Director, Strategic Innovation & Business Development

Overview

McKesson is an impact-driven, Fortune 10 company that touches virtually every aspect of healthcare. We are known for delivering insights, products, and services that make quality care more accessible and affordable. Here, we focus on the health, happiness, and well-being of you and those we serve – we care.

What you do at McKesson matters. We foster a culture where you can grow, make an impact, and are empowered to bring new ideas. Together, we thrive as we shape the future of health for patients, our communities, and our people. If you want to be part of tomorrow’s health today, we want to hear from you.

McKesson Corporate Strategy & Business Development (CSBD) is seeking a digitally minded Director, Strategic Innovation & Business Development to lead enterprise experimentation and early‑stage growth initiatives. The leader will champion an AI‑first, data‑driven approach to identifying new opportunities, modernizing commercial models, and accelerating enterprise innovation. This role partners across CSBD and business units to define, validate, and scale new solutions that leverage emerging technology, automation, and modern data capabilities.

• Accelerate enterprise growth by translating strategic insights into AI‑enabled discovery, rapid prototyping, and proof‑of‑concept (POC) development using the SIBD innovation framework
• Develop strategic, financial, and operational feasibility cases—incorporating digital readiness, data availability, automation potential, and responsible‑AI considerations—to support investment in new opportunities
• Design and execute POCs with internal teams and external partners, integrating modern data platforms, scalable architectures, MLOps governance, user‑centric workflows, and key risk controls
• Drive strategic partnerships—including digital health, AI technology, and analytics vendors—to expand innovation capacity and accelerate post‑POC scalability
• Lead multiple complex strategic projects, ensuring high‑quality deliverables, measurable outcomes, and alignment to enterprise digital and analytics strategy
• Build deep relationship capital and influence senior leaders by articulating AI‑driven business value, data‑backed insights, and technology‑enabled growth pathways—even without formal authority

• 10+ years in healthcare innovation, digital product development, corporate strategy, or technology‑enabled business transformation
• Experience working in collaborative, cross‑functional teams, particularly where data, AI, and commercial functions intersect
• Proven ability to develop and manage high‑value partnerships, including technology and AI vendors
• Demonstrated leadership in project management with familiarity in agile ways of working, rapid iteration, and technology‑enabled delivery

Candidates with previous strategy roles and startup experience preferred. Healthcare industry experience is required.

• Innovation & Entrepreneurship
  • Demonstrated ability to rapidly learn new technologies and apply them to novel use cases, including generative AI, automation, digital workflows, and data‑powered MVPs
  • Build POCs and MVPs that incorporate emerging data and AI capabilities, enabling fast experimentation, value validation, and responsible “fail‑fast” learning loops
  • Advance innovations that differentiate McKesson in an evolving healthcare technology landscape
  • Navigate ambiguity and unstructured environments by leveraging AI‑assisted problem solving, discovery tools, and digital research methods
  • Nurture relationships and negotiate commercial agreements with an understanding of digital business models and technology economics
• Strategic thinking
  • Evaluate opportunities with an AI‑first lens—assessing feasibility, data quality, automation potential, and long‑term scalability
  • Influence pipeline priorities by integrating market insight, customer needs, and the enterprise’s evolving data and technology capabilities
  • Apply strong analytical judgment and problem‑solving skills to drive enterprise clarity amid complex or competing priorities
• Analytics acumen
  • Proven financial acumen including modeling for digitally enabled solutions, AI value…