GCM Transition Lead, R&D

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Job Description

The R&D Transition Lead is accountable for end-to-end delivery of R&D transition waves, ensuring that scope, timelines, stage-gate criteria, and execution commitments are met. The role serves as the primary bridge between R&D business stakeholders and GCM delivery teams, owning functional readiness from design validation through stabilization, aligning business requirements with GCM execution standards, and ensuring continuity of critical R&D operations throughout the transition.

Accountabilities: Transition Approach & Design Validation

• Work closely with R&D business stakeholders to define and validate transition and transformation scope, build impact assessment and ensuring clarity on key responsibilities and actions
• Validate and provide functional input into the transition approach and wave sequencing for R&D
• Participate in design validation, confirming that the proposed GCM operating model and service design meet functional business requirements
• Identify and escalate R&D-specific risks, dependencies, and constraints to the GCM Transition Lead

Wave Ownership & Execution

• Own end‑to‑end delivery of the assigned transition wave, ensuring scope, timelines, and commitments are met
• Drive execution across transition planning, knowledge transfer, ramp‑up, go‑live, and stabilization phases

Functional Accountability

• Ensure continuity of critical business operations during transition
• Own functional readiness and acceptance for the transition wave

Knowledge Transfer & Readiness

• Ensure availability of SMEs and timely completion of KT activities, documentation, and sign‑offs
• Confirm operational readiness across people, process, technology, and controls prior to ramp‑up and go‑live

Stakeholder & Governance Management

• Act as the primary point of coordination between stakeholders and GCM delivery teams
• Support stage‑gate reviews and provide inputs for go/no‑go decision

Stabilization & Business-as-Usual transition

• Oversee stabilization and hypercare activities to ensure service performance meets agreed SLAs and KPIs
• Support smooth handover into steady‑state operations

Experience

• 8+ years of experience in business operations, functional leadership, shared services, or large-scale transformation programs within global organizations
• Strong domain experience in R&D, with deep understanding of business priorities, service expectations, and risk
• Proven experience leading end-to-end transition waves or major operational change initiatives, covering transition planning, knowledge transfer, ramp-up, go-live, and stabilization phases

Technical Competencies

• Strong understanding of transition methodologies and frameworks or project management experience for large transformations
• Solid financial and commercial acumen, with the ability to manage transition costs, assumptions, and value realization

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong stakeholder management and coordination skills within highly matrixed, global organizations
• Ability to manage competing priorities and drive execution in complex, time-sensitive transitions
• Results-oriented mindset with strong attention to delivery commitments and accountability

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required

Languages

• Fluent in English

Locations

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