Associate Scientific Strategy Consultant

About Zifo: 

Zifo is a global scientific and technical consulting partner specializing in strategy, informatics, and innovation for clients in life sciences organizations, such as pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, and agritech. We help organizations accelerate discovery, optimize development pipelines, and leverage data to achieve measurable impact.   

Position Overview: 

The Associate Scientific Strategy Consultant sits within the North American consulting group wherein key accountabilities include driving project elucidation, stakeholder management and defining & driving project success in partnership with internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate will lead medium-to-high complexity consulting engagements for multiple customers. This role blends scientific expertise, industry knowledge, and informatics/data skills with leadership and collaboration to deliver high-quality solutions. You will work closely with senior consultants, client stakeholders, and cross-functional teams to ensure project success, drive operational excellence, and contribute to business development. 

Key Responsibilities: 

Consulting & Scientific Strategy 

• Engage as a leader to define and own project success, leveraging core consulting behaviours such as active listening, empathetic collaboration, strong sense of ownership and effective communication across multiple audiences 

• Own accountability for business analysis deliverables including user requirements specifications (URS), functional requirements specifications, data & process maps, workflows, gap analyses, implementation roadmaps, evaluation methodologies, and questionnaires. 

• Conduct vendor evaluations and define implementation strategies to enable effective decision-making by pharma/biotech/agritech clients. 

• Assess system landscapes and contribute to IT, informatics and data landscape roadmaps. 

Project Execution & Leadership 

• Manage one or more large projects/programs, including estimation, scheduling, risk management, and milestone tracking. 

• Facilitate project meetings, communicate status updates, and escalate risks when necessary. 

• Mentor associates across Zifo, guiding their project engagements and professional development. 

• Track and monitor key project metrics to ensure the success of client engagements as well as adherence to operational components of project delivery. 

Customer Engagement & Collaboration 

• Serve as primary point of contact for clients and internal stakeholders, managing expectations on process, quality, schedule, and delivery - all with an overall view of what qualifies as successful engagement 

• Build rapport with client managers and support and/or drive strategic customer meetings. 

• Identify opportunities for additional value creation within client organizations and internal process improvements. 

Operational Excellence & Continuous Improvement 

• Plan and track billable effort, manage utilization and productivity of themselves and teams, and support budget forecasting. 

• Manage escalations, identify & track risks to project execution, initiate corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) and drive continuous improvement initiatives. 

• Support internal training programs, and mentor team members in emerging areas. 

Business Development & Thought Leadership 

• Assist in proposals related to emerging opportunities with clients and supporting RFP responses. 

• Contribute to case studies, presentations, and white papers. 

• Attend industry conferences for learning, networking, and representing Zifo. 

Learning, Mentorship & Continuous Improvement 

• Demonstrate continuous learning in scientific domains, informatics systems and data strategies, change management and strategic consulting methodologies. 

• Identify needs and drive efforts for internal development and knowledge-sharing initiatives. 

• Mentor other analysts across business units within Zifo, fostering collaboration career development. 

Requirements

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant scientific discipline such as biology, chemistry, chem/bioinformatics among others (Master's preferred) 

• 5-7 years of relevant industry experience in pharmaceutical R&D, biotechnology, or agritech. 

• Experience leading informatics solution projects (e.g., ELN, LIMS implementations) 

• Familiarity with scientific workflows (e.g., bioanalysis, compound management, medicinal chemistry)and key data concepts within the life sciences industry and relevance to operational activities and enabling decision-making. 

• Strong communication skills and ability to drive problem elucidation activities, influence internal and external stakeholders and convey technical concepts to diverse audiences. 

• Proven ability to work collaboratively in multi-disciplinary teams as well as manage project deliverables and stakeholder expectations. 

Desired Attributes: 

• Proactive problem-solving and adaptability in fast-paced environments. 

• Interest in further developing leadership capabilities and taking ownership of project outcomes. 

• Able to navigate ambiguity and drive clarity on problem statements and potential solutions. 

Travel expectations: 

• Travel (up to 25%) to client sites and for internal meetings as needed. 

Benefits

CURIOSITY DRIVEN, SCIENCE FOCUSED, EMPLOYEE BUILT. Our culture is unlike any other, one where we debate, challenge ourselves, and interact with all alike. We are a curious bunch, characterized by our passion to learn and spirit of teamwork. Zifo is a global R&D solutions provider focused on the industries of Pharma, Biotech, Manufacturing QC, Medical Devices, specialty chemicals and other research-based organizations. Our team’s knowledge of science and expertise in technology help Zifo better serve our customers around the globe, including 18 of the Top 20 Biopharma companies. 

We look for Science – Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Microbiology etc. We possess scientific and technical knowledge and bear professional and personal goals.  While we have a “no doors” policy to promote free access within, we do have a tough door to walk in. We search with a two-point agenda – technical competency and cultural adaptability. 

We offer a competitive compensation package including accrued vacation, medical, dental, vision, 401k with company matching, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts.  

If you share these sentiments and are prepared for the atypical, then Zifo is your calling! 

Zifo is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity at our company.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.