Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice Principal; Pharma R&D Strategy

Job Description

As a Principal within Kearney’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice, you will play a key role in driving the growth and development of our Pharma R&D Strategy offering. You will work closely with senior clients and internal teams to develop strategic insights and deliver high-impact outcomes across complex pharmaceutical R&D and clinical development challenges.

We are seeking experienced strategy consultants with deep expertise across Pharma R&D, particularly those with a traditional consulting background advising biopharma clients on clinical development, drug development strategy, operating models, and R&D transformation initiatives. This role is focused on strategic advisory work rather than operational program execution. Ideal candidates will bring strong hypothesis‑driven problem solving, executive communication skills, and experience leading enterprise‑level strategy engagements within pharmaceutical R&D organizations.

• Lead large, complex strategy engagements for pharmaceutical and biopharma clients across R&D and clinical development functions.
• Advise senior executives on strategic topics such as clinical development strategy, drug development strategy, clinical trial strategy and operating models, clinical operations transformation, regulatory affairs strategy, pharmacovigilance and drug safety strategy, clinical trial feasibility and development planning, digital strategy and transformation across R&D organizations, and support clients in designing and optimizing R&D operating models and organizational effectiveness.
• Drive strategic problem solving from issue identification through analysis, synthesis, and executive recommendation development.
• Translate complex analyses into clear, actionable insights for C‑suite stakeholders.
• Lead cross‑functional teams and independently manage high‑impact engagement work streams.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior client leadership across pharmaceutical and biopharma organizations.
• Provide thought leadership on evolving trends across Pharma R&D, clinical development, and digital transformation.

• Originate and expand client relationships across Pharma and Life Sciences accounts.
• Support growth of Kearney’s Pharma R&D Strategy capabilities within the practice.
• Lead proposal development and contribute to senior‑level client pitches.
• Identify opportunities to expand strategic advisory relationships within existing and new clients.
• Contribute to the development of intellectual capital and differentiated market offerings across Pharma R&D and clinical development.

• Mentor and develop junior consultants and engagement teams.
• Foster a collaborative, high‑performing team environment.
• Provide coaching and oversight across multiple engagements to ensure quality and impact.
• Help build and strengthen Kearney’s Pharma R&D Strategy presence within Life Sciences.

After nearly 100 years, we know this business is fundamentally about making connections—between facts, figures, insights, strategies, technologies, and above all, people. That’s why we look for collaborative, insightful, and inquisitive problem‑solvers who don’t accept the first thing in front of them and who are always unapologetically themselves.

• MBA preferred and 10+ years of professional experience.
• Significant management consulting experience at the Principal level or equivalent.
• A strong traditional consulting background with experience leading strategy engagements within Pharma R&D and clinical development.
• Experience advising pharmaceutical and biopharma clients across one or more of the following areas: clinical development, drug development, clinical operations, regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance/drug safety, clinical trial feasibility, clinical development program strategy, R&D operating models, digital strategy and transformation within R&D organizations.
• Deep pharmaceutical industry expertise; candidates focused primarily on medtech or consumer health are less aligned for this role.
• Demonstrated ability to lead strategic…