Global Program Intelligence Transformation Lead

ZEISS in India

ZEISS in India is headquartered in Bengaluru and present in the fields of Industrial Quality Solutions, Research Microscopy Solutions, Medical Technology, Vision Care and Sports & Cine Optics.

ZEISS India has 3 production facilities, R&D center, Global IT services and about 40 Sales & Service offices in almost all Tier I and Tier II cities in India. With 2200+ employees and continued investments over 25 years in India, ZEISS’ success story in India is continuing at a rapid pace. 

Further information at ZEISS India.

Requirements

Education   University degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Medical Technology, Business Administration or equivalent. MBA, MSc or PhD preferred.

Work Experience   10+ years of professional experience, including a mandatory background in a leading international strategy or management consulting firm. The ideal candidate has personally led major, complex, enterprise-wide transformation programs from strategy through implementation, working with senior executives and delivering measurable business impact across functions, geographies, and organizational boundaries. Substantial MedTech experience is required, including a strong understanding of regulated product development and the associated R&D, Quality, and Regulatory environments. Additional experience in global program or portfolio management, AI-enabled transformation, advanced analytics, or digital operating-model transformation is a significant advantage.

Specific Knowledge  

·       Advanced program and portfolio management skills (PMP, SAFe, or equivalent preferred)

·       Strong practical knowledge of AI, GenAI, workflow automation, and advanced analytics

·       Experience with resource planning and portfolio governance frameworks in a regulated environment

·       Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management capabilities

·       Excellent Communication; experience in international and intercultural collaboration (Germany–India context preferred)

High systems-thinking capability and strategic orientation

Main Tasks

Program Intelligence & Portfolio Transparency

·       Design and implement portfolio transparency capabilities providing real-time visibility across the REF product generation pipeline.

·       Develop integrated views of program risks, resource allocations, dependencies, and milestone status — accessible to all key stakeholders.

·       Build and maintain intelligent dashboards and KPI frameworks to enhance forecast quality, early warning capability, and data-driven decision-making.

·       Define and govern reporting standards across program teams to ensure consistent, reliable, and actionable program data.

·    AI & Digital Transformation

Lead the evaluation, piloting, and adoption of AI-enabled program management tools and agentic AI solutions to automate reporting, planning workflows, and management review preparation.  

Assess portfolio intelligence platforms, GenAI applications, and workflow automation solutions applicable to program and portfolio management.

·       Collaborate with IT and tool owners to integrate AI and analytics capabilities into existing PMO infrastructure (Jira, Smartsheet, Azure DevOps, etc.).

·       Build internal capability and literacy for AI-augmented program management practices across all REF program teams.

Strategic Program Excellence

·       Support the Head of Program Management in defining and continuously improving global program governance, planning, and reporting frameworks.

·       Contribute to the product generation roadmap with focus on feasibility analysis, dependency mapping, capacity optimization, and budget alignment.

·       Identify systemic risks and bottlenecks at portfolio level; develop and track mitigation strategies in collaboration with R&D, Regulatory, and Product Management.

·       Translate strategic objectives (e.g., from InnoEx and Business Sector leadership) into measurable program targets and operational improvement initiatives.

Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement

·       Drive adoption of standardized methodologies and best practices across program teams in alignment with the global PMO framework.

·       Establish feedback loops and lessons-learned mechanisms to continuously enhance program delivery quality and predictability.

·       Introduce metrics-driven process reviews to identify, prioritize, and eliminate inefficiencies across the program execution workflow.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

·       Act as a trusted intelligence partner to the Head of Program Management and senior cross-functional stakeholders on all portfolio and program data topics.

·       Develop and deliver clear, executive-level program reports, portfolio status analyses, and strategic recommendations for leadership reviews.

·       Bridge global collaboration between ZEISS REF teams in Germany and India, ensuring alignment on program priorities, data standards, and tooling.

Facilitate governance forums, planning workshops, and cross-site alignment sessions as required by the PMO.

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