Chief of Staff for Chief Operating Officer

Job Description Vertex is actively seeking a highly motivated individual who will partner with the Executive Vice President (EVP), Chief Operating Officer (COO) on a wide variety of high impact initiatives across the organization. The COO organization is comprised of the following functions: Commercial, Human Resources, Corporate Communications, and Portfolio & Program Management. This individual will focus time and efforts on activities that develop and enable strategic and organizational effectiveness across the COO organization and cross-functionally with the rest of Vertex. As a member of the Commercial Leadership Team (CLT) and Operations Leadership Team (OLT) the Chief of Staff (CoS) will be responsible for ensuring focus and alignment across both LTs and the organization to ensure effective progress on key processes and goals. The CoS will partner with the COO as well as with cross-functional stakeholders on a wide range of team, business, strategy, development and commercial projects. The role is both strategic and operational and provides a unique opportunity for an individual to interact with leaders across the organization including the Executive Committee (EC), the CLT & OLT, and colleagues spanning all levels, geographies, and functions. The role will report to the COO. The successful candidate is expected to be in role for ~ 2-3 years following which they will take their previous experiences and learnings from the Chief of Staff position to contribute in their next career opportunity at Vertex. Strategic Acts as a strategic thought partner to the COO identifying and executing on topics impacting Commercial and Operations functions, including development of strategic goals and facilitating their successful implementation and measurement. Provides ongoing assessment of the progression on COO goals, identifying potential gaps and opportunities, including independently leading projects relating to process development, commercialization, and organization effectiveness. Operational Supports operationalization of the COO organization strategic plans including proactive design and development of processes to enable the CLT & OLT to achieve their objectives; this includes, but is not limited to, managing CLT & OLT meetings/agendas, goal setting, brand planning and commercial reviews. Coordinates smooth business operations within and across the COO Organization, aligning the partner functions such as QA, Regulatory, Facilities, Sourcing, Legal, Finance, HR, etc. Helps monitor progress against organizational goals including metrics, review of processes, resource needs, and recommendations for improvement. Liaises with finance and other functions to build budgets, monitor spend, and ensure accurate spend forecasting. Identifies and prioritizes key tasks and allocation of responsibility and time for the COO and other members of the CLT & OLT in order to maximize overall effectiveness, sustainability and career development. Communications Communicates up, down and sideways to ensure COO and other LT members are apprised of progress, key risks, and strategic needs of the COO organization including preparation of dashboards that report progress on goals. Leads the Office of the COO in defining key communications and preparing corresponding reports, briefings, and presentations across stakeholders, including CLT, OLT, EC, and Board of Directors, as well as internal COO organization meetings (town hall, site visits, leadership meetings) and ad hoc meetings. Represents COO Organization and the COO in a variety of cross-functional interactions including but not limited to Research, Commercial, QA, Regulatory, Legal, and HR. Requirements Bachelor’s degree required. 12 years in the pharmaceutical and/or biotechnology industries. Exceptional ability to orchestrate multiple tasks and priorities. Outstanding communication skills both prose and high- quality presentations to diverse audiences. Strong listening skills and ability to synthesize and report diverse perspectives. Collaborative style, with an ability to build trust, manage conflict and influence multiple stakeholders. Independently navigates organizational complexities, recommends solutions, and builds support. Strategic thinker with a proven track record of driving successfully to implementation. Innovative leader with openness to and skeptical evaluation of new ideas. Embraces unexpected change or challenge and drives to improved solutions. Self-motivated; acts independently and prioritizes appropriately. Demonstrated analytical and information technology skills. Solid business knowledge with knowledge of related functions outside of COO organization. The highest level of ethics and commitment to Vertex’s core values and beliefs. Company Information Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com. #LI-KO1 Company Information Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation. Vertex is committed to equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination for all employees and qualified applicants without regard to a person's race, color, sex, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, or any characteristic protected under applicable law. Vertex is an E-Verify Employer in the United States. Vertex will make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with known disabilities, in accordance with applicable law. Any applicant requiring an accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied should make a request to the recruiter or hiring manager, or contact Talent Acquisition at ApplicationAssistance@vrtx.com. Help Us Achieve Our Mission Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with serious diseases. The company has multiple approved medicines that treat the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis (CF) — a rare, life-threatening genetic disease — and has several ongoing clinical and research programs in CF. Beyond CF, Vertex has a robust pipeline of investigational small molecule, cell and genetic therapies in other serious diseases where it has deep insight into causal human biology, including sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, APOL1-mediated kidney disease, pain, type 1 diabetes, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Founded in 1989 in Cambridge, Mass., Vertex's global headquarters is now located in Boston's Innovation District and its international headquarters is in London. Additionally, the company has research and development sites and commercial offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Vertex is consistently recognized as one of the industry's top places to work, including 13 consecutive years on Science magazine's Top Employers list and one of Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals and Best Workplaces for Women. For company updates and to learn more about Vertex's history of innovation, visit www.vrtx.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Instagram. The diversity and authenticity of our people is part of what makes Vertex unique, and we recognize that each employee brings diverse perspectives and strengths. By embracing those strengths and celebrating differences, we are fostering an inclusive culture where each of us can bring our authentic selves to work, inspire innovation together, and change people’s lives. Our vision is clear: to be the place where an authentic, diverse mix of talent want to come, to stay, and do their best work.