Consultant​/Senior Consultant (Healthcare Strategist) (Perm​/FL

Consultant / Senior Consultant – Pharma Strategy

Oncology | Brand, launch, portfolio and competitive strategy | Remote-first | Freelance or full-time

Help global pharma teams turn complexity into clear strategic direction.

ASCEND Strategy is a senior-led pharma strategy consultancy helping Global, US and EU teams navigate high-stakes decisions with greater clarity, confidence and momentum.

We work where the questions are complex, the evidence is evolving, and the answer is not obvious: launch strategy, brand planning, portfolio choices, competitor response, insight synthesis, scenario planning and cross-functional alignment.

Our belief is simple: most teams do not lack data. They lack clarity on what to do next.

That is where ASCEND focuses. We bridge the gap between data and decision through expert synthesis, constructive challenge and senior-led facilitation, helping pharma teams align around the choices that matter most.

We are now looking for an experienced, entrepreneurial consultant to join our close-knit strategy team.

The role

Role: Consultant / Senior Consultant – Pharma Strategy

Location: Remote-first

Terms: Freelance or full-time employee

Package: £50,000–£70,000 per annum depending on experience, or freelance equivalent

This is a mid-to-senior role for someone who enjoys taking complex insight, evidence and market information and turning it into clear strategic direction.

You will work across oncology-focused projects, supporting senior pharma teams on brand, launch, portfolio and competitive strategy. You will help design and facilitate workshops, shape strategic recommendations, build executive-ready narratives and work directly with senior client stakeholders.

Alongside delivery, you will also help ASCEND grow in the right way: through trusted relationships, strong thinking, high-quality proposals and a sharp understanding of where we can create value.

This is not a role for someone who wants to sit several layers away from the client or simply produce slides from a brief. It is for someone who wants to be close to the problem, close to the thinking and close to the decision.

What you’ll be doing

Turning insight into strategy

You will analyse and synthesise clinical, commercial, competitive, customer and organisational inputs, distilling complexity into clear implications and strategic choices.

Shaping brand, launch and portfolio direction

You will support strategy projects across brand planning, launch strategy, portfolio positioning, opportunity mapping, competitive strategy and scenario planning.

Designing and leading workshops

You will help create engaging working sessions that move teams from discussion to alignment, including senior client workshops, internal strategy sessions and cross-functional planning meetings.

Creating executive-ready outputs

You will build clear, compelling narratives that connect evidence, insight and strategy. The aim is not simply to report what we found, but to help clients understand what it means and what to do next.

Partnering with senior pharma stakeholders

You will work confidently with global and regional pharma teams, including commercial, insights, franchise, brand, launch and strategy stakeholders.

Supporting relationship-led growth

You will contribute to business development by identifying opportunities, shaping proposals, building client relationships and helping us articulate where ASCEND can add value.

Helping shape ASCEND’s future

As part of a boutique, growing consultancy, you will have the opportunity to improve how we work, develop new frameworks, sharpen our use of AI-supported synthesis and contribute to the company’s direction.

What we’re looking for

Essential experience

You are likely to have:

• 4+ years’ experience in a pharma strategy consultancy, healthcare consulting firm, strategic agency or closely related role.
• Experience in brand planning, launch strategy, competitive strategy, insight synthesis or portfolio strategy.
• The ability to work with complex inputs and find the red thread: the few points that really matter.
• Strong written communication and slide-writing skills, with the ability to create clear, senior-level outputs.
• Confidence working in…