At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!
As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.
At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.
Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!
Your Role: US Pet Health Vet Launch Manager
As the US Pet Health Vet Launch Manager, you will lead project management activities to ensure successful, on-time launches of veterinary products. In this role, you will partner closely with the US Pet Health Vet Launch Managers, and cross-functional stakeholders to design robust launch plans, proactively manage risk, and ensure alignment with Elanco Launch Excellence standards. Your work will directly enable the delivery of high-quality products to customers at launch.
Your Responsibilities
Independently lead project management activities for prioritized US Pet Health launch initiatives to ensure launch readiness
Partner with cross-functional teams including Marketing, Regulatory, Manufacturing, Quality, R&D, Finance, New Product Planning, Innovation Strategy, and Affiliate Commercial teams to develop and maintain integrated launch plans
Define, manage, and communicate launch scope, milestones, deliverables, and timelines using approved project management tools
Identify and actively manage critical path activities, risks, and leading indicators impacting launch milestones
Monitor performance to plan, escalate issues as needed, and drive corrective actions in partnership with the US Launch Excellence Lead
Launch Planning, Timeline, and Budget Management
Develop and maintain detailed launch timelines and process maps, ensuring alignment across functions
Proactively manage schedule updates and communicate changes to stakeholders
Partner with Brand Managers to support launch budget planning, forecasting, and re-forecasting
Provide leadership with clear visibility into cost implications of launch scenarios and variances
Risk, Quality, and Governance
Lead launch risk assessments, mitigation strategies, and contingency planning, with clear ownership and escalation
Proactively identify risks impacting launch timelines or portfolio milestones and take action to mitigate or avoid delays
Apply a strong quality mindset across all project activities and escalate issues appropriately
Ensure accurate documentation of decisions, scope changes, metrics, and launch readiness indicators
Communication, Team, and Process Excellence
Coordinate launch governance, including meeting logistics, agendas, documentation, and minutes
Influence cross-functional teams to operate with a consistent quality and execution mindset
Assess resource constraints and capacity risks, providing recommendations on scope, budget, and resourcing impacts
Drive continuous improvement by identifying, sharing, and embedding best practices across launch and project management teams
Lead and participate in retrospective reviews to capture lessons learned and improve future launch execution
What You Need to Succeed (Minimum Qualifications)
Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences, Pharmacy, Biotechnology, Engineering, Business, or equivalent
Minimum of 5 years of experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry, with direct involvement in product launch, commercialization, or new product introduction
Proven experience managing cross-functional projects in a matrixed environment
Strong project management capabilities including timeline development, milestone tracking, risk mitigation, and budget oversight
Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence diverse stakeholders
What Will Give You a Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)
Strategic mindset with the ability to translate market insights into actionable launch plans
Strong analytical skills, including interpretation of market, sales, and forecast data
Experience with end-to-end launch readiness, from pre-launch planning through operational execution
High level of stakeholder management across Commercial, Supply, Regulatory, Medical, and other functions
Comfort leading through ambiguity in fast-paced, evolving environments
Digital fluency with project management tools, dashboards, and forecasting models
Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and influence teams without direct authority
Additional Information
Location: Global Elanco Headquarters, Indianapolis, IN – Hybrid work environment
Travel: less than 10% of time.
Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status
