Position Overview
We are seeking an experienced Global Launch Planning Lead to support the development of an enterprise Global Launch Plan (GLP) for a high-priority pharmaceutical product. This individual will operate at the intersection of strategy, program management, and cross-functional leadership, helping drive alignment across Commercial, Medical, Market Access, Evidence Generation, Regulatory, and Regional stakeholders.
This is not a traditional task-oriented project management role. The ideal candidate will facilitate strategic planning, assess the current launch landscape, identify gaps, establish governance, and lead the development of a comprehensive, cross-functional Global Launch Plan that aligns teams around a shared launch strategy.
The individual will partner closely with senior leadership, functional SMEs, regional stakeholders, and external strategy partners to ensure the organization has a coordinated roadmap for launch readiness.
Responsibilities
Lead development of the Global Launch Plan (GLP), integrating cross-functional strategies into a single coordinated launch roadmap.
Assess existing launch planning materials, identify gaps, and recommend improvements.
Partner with Commercial, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Clinical Development, Evidence Generation, Regulatory, Operations, and regional teams to gather inputs and align priorities.
Build and maintain integrated launch timelines, milestones, critical path activities, and launch dependencies.
Develop governance structures and establish effective ways of working across global and regional organizations.
Facilitate strategic planning sessions and cross-functional workshops to drive alignment and decision making.
Create executive-ready materials including pre-read documents, workshop content, decision logs, and executive summaries.
Partner with external consulting teams to validate launch strategy and incorporate recommendations into the Global Launch Plan.
Establish launch governance, meeting cadence, stakeholder communications, and decision-making processes.
Develop KPI frameworks and launch readiness scorecards to monitor progress toward commercialization.
Track risks, dependencies, assumptions, and critical launch decisions while driving accountability across stakeholders.
Ensure all functional workstreams remain aligned to overall launch objectives and timelines.
Deliverables
The consultant will support development of:
Governance Framework & Ways of Working
Current-State Launch Assessment
Global Launch Plan Scope & Content Framework
Integrated Launch Roadmap & Milestones
Strategic Workshop Agendas, Facilitation Materials, and Executive Summaries
Cross-functional Global Launch Plan
Launch Governance Model
Launch Readiness KPI Framework
Launch Readiness Scorecard
Executive presentations and ongoing status reporting
Required Experience
8+ years of project, program, or launch management experience within the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry.
Experience supporting global product launches or launch readiness initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to lead highly cross-functional programs involving Commercial, Medical, Market Access, Clinical, Regulatory, and Operations organizations.
Experience building integrated launch plans and managing complex strategic initiatives.
Strong workshop facilitation and stakeholder engagement skills.
Experience developing executive presentations and strategic planning materials.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders without direct authority.
Excellent communication, organizational, and executive presence.
Preferred Experience
Global commercialization or launch excellence experience.
Experience working with launch consulting firms (Putnam, ZS, Trinity, IQVIA, Lumanity, etc.).
Launch governance and operating model development.
Experience developing launch readiness metrics and scorecards.
Familiarity with Stage Gate or structured pharmaceutical launch methodologies.
Experience supporting first-in-class or specialty product launches.
Must-Haves
Global pharmaceutical launch planning experience.
Cross-functional leadership across Commercial, Medical, Market Access, and Clinical.
Strong program/project management of strategic initiatives.
Executive facilitation and workshop leadership.
Governance model development.
Executive presentation and communication skills.
Experience building integrated roadmaps and launch plans.
Nice-to-Haves
Launch Excellence experience.
Management consulting background (Putnam, ZS, Trinity, IQVIA, Lumanity, etc.).
Experience with global operating model design.
KPI and launch readiness scorecard development.
Experience supporting oncology, specialty, or rare disease launches.
