EVP – Operations Transformation — Commercial Launch Organisation

The mandate

A pharmaceutical commercial organisation is approaching patent expiry for a major brand while preparing two smaller launches. Its operating model was built around the mature product's scale: country teams, agencies, distribution, customer service and systems all depend on it. The board has authorised an urgent new EVP – Operations Transformation to remove structural burden without hollowing out future launch capability.

Approximately 600 employees and material partners support commercial operations, customer service, distribution coordination, field enablement, data, compliance and market services from Dublin across international markets. The EVP owns operating-model transformation, service delivery, shared operations, process, vendor and benefits execution, reporting to the Group Chief Executive or nominated sponsor. Medical, safety and regulatory obligations remain independently governed.

The opening work is an activity-based baseline. The team will trace which work exists because of the expiring brand, which supports every portfolio product and which is required for launches. Cost-centre allocation is not enough. Contracts, systems and people often perform mixed work that must be separated before any removal decision.

Country archetypes will replace one global reduction percentage. Markets differ in revenue trajectory, access, regulatory maintenance, channel and future-launch relevance. The EVP will define retain, simplify, partner or exit models with clear triggers. Local leaders must explain exceptions with evidence, not historic status.

Patient and product obligations continue through decline. Medical information, pharmacovigilance intake, complaints, returns, quality and supply coordination require dependable service. The transformation will identify minimum volume-independent capability and ensure partners or shared services can deliver it before local teams reduce.

Customer operations need controlled consolidation. Ordering, distribution queries, samples, contracting and support may move to regional centres. The EVP will validate language, hours, data access and escalation. A transition is complete only when users and customers can operate without a hidden local shadow team.

Field operations will be redesigned around the future portfolio. Territory, targeting, training, event and content services may shrink for the mature brand but need flexible launch capacity. The EVP will distinguish permanent capability from surge resource. Compliance controls must remain effective through role and agency changes.

Technology rationalisation should follow process. Local CRM instances, reporting tools and vendor portals may be redundant, but active consent, content, customer and transaction data require governed migration. Decommissioning needs retention, access and reconciliation evidence. Licence savings cannot outrank uninterrupted regulated work.

Vendor arrangements contain stranded cost. Agencies, logistics providers, contact centres and data services have minimum commitments and notice periods. The EVP will renegotiate scope and introduce volume bands or exit rights, while protecting continuity. Savings will be net of termination, transition and replacement service.

Benefits must be counted once. Headcount removal, vendor reduction and technology consolidation may represent the same underlying activity. The transformation office will establish baseline, action, ledger owner and verification. Temporary vacancy or deferred spend does not equal structural benefit.

Workforce transition needs capability gates. Consultation, selection, retention and knowledge transfer will be sequenced by market. Employees should understand whether work is ending, moving or changing. The EVP will partner with people leaders but remain accountable for a future operation that can actually deliver.

Launch readiness will be protected through explicit service levels and capacity reservations. New-product teams should not create parallel support because they distrust the transformed model. The EVP will involve them in design and run launch simulations, correcting service weaknesses before regulatory or market milestones.

The leader will install an operating rhythm focused on volume, service, exception, capacity and benefit. Transformation reporting should expose patient, customer or compliance consequences alongside cost. A programme cannot be green when a country is recreating removed work unofficially.

What you will own

• Commercial operating-model and service transformation.
• Patent-expiry activity and country archetypes.
• Retained regulated and patient obligations.
• Customer, field and launch operations.
• Technology and vendor rationalisation.
• Workforce sequencing and knowledge transfer.
• Benefit baseline, verification and stranded cost.
• Operations leadership and succession.

The first 12 months

Within 45 days, reconstruct activity and vendor baselines, identify non-negotiable obligations and halt reductions that precede service readiness. Publish country and portfolio archetypes.

By month six, transition selected markets to the new model, renegotiate priority suppliers and complete launch-service simulations. Establish ledger-backed benefits.

At twelve months, remove 18% of structural operating cost, reduce duplicate systems and vendors by 30% and deliver 95% of in-scope services within agreed standards. No safety, complaint or product-continuity obligation should be missed through transformation, and both planned launches must pass full operating-readiness simulations.

What the sponsor will examine

• Activity linked to products rather than broad allocation.
• Country reductions reflecting market and launch role.
• Regulated obligations preserved at low volume.
• Consolidated services operating without shadow teams.
• Benefits net of transition and stranded cost.
• Launch teams trusting the transformed services.

The person

You bring 22–28 years in pharmaceutical commercial operations, shared services or enterprise transformation. Your record includes loss-of-exclusivity restructuring, international country models, vendor transitions and launch readiness under regulated obligations.

Candidates must demonstrate recurring cost removed without recreating work elsewhere and a launch capability protected during decline. Dublin is the permanent onsite base, with extensive country and supplier engagement.

Compensation and terms

Base compensation is EUR 285,000–390,000 plus annual incentive and long-term participation linked to structural cost, service, compliance, launch readiness and leadership. The permanent onsite Dublin appointment reports to the Group Chief Executive or nominated executive-committee sponsor. The new role is being filled urgently ahead of expiry milestones.

Confidentiality

The enterprise, brands, markets, employees, suppliers, systems, launch assets and transformation economics remain confidential. Further detail follows conflicts and signed confidentiality. Applicants must not contact pharmaceutical organisations or service providers to identify the client.