Senior Program & Strategy Manager

ZEISS is technology and innovation. We develop, manufacture and sell highly innovative products and solutions for our customers in a variety of business fields – always testing the limits of what is feasible.

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the optics and optoelectronics industries generating more than 11.8 billion euros in revenue with around 46,000 employees across 50 countries around the globe. 

Founded in Germany in 1846, we are proud of our rich heritage. As a company wholly owned by a foundation, ZEISS is rooted in and committed to responsibility in all its activities. Therefore, 15% of revenue is currently invested in science and R&D. ZEISS is convinced that innovation and technology are the key to a sustainable future and solutions for global challenges. 

If you want to enable business success and make a difference with us, ZEISS is the right place for you! 

Purpose of this role 

The Senior Program and Strategy Manager, Consumer Eyecare combines rigorous program governance with strategic business development. This individual… 

• 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, robust reporting, and strategic recommendations grounded in evidence 
• Aligns internal functions and external partners to deliver on time, within budget, and in full compliance with regulatory and quality requirements 
• Shapes the future direction of Consumer Eyecare by contributing to long-term strategy development 

Key responsibilities 

Program governance & execution 

• 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 

Strategy and Business Development 

• Lead market analysis for new market expansion: Conduct comprehensive assessments of target markets including market sizing, competitive landscape, regulatory environment, and entry barriers to inform go/no-go decisions for expansion 
• Develop and support business cases: Partner with Finance, Commercial, and Regional teams to build robust business cases for new initiatives, product launches, and market entries—including revenue projections, cost modeling, and ROI analysis 
• Perform ad-hoc data analysis and insight generation: Respond to leadership requests for strategic analysis; transform complex data sets into clear, decision-ready recommendations 
• Contribute to long-term strategy development: Actively participate in shaping the Consumer Eyecare multi-year strategy, including competitive positioning and partnership opportunities 
• Monitor competitive and market intelligence: Track competitor activities, market trends, regulatory changes, and emerging technologies; provide regular strategic briefings to leadership 
• Support strategic decision-making forums: Prepare materials for Board reviews, investment committees, and strategic planning sessions; ensure data quality and strategic coherence of recommendations 

Role requirements 

• 5-8 years of combined experience in program/project management, strategy, management consulting, or business development-ideally in (Consumer) Healthcare, MedTech, or related industries 
• 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 

• Proven experience conducting market analysis, building business cases, and delivering strategic recommendations to senior leadership 
• 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 
• 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 

Your ZEISS Recruiting Team:

Abbie Walters