evidence. We are expanding our footprint across Europe, with a focus on France, Germany and Swizerland, where we aim to leverage our expertise to drive impactful change in these Life Sciences markets. As we grow internationally, we are excited to bring our innovative solutions and deep sector knowledge to new regions, helping to shape the future of health systems globally.

We are growing a team of expert consultants who want to be at the leading edge of the profession and who have a passion for health. With structured career development from Analyst to Partner in a model of apprenticeship, mentorship, and formal training alongside opportunities to work in industry we are cultivating the leaders of the future. We support future leaders to grow and develop their own unique focus that builds on their expertise, our capabilities and creates value for our clients.

Role summary

The Director role acts to lead the delivery of client teams. It acts as the Delivery Partner on client engagements with accountability for client services that are delivered to high quality and high impact. Excellent relationship building and relationship management is required. Significant client delivery experience is essential to be drawn on to ensure work is completed within contracted parameters such as scope, time, and cost. They are responsible for ensuring the commercial aspects of delivery are adhered to, client and company resources are managed cost effectively and risk is managed.  As the Delivery Partner, the Director directs and owns the approach to problem-solving client requirements. They have high capability in this domain and can direct management consulting and technical consulting team members meaning they are literate in best practice management consulting and healthcare data and how to optimise its use for our clients.  

In addition to client delivery, the Director role is pivotal in leading efforts to secure future work. The wider CF Partner team should be supported by this role to generate revenues. This is achieved through the Director building excellent client relationships in the delivery of work and spotting and securing follow-on and/or adjacent opportunities with existing clients. Beyond existing client work, the Director role is responsible for leading the development of high-quality proposals, directing the wider bid team and directly developing and curating proposal content. The role has a revenue target, known as a “bid support target” which recognises the contribution the Director makes to securing work for CF. The securing of revenues is largely expected to be done in collaboration with the Accountable/Anchor Partner for the bid. 

The role plays a pivotal role in building knowledge for the company. They recognise knowledge is an asset and utilise best practice models and frameworks and develop their own – codifying the practices that work and promoting and spreading this learning. The Director role should be known for an area of expertise and be developing their own brand valued by clients and colleagues alike. They cultivate an internal network of followers to develop and spread the knowledge and promote CF through articulating the impact of our work, developing thought leadership in case studies, articles and using social media to drive new opportunities. 

This role should lead and develop our people. The role will support development of staff by being a mentor and coach to team members in the client work and bid teams that they lead. They will inspire those around them, acting as a role model for our values, competency framework and ways of working. They will act as a development sponsor to a cohort of staff, acting as a point of continuity for their career growth, learning and development and being their performance evaluator. They will lead components of CF’s internal development programme and will play a key role in championing people initiatives, processes, requirements and frameworks across the business to support retention, as well as participating in recruitment. 

Being agile and unfazed by rapidly evolving and emerging priorities will be critical in this role, combined with a direct and collaborative approach to engaging with Partners, the CF leadership team and senior clients both in delivery and in securing future work. Being open to new ideas and entrepreneurial will also be vital for this role to grow and adapt to new opportunities.  

As a member of the senior leadership team of CF, clear communication and strong interpersonal skills are essential, role modelling the leadership behaviours we are committed to at every level of the company. When working with colleagues in CF, clients, suppliers, and people seeking to engage CF, professionalism, kindness and diplomacy are essential qualities.  

Responsibilities
The responsibilities of the role are categorised across four pillars: client delivery, securing future work, knowledge and thought leadership and people leadership. These responsibilities will include, but are not limited to: 

Client delivery 

• Act as Delivery Partner on multiple client engagements simultaneously, ensuring excellent client relationships are developed in each and balancing time appropriately 

• Lead the orchestration and delivery of complex and multi-workstream projects to agreed scope, quality, timeframe and resources, actively providing direction to the content of the work 

• Lead the project team on the ground, monitoring and evaluating team performance, and actively developing team members by providing regular feedback and mentorship 

• Build teams that get the right mix of people and capabilities to best serve the client and strengthen the relationships 

• Address risks and issues that may arise during the course of client project delivery, communicating these and mitigating any negative impact on the desired project outcomes 

• Work in collaboration with the Accountable Partner for delivery, ensuring they are kept up to date on progress, able to perform the QA role in a timely manner and leveraged appropriately to support client engagement and team problem-solving.  

