Analyst - R&D Strategy

Overview

A Consultant is an individual contributor on consulting projects and is responsible for conducting both secondary (i.e., analytically and scientifically based) and primary (i.e., physicians, payers, and patients) market research, creating high-quality project materials and client deliverables (including organizational, portfolio, and asset-specific recommendations), and beginning to develop client relationships, as well as subject matter expertise.  Expectations include the ability to structure and complete individual project tasks on time, develop action-oriented, data-driven solutions, and communicate proactively and effectively with team members and project management/leadership.

Responsibilities

Productivity

• Builds positive working relationships with clients, consulting staff, managers, leadership, and internal support teams.
• Achieves billable utilization targets in service to client engagements.
• Proactively seeks opportunities to build skills, experiences, and relationships by contributing to project engagements, internal initiatives, and business development opportunities.
• Supports business development efforts by conducting background research, identifying key business questions, and developing slides for proposal decks.  May participate in pitches to win new projects.

Delivery

• Supports the overall cross-functional management of projects, at both the client organization, as well as internally at Syneos Health.  Understands and contributes to the effective management of project scope, approach, budget, resource allocations, and timelines.  Demonstrates strong project management skills through the proactive management of individual project responsibilities and workload to ensure objectives, milestones, and timelines are met efficiently and effectively.  Must be able to quickly adapt to changing priorities to achieve goals and targets.
• Demonstrated proficiency in navigating the management consulting cycle of creating project deliverables, quality checking work, reviewing with project management/leadership, incorporating edits and feedback, and resubmitting work pieces for deliverable inclusion in a timely, efficient manner.  Understands project roles and responsibilities and the impact on the broader client contract and statement of work.  Exhibits exceptional attention to detail.  Supports project management/leadership with the creation of project deliverables and the day-to-day management of client relationships
• With guidance from the project manager/leader, identifies relevant secondary research data sources.  Leverages critical thinking and problem-solving skills to recommend creative ideas based on data analysis, personal experience, and industry best practices.  Using research from competitive pipelines, company websites, prescribing information, epidemiology information, and syndicated reports, a Consultant consolidates complex industry, market, client portfolio, and product data and trends in a clear and comprehensive manner.
• In collaboration with the project manager/leader, develops discussion guides for primary interviews (internal and external).  May facilitate independently some interviews with physicians, payers, patients, key opinion leaders, health care providers, and other stakeholders, after observing interviews conducted by project management/leadership.  Takes notes during primary interviews and uses the data to create slides that summarize the information gathered.  Synthesizes findings and establishes meaningful and executable strategies based on the primary research.
• Prepares for, attends, and may facilitate client meetings and presentations.  Takes primary responsibility for taking notes, writing up meeting minutes, summarizing next steps and action items, scheduling follow-up meetings, and communicating post-meeting, as appropriate.  Serves as a content knowledge expert on data, findings, and recommendations outlined in meeting materials and client deliverables.  Participates in fielding client questions and anticipating client questions and concerns.  Demonstrates confidence and credibility through interpersonal skills and content knowledge.
• Creates high-quality PowerPoint slides quickly, effectively, and autonomously, in accordance with Consulting style guidelines and templates.  Demonstrates a strategic and systematic decision-making approach to communicating data through text, graphics, images, and/or other communication choices.  Contributes to the design and build of a compelling, structured, and logical storyboard with guidance and direction.
• Displays comfort and competence in creating and documenting project activities, including meeting minutes, status reports, and other client communications and project administration.  Maintains document version control and style guidelines.  Ensures proper document retention policies are followed.  Supports project closure activities, including document redaction and archival.
• Approaches project ambiguity, client changes, delays/expedites, and/or unexpected data findings with maturity and professionalism.  Maintains regular communication with project management and leadership.  Partners effectively and expeditiously with project management and leadership to propose and agree on recommended next steps.
• Gains experience in a variety of project types, client engagements, therapeutic areas, and Advisory Groups.
• Exhibits professional, positive, respectful, and mature interactions internally & externally.  Displays passion and drive while advocating for a superior client experience through project delivery.

Community

• Actively participates in, and begins to take on leadership roles, through company-sponsored events, training and professional development opportunities, meetings, and office and Advisory Group initiatives. 
• Drives a positive, collaborative, and professional team culture through words, attitude, and actions.
• Understands personal strengths and development needs.  Seeks feedback and coaching.  Sets annual professional development goals and engages in appropriate developmental stretch opportunities.
• Proactively seeks opportunities to expand knowledge, and begins developing subject matter expertise, within the biopharmaceutical industry, Consulting service offerings, and client products and markets.
• Demonstrates Syneos Health core values in action and word: challenge the status quo, collaborate to deliver solutions, and passionate to change lives.

Job Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; Graduate degree in business or life sciences (highly preferred)
• Experience in consulting and/or biopharmaceutical work required
• Demonstrated experience supporting implementations of cloud-based enterprise software such as Veeva Vault, Oracle, Medidata or OpenText
• Must possess strong analytical skills and the ability to think critically and creatively on engagements
• Strong business acumen required
• Demonstrated attention to detail required
• Ability to develop relevant client deliverables autonomously required
• Experience in research and data analysis (e.g., organization of sources, data processing, analysis, and quality checking accuracy for pre-defined problems)
• Strong presentation and meeting facilitation skills required
• Effective and professional communication skills (verbal, interpersonal, and written) required
• Exceptional collaboration skills and the ability to work in cross-functional teams
• The drive for self-development and an action-oriented work ethic
• Excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and problem solving skills
• Proficiency with PowerPoint and Excel required
• Ability to travel preferred