Research And Development Specialist

Long-Term Planning & Resource Management

• Develop quantitative projections for the R&D pipeline, including development costs, resource requirements and associated investments.
• Work closely with Global Project Managers, Global Project Leads and other key R&D stakeholders to develop robust short- and long-term workload forecasts.
• Support R&D headcount and resource planning based on projected workloads and pipeline requirements.
• Partner with Finance and R&D Planning & Control teams to ensure consistency between short- and long-term cost projections.
• Continuously improve R&D long-term planning processes, methodologies and tools.
• Develop and maintain standard planning assumptions using internal and external benchmarks, data and subject-matter expertise.
• Ensure alignment between R&D costs, workload projections and Probability of Technical and Regulatory Success (PTRS) assessments for internal projects and external opportunities.
• Collaborate with project teams and R&D Performance Management to coordinate and maintain the project PTRS update process.
• Ensure the integrity, accuracy and ongoing maintenance of the Enterprise Project & Portfolio Management system (Planisware) and other reporting and business intelligence tools.

Pipeline Reviews & R&D Strategy

• Support the development and ongoing refinement of the R&D strategy and pipeline.
• Develop robust quantitative analyses and forecasts to support pipeline reviews and strategic decision-making.
• Ensure long-term R&D projections are accurately reflected within the relevant financial planning systems.
• Support the development and maintenance of processes and tools used to assess and prioritise R&D projects.
• Work closely with Global Strategy and Franchise teams to support portfolio prioritisation and investment decisions.
• Provide data-driven insights into pipeline composition, value, resource requirements and strategic opportunities.

Project Business Cases & Portfolio Management

• Develop and maintain standardised project business cases and project cards in line with evolving business requirements.
• Support senior R&D leadership in the preparation and execution of cross-functional portfolio and investment review meetings.
• Coordinate with key stakeholders to align assumptions, forecasts, resource requirements and strategic priorities.
• Provide reliable analyses on the value, composition and strategic outlook of the R&D pipeline.
• Translate complex portfolio and financial data into clear insights and recommendations for senior decision-makers.

What you will need

• Degree in Management Engineering, Business Economics, Business Administration, Pharmaceutical Development or a related discipline.
• Alternatively, a degree in a scientific discipline combined with an MBA or significant relevant industry experience.
• Previous experience within pharmaceutical or biotech R&D, Product Innovation, Portfolio Management, R&D Planning or a related function.
• Strong understanding of pharmaceutical development processes, project management, portfolio management and performance management.
• Proven experience in R&D strategy, portfolio planning, resource management or business planning within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry.
• Strong analytical and quantitative capabilities, with experience in forecasting, modelling and scenario analysis.
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills and confidence working with complex datasets and financial models.
• Experience working with Enterprise Project & Portfolio Management systems, ERP platforms and Business Intelligence tools.
• Strong understanding of data analytics and the opportunities presented by digital transformation.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across R&D, Finance, Strategy and other functions.
• Strategic and commercially minded approach, with a strong focus on value creation and operational efficiency.
• Ability to work effectively in a complex, international and fast-paced environment.
• Fluent English.

Desirable Experience

• Previous experience working with Planisware and/or SAP.
• Experience with Power BI or similar Business Intelligence platforms.
• Experience developing predictive or optimisation models.
• Knowledge of programming languages or digital tools supporting data science and advanced analytics.
• Experience with AI, machine learning or other advanced analytical methodologies would be an advantage.