Securing future work  

• Develop enduring relationships with a strong, credible and diverse network of key decision makers within relevant client organisations, industry bodies, intermediaries and collaborators (e.g. technology vendors, SMEs, partner consultancies) to drive both new and follow-on opportunities that maximise revenue growth 

• Support the Partner team to secure revenue through spotting and mobilising activities around opportunities for follow-on or adjacent opportunities with pre-existing clients 

• Support the Partner team to secure revenue through developing new relationships and opportunity horizon scanning, e.g. by supporting the proactive management of and participation in business development activities 

• Lead the development of high-quality and distinctive proposals and associated pricing strategies, demonstrating excellence in competitive tendering processes  

• Show awareness of the full range of CF services and insights, to support business development – including opportunities outside personal expertise 

Knowledge development, thought-leadership and personal brand development 

• Develop a compelling and distinctive personal brand in an area of technical / advisory expertise valued by CF clients, building a reputation as a trusted advisor and thought leader 

• Role-model and lead teams in the adoption of best practice approaches and the embedding of innovation in all work 

• Develop and promote CF solutions and services in areas of expertise and interest to the market 

• Provide direction to the codification of the knowledge developed in client delivery and frameworks for approaches and methods used to be leveraged by other teams in proposal development and client delivery 

• Provide direction to case study capture of client impact enabling the client as well as CF to leverage the story 

• Produce timely thought-leadership and knowledge snapshots adopting the CF brand guidelines 

• Determine the impact of work delivered, capture this for clients served and for use by others in demonstrating the value of our consulting.  

People leadership and mentorship 

• Lead, facilitate and influence senior clients as their trusted advisor 

• Create effective team working internal to CF and in partnership with clients and wider collaborators 

• Mentor client delivery teams to enable the growth and development of team members 

• Mentor bid managers to ensure continuous improvement and embedding company-wide excellence in the development of high-quality and distinctive proposals  

• Support development and assessment of staff, acting as a development sponsor to up to five team members 

• Act as faculty for a series of training modules which relate to your strengths  

• Be a corporate leader as a member of the senior leadership team, where relevant providing direction to corporate development priorities and corporate requirements 

• Provide stable and situational leadership under pressure and across competing priorities  

• Role model and create the context for all staff to live the CF values and adhere to the CF code of conduct. 

• Socialise with colleagues and clients to create a meaningful and trusted relationship, fostering psychological safety for all.

To be successful in this role, you are likely to have a combination of the following:

Mandatory: 

• 8 years experience in a consulting role within Life Sciences globally
• 5 years of managerial experience
• Fluency in English and another European language
• Extensive project leadership experience
• Exceptional team management skills, including multi-disciplinary teams
• Excellent verbal and written communication
• People development skills
• Ability to delegate efficiently
• A strong network in the industry and / or proven sales and business development ability
• Extensive industry knowledge with an eye towards the future especially in EMEA
• Relevant degree or certification
• Flexibility to travel across the UK, EMEA and Americas

Flexible working 

We follow a hybrid working model that balances in person connections and remote work to drive exceptional client impact. We enjoy working in person together with clients and colleagues and work where clients need us to be.

In supporting flexibility and remote working, team members can work from home one day per week as standard. Additionally, we offer 44 remote working days per year which can be used to top up your working from home days and enable you to work from home up to two days per week-subject to client needs. Alternatively, you could use your allowance in blocks to manage school holidays or other commitments. Our core in person working hours are from 10am until 4pm allowing you that extra flexibility to manage your schedule in a way that works for you. 

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to building an inclusive and supportive culture where diversity thrives, and all our people can excel. We only recruit, promote and reward our people based on their skills and contribution, without regard to gender, race, disability, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or other characteristics.

We are Disability Confident Accredited, and we want you to feel comfortable and able to perform at your best in the recruitment process, if you require any reasonable adjustments for any part of the recruitment process, please let us know.

• Holiday entitlement: 30 days year for leadership, increasing by 1 day for every year of service up to a maximum of 35 days of holiday per year
• We contribute 7% of your salary into your pension, while you contribute 3% (or more if you like)
• Access to a flexible benefits programme giving you the chance to increase pension contributions, gain access to a cash plan or benefit from a ClassPass subscription
• Annual leave purchase: employees with less than 35 days annual leave entitlement are able to purchase additional annual leave days
• Income protection: in the event of long-term incapacity and a qualifying claim, 75% of salary will be paid
• Enhanced sick pay benefit beyond Statutory Sick Pay for up to a total 12 weeks in any 12-month period
• Life insurance covering four times your basic salary in a tax-free lump sum payable to your beneficiaries in the event of your death whilst in service
• Enhanced family leave policies: additional pay for parents who have a baby or adopt
• Access to an interest-free season ticket loan, repayable by 12 monthly instalments
• Workplace nursery scheme: access to a scheme to help working parents save tax and NI on the cost of the nursery care
• Flexible working policy: including the ability to work fully remotely for up to 4 weeks a year
• An employee assistance and wellness Program: including access to telephone counselling, life coaching, interactive tools online and digital content downloadable from Lifeworks
•  Seasonal flu jabs: provided by Boots annually
•  Eye care tests: vouchers and discounts at Vision Express
•  Ride to work scheme, saving up to 42% on bikes and cycling accessories at Evans Cycles
• Membership to the Health Service Journal (HSJ)