What if the work you did every day could impact the lives of people you know? Or all of humanity?
At Illumina, we are expanding access to genomic technology to realize health equity for billions of people around the world. Our efforts enable life-changing discoveries that are transforming human health through the early detection and diagnosis of diseases and new treatment options for patients.
Working at Illumina means being part of something bigger than yourself. Every person, in every role, has the opportunity to make a difference. Surrounded by extraordinary people, inspiring leaders, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.
Position: Head of Strategy & Corporate Development
Location: San Diego, CA / Hybrid
Reports To: Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Development & Strategic Planning
Position Summary
Illumina is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to serve as Vice President, Strategy & Transformation. Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Head of Corporate Development & Strategic Planning, this executive will partner closely with the C-suite, the Head of M&A, and Business Unit (BU) General Managers to drive Illumina’s enterprise strategy, planning, and transformation agenda.
The Role Spans Four Core Mandates
Corporate Strategic Planning – Lead the enterprise strategy and capital allocation process, ensuring alignment between long-term priorities, portfolio choices, and financial plans.
Business Unit Strategic Planning – Support VP/GMs in shaping and executing actionable BU strategies and three-year growth plans aligned to enterprise priorities.
Strategy Execution & Transformation (SEO/SPO) – Lead and scale the enterprise transformation agenda, delivering measurable P&L impact through revenue growth, cost optimization, and operating-model redesign.
Integration Management (IMO) – Oversee post-merger integration to ensure operational, cultural, and strategic alignment with acquired businesses.
This leader will oversee a global organization responsible for connecting strategy to execution—setting enterprise direction, guiding business unit strategies, driving transformation outcomes, and embedding integration excellence. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience leading strategy, transformation, and integration in complex, global life sciences organizations.
Essential Duties
Corporate Strategic Planning
- Lead Illumina’s enterprise strategic planning process, integrating market trends, technology roadmaps, and competitive dynamics into a long-range strategy at the enterprise level.
- Partner with Strategic Finance to set enterprise priorities, manage portfolio trade-offs, and guide capital allocation toward the highest-value opportunities.
- Provide a structured, forward-looking view of emerging growth vectors (e.g., emerging applications, adjacent markets, technology and data innovations) and collaborate with the VP of M&A to ensure the deal pipeline aligns with these priorities and Illumina’s strategic guardrails.
- Deliver strategic insights and portfolio recommendations to the CEO, executive leadership team, and the Board of Directors to enable data-driven choices and accountability.
Business Unit Strategic Planning
- Partner with BU GMs to shape three-year growth strategies for Clinical, Multi-Omics, BioInsights, Core, Arrays, and Services.
- Define where to play and how to win through market segmentation, competitive positioning, and source-of-advantage analysis.
- Apply standardized frameworks to assess market attractiveness, share position, and investment priorities.
- Translate BU strategies into quantified outcomes—revenue, EBIT, FCF, and capital requirements.
- Drive enterprise alignment and portfolio trade-offs, ensuring BU plans link to corporate priorities.
- Connect BU initiatives to transformation vehicles and monitor progress against milestones.
- Strengthen BU strategy capabilities and create a common language of strategy across Illumina.
Strategy Execution & Transformation (SEO/SPO)
- Empower and lead Illumina’s Strategy Execution & Transformation Office (SEO / SPO) as the central engine for change, reinvigorating its role in driving strategy execution and measurable business results.
- Apply a rigorous stage-gate and milestone-driven process to prioritize and execute initiatives with executional certainty and P&L impact.
- Oversee a balanced portfolio spanning revenue growth acceleration, structured cost improvement, operating-model innovations, high-performance operating systems, and balance sheet optimization.
- Strengthen governance and accountability mechanisms (dashboards, KPIs, leadership reviews) to ensure transparency, drive performance, and enable rapid course correction.
- Embed transformation best practices across functions and business units to sustain results and foster a culture of ownership and delivery.
Integration Management (IMO)
- Partner with the Head of M&A to design integration strategies that safeguard scientific excellence, retain key talent, and preserve customer relationships.
- Oversee post-merger integration planning and execution, capturing operational synergies, and embedding new businesses into Illumina’s operating model.
- Define and champion integration best practices tailored to life sciences and diagnostics.
Supervisory Responsibilities
This role leads and manages a global organization of employees and contractors, with responsibility for hiring, onboarding, performance management, and workforce expansion. The Vice President will oversee both employees and contingent workers, ensuring effective alignment of talent, resources, and investment to deliver enterprise priorities
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Qualifications & Experience
- 20+ years of progressive leadership experience across corporate strategy, business unit strategy, enterprise transformation, with a proven record of driving growth and executing complex initiatives.
- 12+ years of management experience building and leading high-performing teams, including professionals across planning, integration, and transformation.
- Strong background with experience from life sciences, biotech, diagnostics, or healthcare technology sectors required, with deep knowledge of genomics and precision medicine markets preferred.
- Demonstrated success establishing and running enterprise strategic planning, capital allocation, and transformation programs in global, matrixed organizations.
- Experience partnering on M&A transactions, with direct responsibility for post-merger integration and long-term value capture.
- Expertise in designing and leading large-scale transformation programs, including revenue acceleration, cost optimization, and operating model redesign.
- Exceptional financial and analytical capabilities, including portfolio analysis, valuation, and scenario planning to inform corporate strategy and capital deployment.
- Strong executive presence with the ability to influence and collaborate effectively with the C-suite, Board of Directors, and external partners.
- Experience engaging and managing external advisors, including investment banks, consulting firms, legal counsel, and other strategic partners.
- Preferred background from a top-tier management consulting firm or equivalent experience advising and leading across strategy, integrations, and enterprise transformations.
- Bachelor or master’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field required; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
Other Requirements
- Ability to work across global time zones and cultures.
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally (10-30%)
The estimated base salary range for the Head of Strategy & Corporate Development role based in the United States of America is: $261,100 - $391,700. Should the level or location of the role change during the hiring process, the applicable base pay range may be updated accordingly. Compensation decisions are dependent on several factors including, but not limited to, an individual’s qualifications, location where the role is to be performed, internal equity, and alignment with market data. Additionally, all employees are eligible for one of our variable cash programs (bonus or commission) and eligible roles may receive equity as part of the compensation package. We offer a wide range of benefits as innovative as our work, including access to genomics sequencing, family planning, health/dental/vision, retirement benefits, and paid time off.
We are a company deeply rooted in belonging, promoting an inclusive environment where employees feel valued and empowered to contribute to our mission. Built on a strong foundation, Illumina has always prioritized openness, collaboration, and seeking alternative perspectives to propel innovation in genomics. We are proud to confirm a zero-net gap in pay, regardless of gender, ethnicity, or race. We also have several Employee Resource Groups (ERG) that deliver career development experiences, increase cultural awareness, and offer opportunities to engage in social responsibility. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to providing employment opportunity regardless of sex, race, creed, color, gender, religion, marital status, domestic partner status, age, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, pregnancy, military or veteran status, citizenship status, and genetic information. Illumina conducts background checks on applicants for whom a conditional offer of employment has been made. Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable local, state, and federal laws. Background check results may potentially result in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. The background check process and any decisions made as a result shall be made in accordance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. Illumina prohibits the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the application and interview process. If you require accommodation to complete the application or interview process, please contact accommodations@illumina.com. To learn more, visit: https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/eeopost.pdf. The position will be posted until a final candidate is selected or the requisition has a sufficient number of qualified applicants. This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
