Operational Excellence Manager

Join our global team dedicated to innovation and initiative, where physical walls and different time zones don’t limit, but encourage, collaboration. Where all contributions and new ideas are explored with an open mind and work is driven by our shared values: be courageous, be accountable, be honest, be inclusive and elevate others.

Job Description Summary

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Primary Market Research Manager (PMRM) to join our dynamic team of consultants. The candidate will be part of the Operational Excellence Team and report directly to the Operational Excellence Director. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in supporting our consulting teams by managing the recruitment, contracting, scheduling, and invoicing processes related to engaging external experts (e.g. Healthcare Providers, Physicians, Payers, Policymakers, etc.) in primary market research (PMR) projects. This position can be based out of Barcelona, Spain, or Milan, Italy, or potentially be remote (or partially remote).

Job Description

KEY RESPONSABILITIES

The key responsibility of the PMRM will be to help coordinate and support all aspects of PMR (both qualitative and quantitative), including sourcing and recruiting experts, contracting experts, scheduling engagement with experts, and managing the invoicing process. Additionally, the MRSM will be expected to stay up-to-date with key market research trends and policies, promote and advocate compliance to PMR guidelines, and manage and maintain relationships by growing network of healthcare experts.

Sourcing and Recruitment

• Collaborate with consulting project teams to understand the specific expert profiles required for engagement.

• Identify and recruit appropriate experts, including healthcare professionals (HCPs), payers, patients, and other individuals from this industry, based on project briefs.

• Maintain and grow an updated database of experts (including adding performance ratings) for future recruitment needs.

Contracting

• Use existing templates to contact and contract the selected experts.

• Ensure that all contractual documents are accurately completed and legally compliant (in connection with the Legal team).

• Follow specific compliance processes in countries with specific market research laws (e.g. Transparency Act in France, Sunshine act in US, etc.).

• Ensure contracting and engagement processes are compliant with our client’s policies and guidelines, including Fair Market Value (FMV) payments for engagement.

• Manage and track the contracting process to ensure timely completion.

Scheduling

• Coordinate and schedule meetings between consulting teams and experts using online tools, primarily Microsoft Teams, and sometimes others such as Zoom, Google Meet, etc.

• Ensure that participants have received appropriate pre-meeting briefing documents or have completed pre-meeting work (i.e., reviewing pre-read materials, digital surveys, etc.).

• Ensure that all participants are informed of meeting times and have the necessary details to join.

• Troubleshoot any scheduling conflicts or technical issues that may arise.

Invoicing

• Manage the invoicing process for the engaged experts.

• Ensure that invoices are accurately prepared and submitted to the Finance department for processing (in connection with the Finance Team).

• Track and follow up on invoice payments to ensure timely disbursement.

Operational Excellence Processes

• Ensure that the consulting team are compliant (and certified, where appropriate) with market research organizations such as the European Pharmaceutical Market Research Association (EphMRA) and European Society for Opinion and Market Research (ESOMAR) in Europe, the British Healthcare Business Intelligence Association (BHBIA) in the UK, the Pharmaceutical Marketing Research Group (PMRG; now part of Insights Association) in the US, and Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) and Pharmaceutical Drugs Association (PDA) in Canada.

• Maintain appropriate internal guidance on processes and build/revise SOPs and/or policies related to PMR.

• Keep internal PMR Hub page of consulting updated and provide improvements.

• Manage external vendors of PMR.

• Help consulting teams in the connection with clients whenever it is PMR-related.

• Help in the digitalization of the process workflow.

DESIRED QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor or equivalent university degree required. Candidates with higher degrees will be prioritized.

• Experience in recruitment, contracting, and/or project management for market research processes. Experience directly in the Healthcare industry will be prioritized.

• Ability to build and retain a large network of healthcare professionals using different tools and services, such as LinkedIn. Candidates who already have an established network of healthcare professionals will be prioritized.

• Experience in database management considered a plus.

• Understanding of healthcare industry concepts and challenges, such as trends, regulatory, clinical, and general market access, are considered a plus.

• Availability and willingness for occasional international travel.

TECHNICAL COMPETENCES & SOFT SKILLS

• Strong project management skills are a must.

• Excellent organizational and communication skills.

• Excellent interpersonal and time management skills.

• Strong capability in evaluating priorities to meet deadlines while retaining consistently high-quality outcomes.

• Proven track record of working under pressure and managing multiple tasks simultaneously.

• Self-starter who thrives in a less structured, collaborative environment.

• Fully fluent in Business English; additional language skills in French, Italian, German, and/or Spanish are a plus. Additional language skills outside of those mentioned are also valued.

• Proficiency in using online communication tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Google Hangouts, etc.), eSigning tools (e.g., Docusign), and Microsoft Office. Knowledge of business intelligence tools (e.g., PowerBI) and database tools is an advantage.

Languages

Education

Contract Type

Regular