Life Sciences R D Strategy Senior Manager Accenture - 3.9 Walnut Creek, CA Job Details Full-time $122,700 - $317,200 a year 1 day ago Benefits Paid holidays Disability insurance Health insurance Dental insurance 401(k) Paid time off Vision insurance Qualifications Business development management Healthcare consulting Sales proposal development Customer relationship building Business development within consulting Client services experience within consulting industry Team development Bachelor's degree Pharmaceutical company experience Client management Leading team collaboration initiatives Client acquisition Business development within technology Business development within healthcare Sales lead strategy development AI strategy Cross-functional team management Research & development Cross-functional communication Consulting firm experience Senior leadership Full Job Description We are seeking a Senior Manager or Principal Director to play a critical leadership role within our growing R D strategy team to focus on R D reinvention across the value chain: helping clients move beyond incremental improvement to AI-enabled transformation of how they discover, develop, and deliver medicines. This high-impact role sits at the intersection of biopharma R D, digital innovation, and enterprise transformation — advising R D leaders at the world's leading pharmaceutical and biotech companies. You will lead end-to-end strategy engagements, build lasting client relationships across R D functions, drive business development, and contribute to practice growth through thought leadership and capability building.

This is a balanced role:

part trusted advisor, part business builder, part practice champion. You will be expected to partner across the various Accenture businesses to be successful in this role.

We Are:

Accenture helps the world's leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed for organizations across industries. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and lead in the safe, widespread adoption of AI, and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. We bring together the talent of our approximately 799,000 people with proprietary assets and platforms, deep process and industry expertise, and leading ecosystem relationships to deliver end-to-end solutions and measurable outcomes at scale. Through our Reinvention Services, we offer broad expertise across Cybersecurity, Digital Core, Finance, Industry and Enterprise, Song, Supply Chain and Engineering, and Talent, with advanced capabilities in AI and Data, Industry and Process, and Technology. We serve approximately 9,000 clients and generated approximately $70 billion in FY25 revenue. Visit us at www.accenture.com . Accenture's Life Sciences R D practice helps biopharma organizations transform discovery, early development, and development operations through scientific strategy, data and AI integration, and operational reinvention. We work with R D leaders — Chief Scientific and Medical Officers, Heads of R D Functions, SVP and VP-level capability owners — to shape R D strategy, accelerate pipeline decisions, and build the capabilities needed to compete in the age of AI-driven drug discovery and development. This is a growth-focused practice with strong momentum and a clear path to Managing Director for high performers.

You Are:

An R D expert with proven work experience in the Life Sciences R D industry. You are a strategic problem solver with extensive consulting and industry experience. You are a clear and effective communicator, and you have an open, relatable manner with clients and colleagues. You perform well in an agile, fast-paced working environment. You know how to balance being a leader with contributing to the collective efforts of the team. You have led business development and sales origination efforts to provide transformative programs and targeted consulting engagements. You have energy and drive in abundance, along with personal resilience, a passion for serving clients, and a love of continual learning. You have a flair for breaking down challenges and processes into logical parts and constructing crystal-clear reasoning and analyses—an aptitude you use to decimate problems. The Work (Role Responsibility) Lead complex R D strategy engagements from problem framing through delivery, ensuring measurable client impact. Advise clients on R D transformation priorities including strategy, pipeline portfolio management, scientific data and AI integration, R D operational excellence, R D operating model, etc. Develop and present strategic recommendations, transformation roadmaps, and reinvention narratives to Heads of R D functions, and other senior stakeholders. Serve as a guiding presence throughout the program lifecycle — shaping critical program stages, driving quality assurance, and ensuring delivery excellence on large-scale engagements. Build, manage, and grow senior client relationships across biopharma R D functions. Partner with the broader Accenture team to bring the tailored expertise needed for an individual R D Strategy engagement in support of our clients (e.g., Data & AI, Technology Strategy & Advisory, Talent & Organization) Originate and shape new opportunities, lead proposals and commercial pursuits, and contribute to Accenture's pipeline growth in the Life Sciences R D space. Identify adjacent opportunities and expand existing client relationships across the R D value chain. Represent Accenture's R D Strategy point of view in client briefings, industry forums, and executive conversations Develop and contribute to thought leadership on R D transformation, AI-driven discovery and development, and scientific innovation — publishing assets that establish Accenture's differentiated perspective in the market. Build reusable offerings, frameworks, and assets that accelerate future client engagements. Mentor and develop junior colleagues; actively contribute to performance management and recruiting. Partner with Accenture's global industry leads, capability leads, and cross-functional teams to evolve the R D Strategy practice and go-to-market strategy. Here's What You Need (Basic Qualifications) Candidates must have at least 8 years of combined experience in the following areas: Deep expertise in Life Sciences R D with experience at a top-tier strategy consulting firm or a leading biopharma company in an R D strategy or transformation function. A proven track record leading strategy engagements with measurable outcomes for biopharma clients. Experience developing and presenting strategic recommendations and transformation roadmaps to C-suite, SVP, and VP-level R D stakeholders. Strong understanding of how AI, data, digital technologies, and scientific informatics are reshaping biopharma R D — and the ability to translate that understanding into client strategy.

