Senior Program & Strategy Manager, Consumer Eyecare

Job Title Senior Program & Strategy Manager, Consumer Eyecare

Location Birmingham, UK

Division Consumer Markets

Reports to Head of Global Business & Operations, Consumer Eyecare

Contract Permanent, Full-time (Hybrid)

Please read the information in this job post thoroughly to understand exactly what is expected of potential candidates.

The Senior Program & Strategy Manager, Consumer Eyecare:

• owns end-to-end program governance and the integrated timeline and critical path to deliver Consumer Eyecare launch readiness across regions (Global/US/China) and workstreams, ensuring disciplined execution on the critical path
• enables timely decision-making through stage-gate readiness, clear escalation, and reporting
• aligns internal functions and external partners to deliver on time, within budget, and in full compliance with regulatory and quality requirements

Responsibilities

• Own the integrated timeline: Build and maintain the timeline and critical path; ensure consistency/quality of workstream plans; manage dependencies and the critical path
• Run program governance end-to-end: SteerCos, weekly/bi-weekly cadences, workstream reviews, risk reviews; standardized agendas, pre-reads, minutes, action tracking, and follow-ups
• Drive cross-functional and cross-regional alignment: Align functions and teams, proactively resolve blockers, accelerate decisions
• Institutionalize RAID management and mitigation tracking: ensure risks/issues are surfaced early, owned, and actively closed
• Drive stage-gate readiness: Orchestrate gate deliverables, coordinate cross-functional inputs, and ensure timely delivery & decisions
• Manage external partners and timelines (e.g., contract manufacturers): Together with Procurement, manage and track delivery, cost, and timing of external partners
• Support financial steering: Track cost center spends vs. plan, support forecasting, and quantify execution impacts (delay cost, scope changes)
• Lead quarterly OKR planning and review cycles across functions and regions: Ensure measurable outcomes, accountability, and transparent progress reporting
• Institutionalize ways of working: Templates, standards, routines, playbooks, and lessons learned to scale the Consumer Eyecare PMO

Required Knowledge & Experience

• Proven experience in program/project management experience in complex, cross-functional environments; Consumer Healthcare/OTC/Pharma strongly preferred (MedTech acceptable)
• Proven track record delivering multi-country product launches and/or large-scale programs with measurable outcomes (time, cost, quality)
• Strong governance and execution experience: integrated planning, RAID discipline, action management, escalation judgment, and executive-ready reporting
• Experience with stage-gate governance and driving gate readiness, decision materials, and go/no-go recommendations
• Ability to drive accountability; excellent stakeholder management across functions, regions, and seniority levels
• Strong dependency management and structured problem-solving; comfortable translating ambiguity into executable plans
• External vendor/partner management experience (multi-party delivery, SOW governance, performance tracking)
• Advanced proficiency with project management and reporting tools (e.g., Smartsheet/MS Project), plus advanced skills in MS PowerPoint/Excel
• High-quality written and verbal communication; able to synthesize complex inputs into clear management narratives
• Comfortable operating across time zones and cultures; high reliability, ownership mindset, and resilience under pressure

Diversity is a part of ZEISS. xwzovoh We look forward to receiving your application regardless of gender, nationality, ethnic and social origin, religion, philosophy of life, disability, age, sexual orientation or identity.