Principal Consultant / Associate Director
London hybrid
We are looking for an experienced Principal Consultant or Associate Director to join our growing Value and Access Consultancy team.
This opportunity is suited to individuals with substantial experience leading strategic consulting engagements within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, MedTech, or healthcare sectors. We are seeking candidates who can independently direct complex client programmes, build and grow client relationships, support business development activities, and play an active leadership role within Lightning Health.
Depending on experience, this role may be offered at either Principal Consultant or Associate Director level.
Job Purpose
This is a senior leadership role within the Consulting team, responsible for the independent direction of complex strategic projects, the development of client relationships and accounts, and the continued growth of Lightning Health.
Working closely with senior leadership, you will oversee multiple client engagements simultaneously, ensure the delivery of high-quality strategic recommendations, support the development of consulting talent, and contribute to the evolution of Lightning Health's capabilities, services, and long-term strategy.
Beyond project delivery, you will play a key role in shaping solutions to client challenges, identifying opportunities for growth, and fostering a high-performance, collaborative culture across the Consulting team.
Main Responsibilities
Project Directorship and Client Leadership
- Provide strategic oversight and direction across a portfolio of pharmaceutical and MedTech consulting projects, ensuring delivery of high-quality, client-ready outputs.
- Lead the development of strategic recommendations and solutions that address complex client challenges across:
- Market Access Strategy
- Pricing and Reimbursement
- Commercial Due Diligence
- Opportunity Evaluation
- Evidence Generation and Value Demonstration
- Act as a senior client partner, building trusted relationships and ensuring a deep understanding of client objectives, business challenges, and market context.
- Lead senior-level client interactions including workshops, presentations, advisory boards, and strategic discussions
- Oversee project quality, ensuring deliverables are insightful, robust, commercially relevant, and aligned to client needs
Team Leadership and Capability Development
- Manage, coach, and develop direct reports, supporting career development and helping to build future project leaders within the consultancy team
- Foster a collaborative, high-performing culture and champion Lightning Health's values and ways of working
- Contribute to training and continuous improvement initiatives across the Consulting team
- Act as a recognised internal expert and contribute to thought leadership, methodology development, and company growth initiatives
Business Development and Account Growth
- Lead opportunity scoping, proposal development, and solution creation activities with minimal senior oversight
- Develop and grow strategic client relationships, identifying opportunities for account expansion and follow-on work
- Contribute to achievement of business development objectives and support the continued growth of Lightning Health
- Represent Lightning Health externally through conferences, industry events, publications, and other thought leadership activities.
Skills and Qualifications
Essential
- 8+ years of experience within healthcare consulting, market access consulting, life sciences strategy consulting, or a related consultancy environment
- Track record of independent delivery of pricing and market access projects within the pharmaceutical/MedTech industry
- Excellent client relationship management, with prior experience with the growth and management of key accounts
- Ability to independently lead solution creation and proposal development
- Ability to lead external discussions/presentations (such as advisory board moderation and congress activities)
- Able to harness cutting edge thinking regarding the global market access landscape into thought leadership materials and client engagements
Desirable
- Health Economics background
- Additional language skills
Why join Lightning Health?
- Work on a diverse range of strategic pharmaceutical and MedTech projects across global markets
- Gain exposure to complex market access, pricing, reimbursement, and healthcare policy challenges
- Play a meaningful role in shaping client strategy and decision-making
- Take on significant responsibility and have a direct impact on project and company success
- Join a collaborative team with a strong focus on professional development and career progression
- Help shape the future growth and direction of a specialist healthcare consultancy
To apply, send your CV and covering letter to careers@lightning.health, indicating which role you are applying for