Performance Excellence & Business Transformation Director

Job Description

General Summary:

The Project Management Director serves as the operational backbone of the GCO Digitization Strategy Center of Excellence, responsible for orchestrating the end-to-end portfolio of transformation initiatives across 6 workstreams, 50+ participants, and 10+ functional team transformation roadmaps. This role combines program management, value realization, and executive reporting into a single, high-impact position.

The Director partners with GCOLT, DTE, and GCO functional leaders to ensure transformation initiatives are delivered on time, cross-functional dependencies are managed, risks are proactively mitigated, and business value is measured and communicated to leadership. This role is critical to ensuring the COE can scale its impact while maintaining accountability and transparency across the transformation portfolio.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

Portfolio & Program Management

• Manage the COE’s portfolio of 6 workstreams, supports COE Sr. Director and workstream leads across COE workstreams.
• Build and maintain program-level plans with milestones, risks, dependencies, and key decisions for all active workstreams.
• Coordinate across DTE, GCOLT, and GCO functional teams to manage cross-functional dependencies and remove blockers.
• Run regular program governance cadences (weekly working team meetings, monthly stakeholder reviews) and ensure actions are tracked to completion.

Executive Reporting & Stakeholder Management

• Develop executive-ready reporting for GCOLT and senior leadership, translating complex program information into clear, actionable insights.
• Support prioritization decisions with data-driven analysis, ensuring resources are allocated to highest-value initiatives.
• Prepare quarterly COE impact reports with quantified business outcomes and transformation progress.

Value Realization & Impact Measurement

• Define and maintain a standard impact/ROI methodology for GCO transformation initiatives, including cost savings, efficiency gains, and quality improvements.
• Build business cases and executive-ready materials (including cost-benefit analyses and resourcing plans) to secure sponsorship, alignment, and funding for transformation efforts.
• Create and maintain executive dashboards tracking transformation portfolio status, risks, key decisions, and value realization.
• Track benefits realization across the portfolio and communicate progress, lessons learned, and value delivered to stakeholders.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Proven experience managing complex transformation portfolios in regulated environments with multiple concurrent workstreams.
• Strong knowledge of program management methodologies, tools, and best practices (e.g., PMO frameworks, Agile, Lean).
• Track record of building executive dashboards, business cases, and value realization frameworks that drive investment decisions.
• Excellent communication, influence, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders across functions and levels.
• Ability to operate strategically while driving operational execution in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with cross-functional, matrixed teams in global organizations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail and ability to translate complex data into actionable recommendations.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while ensuring deliverables are fully met on-time.

Education and Experience:

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in Business, Life Sciences, Technology or a relevant field.
• MBA, PMP or equivalent advanced degree/certification preferred.
• Typically requires 10 years of experience, or the equivalent combination of education and progressive experience in clinical operations, portfolio management, business transformation, or operational excellence roles within life sciences, pharma, or healthcare.
• 5+ years experience in AI/ digital transformation initiatives and understanding of enabling technologies
• At least 3 years managing complex, multi-workstream transformation programs with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success building executive reporting and value realization frameworks.
• Experience supporting or leading digital transformation and AI/automation initiatives preferred.
• Prior consulting experience strongly preferred.

Pay Range:

$185,400 - $278,200

Disclosure Statement:

Flex Designation:

Remote-Eligible

Flex Eligibility Status:

In this Remote-Eligible role, you can choose to be designated as: 
1.    Remote: work remotely five days per week and come into the office on occasion – you’re always welcome on-site; or select 
2.    Hybrid: work remotely up to two days per week; or select
3.    On-Site: work five days per week on-site with ad hoc flexibility.

Note: The Flex status for this position is subject to Vertex’s Policy on Flex @ Vertex Program and may be changed at any time. 

#LI-Remote

Company Information

Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation.

Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law.

Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com