Demonstrated success in business development:

identifying opportunities, shaping proposals, and building senior client relationships. Experience leading cross-functional teams and managing junior professionals. Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally as client and business needs require. Bachelor's degree Bonus Points (Preferred Skills) MBA, advanced scientific degree (PhD, PharmD, MD), or equivalent combination of education and experience in a relevant discipline. Experience building or scaling a new strategy offering, practice area, or capability from the ground up. Track record developing thought leadership — whitepapers, conference presentations, or published perspectives — in the life sciences or R D space. Exercise operating across multiple biopharma sub-sectors (large pharma, emerging biotech, CROs, or medtech) and geographies Compensation at Accenture varies depending on a wide array of factors, which may include but are not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. As required by local law, Accenture provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired as set forth below. We anticipate this job posting will be posted until 09/19/2026. Accenture offers a market competitive suite of benefits including medical, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability coverage, a 401(k) plan, bonus opportunities, paid holidays, and paid time off. See more information on our benefits here: U.S. Employee Benefits | Accenture Role Location Annual Salary Range California $122,700 to $317,200 Cleveland $122,700 to $317,200 Colorado $122,700 to $317,200 District of Columbia $122,700 to $317,200 Illinois $122,700 to $317,200 Maine $122,700 to $317,200 Maryland $122,700 to $317,200 Massachusetts $122,700 to $317,200 Minnesota $122,700 to $317,200 New York $122,700 to $317,200 New Jersey $122,700 to $317,200 Virginia $122,700 to $317,200 Washington $122,700 to $317,200 Requesting an Accommodation Accenture is committed to providing equal employment opportunities for persons with disabilities or religious observances, including reasonable accommodation when needed. If you are hired by Accenture and require accommodation to perform the essential functions of your role, you will be asked to participate in our reasonable accommodation process. Accommodations made to facilitate the recruiting process are not a guarantee of future or continued accommodations once hired. If you would like to be considered for employment opportunities with Accenture and have accommodation needs such as for a disability or religious observance, please call us toll free at 1 (877) 889-9009 or send us an email or speak with your recruiter. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement We believe that no one should be discriminated against because of their differences. All employment decisions shall be made without regard to age, race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status or any other basis as protected by federal, state, or local law. Our rich diversity makes us more innovative, more competitive, and more creative, which helps us better serve our clients and our communities. For details, view a copy of the Accenture Equal Opportunity Statement Accenture is an EEO and Affirmative Action Employer of Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities. Accenture is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women. Other Employment Statements Applicants for employment in the US must have work authorization that does not now or in the future require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the United States. Candidates who are currently employed by a client of Accenture or an affiliated Accenture business may not be eligible for consideration. Job candidates will not be obligated to disclose sealed or expunged records of conviction or arrest as part of the hiring process. Further, at Accenture a criminal conviction history is not an absolute bar to employment. The Company will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. Additionally, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the Company's legal duty to furnish information. California requires additional notifications for applicants and employees. If you are a California resident, live in or plan to work from Los Angeles County upon being hired for this position, please click here for additional important information. Please read Accenture's Recruiting and Hiring Statement for more information on how we process your data during the Recruiting and Hiring process.