Senior Manager - Publications Delivery

Team build -out: Establish and scale a high-performing publication delivery team; define roles, levels, and career pathways.

Coaching and mentorship: Provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and development plans for Publication Writers, Graphic designers, and E ditors

Performance management: Set clear goals, conduct regular check-ins and annual reviews, manage underperformance, and recognize high performance.

Workforce planning: Forecast demand, plan capacity, and manage hiring, onboarding, and succession.

End-to-end delivery: Oversee planning, drafting, review cycles, approvals, and finalization of publications to meet timelines and quality standards.

Ways of working and SOPs: Design, implement, and maintain SOPs, RACI matrices, workflows, and operating models across therapy areas and publication types.

Process optimization: Identify bottlenecks, drive continuous improvement (e.g., Lean, Kaizen), and standardize best practices across teams.

KPI/metrics management: Define and track SLAs, KPIs, and OKRs (e.g., on-time delivery, first-time-right quality, cycle-time, rework rates, stakeholder satisfaction).

Quality management: Implement robust QA/QC processes, editorial standards, checklists, and audit readiness; ensure compliance with GPP and internal policies.

Risk and issue management: Proactively identify risks, maintain RAID logs, and drive timely mitigations and escalations.

Partnerships: Build strong , transparent relationships with Alexion Publication teams . and strong relationships with external vendors/agency partners.

Intake and prioritization: Run structured request intake, triage, resourcing, and scheduling to balance portfolio priorities and work volume.

Governance: Lead cadence meetings (stand-ups, sprint reviews, monthly governance calls, QBR), publish dashboards, and present performance to leadership.

Resourcing: Allocate work across internal teams and approved vendors; manage flexible capacity models.

Vendor oversight: Define scopes, performance metrics, and quality gates for agencies; ensure cost-effectiveness and compliance.

Budget and productivity: Track effort, utilization , and unit costs; drive productivity improvements and ROI. Support invoicing, PO, Realization and recharge.

Provide structured, high-impact review, mentoring, and coaching to Expert Publication Writers and Senior Publication Writers . Serve as the trusted, go-to advisor for publication-related queries, and support the team in resolving conflicting author c omments and changing stakeholder requirements through clear guidance, facilitation, and stakeholder alignment.

Align with GPP (Good Publication Practice), ICMJE, CONSORT/PRISMA where applicable, medical-legal-regulatory standards, and internal policies. Should be aware of the guidelines in Equator Network and should be an advocate to implement then as needed.

Systems: Champion publication management tools (e.g., Pub planning platforms, content repositories, reference managers), collaboration suites, and workflow trackers.

Templates and playbooks: Create and maintain templates, checklists, SOPs, and training materials to ensure consistency and scalability.

Artificial intelligence: Demonstrated understanding of AI tools in medical publications, with a strong inclination to pilot, implement, and scale solutions that enhance efficiency, quality, and consistency.

Reporting: Build automated dashboards and monthly business reviews; deliver actionable insights to stakeholders and leadership.

Education: Advanced degree in life sciences, pharmacy, medicine, or related field; PhD/MD/PharmD/MSc preferred.

Experience: 15+ years in medical publications/medical writing, including 5+ years in people management and operations leadership.

Proven track record : Setting up new teams/functions in GCCs or service agencies, implementing SOPs, KPIs, and delivery governance.

Domain expertise : Strong knowledge of GPP, ICMJE, CONSORT/PRISMA, ethical authorship, data standards, and journal/congress processes. ISMPP CMPP Certification is preferred .

Operational excellence: Demonstrated ability to run large-scale delivery with metrics, QA, and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder management: Experience partnering with global cross-functional teams and external agencies; strong communication and influence skills.

Global experience: Working across time zones and cultures; experience in global capability centres or offshore/nearshore models.

Leadership: Team building, coaching, and empowerment.

Operational rigor : Process design, SOPs, KPIs, and compliance.

Scientific rigor : D ata accuracy, sound data interpretation, correct comprehension, and robust scientific understanding of rare diseases.

Quality mindset: First time-right delivery, audit readiness, and continuous improvement.

Strategic thinking: Aligning publication delivery with asset and portfolio goals.

Communication: Clear, concise, and influential with senior stakeholders.

Problem solving: Data-driven, pragmatic, and resilient under pressure.