Director, Research Platform Strategy

Our team members are at the heart of everything we do. At Cencora, we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures, and every person here is essential to us being able to deliver on that purpose. If you want to make a difference at the center of health, come join our innovative company and help us improve the lives of people and animals everywhere. Apply today! Job Details Position Summary The Director, Research Platform Strategy will play a critical role in shaping the future of Cencora’s Management Services Organization (MSO) Platform by helping formulate and execute the strategic plan for a cross-MSO research capability. Research is a key growth and revenue driver within the MSO Platform’s strategic growth plan, and this role will be central to determining which research capabilities should be centralized at the platform level (shared services) versus retained within individual MSOs (e.g., RCA, OneOncology) to maximize scale, efficiency, and growth. Reporting to the SVP and Head of Clinical Trial Services, this role will assess current research capabilities across MSOs, design a future-state operating model, and partner closely with MSO leadership, Affinity Groups, and the Strategic Operating Group (SOG) to build and stand up a scalable, high-performing research platform. The ideal candidate combines strong strategic and analytical capabilities with the ability to assess current-state capabilities, design future-state operating models, and drive execution across a complex, matrixed organization. Key Responsibilities Strategic Planning & Platform Design Support the Head of Clinical Trial Services in formulating a comprehensive strategy for a cross-MSO research platform, aligned to the MSO Platform’s overall growth objectives. Conduct current-state assessments of existing research capabilities across MSOs (e.g., RCA, OneOncology), identifying strengths, gaps, and redundancies. Develop a future-state operating model that defines which research capabilities should reside at the platform level (shared services) versus the individual MSO level, balancing standardization with MSO-specific needs. Build the business case (investment, ROI, revenue impact) for platform-level research infrastructure, informed by the MSO Platform’s strategic growth plan. Capability Assessment & Operating Model Design Map existing research functions, teams, technology, and processes across MSOs to identify overlaps, gaps, and opportunities for standardization. Define decision criteria and frameworks for evaluating “platform vs. MSO” placement of research capabilities (e.g., regulatory/compliance infrastructure, trial recruitment, data & analytics, contracting). Partner with the Data & AI and IT Infrastructure Affinity Groups to evaluate technology and analytics needs to support a scalable research platform. Translate the operating model into a phased implementation roadmap with clearly scoped initiatives, milestones, owners, and timelines. Execution & Program Management Lead execution of platform strategy initiatives, coordinating across cross-functional teams and MSO stakeholders to ensure milestones are met. Stand up pilot programs to test proposed shared-services models before scaling platform-wide. Anticipate and resolve interdependencies across MSOs, Affinity Groups, and the SOG to keep initiatives on track. Establish governance mechanisms (e.g., steering committees, review cadences) to sustain the research platform’s evolution over time. Cross-MSO Collaboration & Stakeholder Management Build strong working relationships with MSO leadership (including RCA and OneOncology) to understand unique research needs and secure buy-in for the platform strategy. Serve as a key liaison between the Head of Clinical Trial Services and MSO/Affinity Group stakeholders, ensuring alignment on approach, scope, and sequencing. Communicate strategy, progress, and recommendations clearly to senior leadership, including trade-offs and risks. Performance Tracking & Continuous Improvement Define success metrics for the research platform strategy, including revenue growth, trial volume, and efficiency gains from shared services. Monitor progress against the platform roadmap and refine the strategy based on performance data and MSO feedback. Capture lessons learned and build reusable frameworks/playbooks to support future MSOs joining the research platform. QUALIFICATIONS: Education and Experience Bachelor’s degree in life sciences, healthcare management, business administration, or a related field; advanced degree (e.g., MBA, MPH) preferred. 8+ years of experience in clinical research, healthcare strategy, management consulting, or a related field, including experience designing or scaling operating models across multiple business units. Experience in a private-equity-backed, multi-site, or platform/roll-up healthcare environment strongly preferred. Proven ability to translate strategy into actionable, milestone-driven execution plans with limited oversight. Skills and Competencies Strategic & Systems Thinking: Ability to evaluate complex, cross-organizational problems and design scalable operating models that balance centralization with local flexibility. Analytical Rigor: Strong capability to assess current-state capabilities, build business cases, and use data to inform platform design decisions. Stakeholder Influence: Ability to build alignment among peers, MSO leaders, and cross-functional partners without direct authority. Program Management: Skilled at translating strategy into structured plans with clear milestones, owners, and accountability mechanisms. Communication: Able to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leadership. Healthcare/Clinical Research Acumen: Working knowledge of clinical trial operations, regulatory considerations, and specialty/value-based care models. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Completion and adoption of the cross-MSO research platform strategy and operating model. Growth in research-related revenue contribution to the MSO Platform’s strategic growth plan. Number/percentage of research capabilities successfully transitioned to platform-level shared services. Timeliness and quality of execution against the platform roadmap. Stakeholder satisfaction and alignment across MSOs (RCA, OneOncology, and future MSOs). What Cencora offers We provide compensation, benefits, and resources that enable a highly inclusive culture and support our team members’ ability to live with purpose every day. In addition to traditional offerings like medical, dental, and vision care, we also provide a comprehensive suite of benefits that focus on the physical, emotional, financial, and social aspects of wellness. This encompasses support for working families, which may include backup dependent care, adoption assistance, infertility coverage, family building support, behavioral health solutions, paid parental leave, and paid caregiver leave. To encourage your personal growth, we also offer a variety of training programs, professional development resources, and opportunities to participate in mentorship programs, employee resource groups, volunteer activities, and much more. For details, visit https://www.virtualfairhub.com/cencora Full time Equal Employment Opportunity Cencora is committed to providing equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, age, disability, veteran status or membership in any other class protected by federal, state or local law. The company’s continued success depends on the full and effective utilization of qualified individuals. Therefore, harassment is prohibited and all matters related to recruiting, training, compensation, benefits, promotions and transfers comply with equal opportunity principles and are non-discriminatory. Cencora is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities during the employment process which are consistent with legal requirements. If you wish to request an accommodation while seeking employment, please call 888.692.2272 or email [email protected] . We will make accommodation determinations on a request-by-request basis. Messages and emails regarding anything other than accommodations requests will not be returned Affiliated Companies Affiliated Companies: AmerisourceBergen Services Corporation