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Key details
Why this role is notable
Pfizer is building a central, strategy-setting investment function that decides which AI-native commercial opportunities get capital before they reach its Investment Committee, shifting from reacting to incoming proposals toward actively commissioning and challenging them across its international markets.
Job Description
Purpose
Own the strategic direction and front end of the Pfizer International investment system: co-develop how markets move towards the AI-native commercial model, convert that direction into the investment thesis, and determine what enters the funnel and reaches the Investment Committee. The role ensures that capital is directed towards the most important opportunities rather than merely processing the opportunities that happen to arrive.
Key accountabilities
· Co-develop market-level AI-native roadmaps with country presidents, cluster presidents, therapeutic area leaders and other senior market stakeholders. Translate the common AI-native ambition into a clear view of the capabilities and investment priorities relevant to each market archetype and context.
· Own and continuously evolve the investment thesis for International Commercial Digital & AI. Define the strategic arenas, market needs and portfolio white spaces where the organisation should seek opportunities and deploy capital, using evidence from markets, the external environment and portfolio performance.
· Convert the strategy into an active opportunity agenda. Identify where the organisation should commission internal proposals, ask Ecosystem & Partnerships to source external options, or challenge markets and functions to address a strategic gap rather than waiting for ideas to enter the funnel.
· Own intake and triage across market-referred, open internal submission and externally generated opportunities, and maintain one portfolio backlog.
· Produce the investment memo for every proposal that reaches the Committee: hypothesis, expected impact, investment, accountable owner, principal risks and the result that would stop it. Own the standard and quality, including where source material is incomplete.
· Write the recommendation, counterfactual and open questions on every memo, across internal and external paths, so the Committee receives one coherent strategic voice across the portfolio.
· Run the Committee governance: investment memos circulated 1 week in advance, decision log and follow-through on conditions attached to approval.
· Maintain institutional memory in a system rather than in individuals: every decision and decline with reasoning, searchable and fed back into the investment thesis and future triage.
· Identify patterns across markets, functions, submissions and decisions, and convert them into changes in strategic direction, portfolio priorities or commissioned opportunities.
· Own end-to-end programme and project management for strategy development and the investment process: plan the market-roadmap and gate cycles, manage dependencies, surface risks, escalate unresolved issues, track decisions to closure and ensure accountable owners complete agreed actions.
Decision rights
Determines the investment thesis, strategic fit criteria, intake priorities and where the organisation should actively seek or commission opportunities, within the strategic direction set by the VP and leadership team. Declines proposals at screen stage without reference to the Committee. Determines what reaches the Committee agenda and when, and sets and enforces the memo, evidence and intake standards. The Investment Committee retains funding, stage-gate and continuation decisions.
Required experience and capabilities
· Extensive relevant experience in commercial strategy, portfolio strategy, corporate strategy, investment governance, venture capital, business development or a related field; (with further experience for candidates without an advanced degree).
· Exceptional pattern recognition across markets, cases and functions, with the ability to turn scattered signals into a coherent investment thesis.
· Credible in senior leadership conversations without extensive preparation: therapeutic area leads, country managers, country presidents and cluster presidents.
· Ability to understand different go-to-market models, market archetypes and healthcare systems, and to distinguish common strategic direction from necessary local variation.
· Strong commercial and strategic judgement. Able to connect market shifts, business needs and technology possibilities, and distinguish what a decision would actually change from what a proposal claims it would change.
· Outcome-oriented rather than tool-oriented. Interested in AI as a catalyst for change and equally able to conclude that technology is not the answer.
· Able to hold a position in front of the Committee, challenge unsupported enthusiasm and use precedent to keep the portfolio strategically coherent.
· Highly structured in strategy development, governance and documentation; experienced in leading complex work through a matrix without formal authority.
The closing deadline for applications is end of day November 10th.
Purpose
Breakthroughs that change patients' lives... At Pfizer we are a patient centric company, guided by our four values: courage, joy, equity and excellence. Our breakthrough culture lends itself to our dedication to transforming millions of lives.
Digital Transformation Strategy
One bold way we are achieving our purpose is through our company wide digital transformation strategy. We are leading the way in adopting new data, modelling and automated solutions to further digitize and accelerate drug discovery and development with the aim of enhancing health outcomes and the patient experience.
Flexibility
We aim to create a trusting, flexible workplace culture which encourages employees to achieve work life harmony, attracts talent and enables everyone to be their best working self. Let’s start the conversation!
Equal Employment Opportunity
We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is crucial to building a successful business. As an employer, Pfizer is committed to celebrating this, in all its forms – allowing for us to be as diverse as the patients and communities we serve. Together, we continue to build a culture that encourages, supports and empowers our employees.
DisAbility Confident
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and we encourage you to put your best self forward with the knowledge and trust that we will make any reasonable adjustments necessary to support your application and future career. Our mission is unleashing the power of our people, especially those with unique superpowers. Your journey with Pfizer starts here!
To learn more about acceptable and prohibited uses of AI during the recruitment process, please review our candidate AI-use guidelines available on Pfizer Careers.
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