Director, Technology Innovation COE

Overview

Director of Technology Innovation Center of Excellence is a strategic leadership role responsible for governing and advancing the evaluation, selection, and deployment of emerging technologies across the supply chain organization.

What you'll do

• Design, implement, and continuously improve a multi-stage gate framework for evaluating, piloting, and scaling supply chain technology innovations
• Define clear criteria, scoring rubrics, and decision checkpoints for each gate (e.g., ideation, feasibility, pilot, scale, sunset)
• Lead cross-functional gate review committees, facilitating structured go/no-go decisions with executive stakeholders
• Maintain a transparent innovation pipeline dashboard, tracking all active and archived technology candidates
• Proactively identify emerging technologies relevant to supply chain operations (e.g., AI/ML, robotics, IoT, digital twins, blockchain, autonomous systems)
• Develop and maintain relationships with technology vendors, startup ecosystems, and industry research bodies (e.g., Gartner, Forrester, industry consortiums)
• Conduct structured technology assessments including market analysis, vendor due diligence, and total cost of ownership modeling
• Represent Cencora at industry forums, innovation councils, conferences, and strategic vendor engagements; maintain awareness of supply chain innovation trends and benchmark practices across industries
• Partner with Supply Chain operations, IT, Finance, Legal, and Compliance to ensure holistic vetting of technology candidates
• Build and manage a Technology Innovation Advisory Board comprising internal subject matter experts and external advisors
• Develop executive-ready business cases and investment proposals for technologies advancing through the pipeline
• Drive alignment between innovation initiatives and the broader supply chain strategic roadmap
• Manage the innovation portfolio budget, ensuring appropriate resource allocation across stages of the gate process
• Establish KPIs and success metrics for piloted and deployed technologies, measure realized benefits including cost savings, productivity improvements and service enhancements, and report outcomes to senior leadership
• Conduct post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned and refine the vetting framework over time
• Lead and mobilize a cross-functional network of internal stakeholders and subject matter experts, driving innovative outcomes through influence rather than direct authority
• Build trust and credibility across Supply Chain, IT, Finance, Operations, and other functions by demonstrating deep expertise, active listening, and collaborative problem-solving
• Create alignment around a shared innovation vision by engaging stakeholders early and often throughout the stage gate process
• Design and facilitate working sessions, workshops, and forums that draw out subject matter expertise and foster co-ownership of technology evaluation decisions
• Cultivate a culture of curiosity and structured experimentation across the stakeholder community, encouraging teams to surface and champion emerging technology ideas

What you'll need

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business, Information Systems, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in supply chain operations, strategy, or technology, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role
• Demonstrated experience designing or managing a stage gate, innovation pipeline, or technology governance process
• Strong understanding of supply chain operations across distribution, logistics, procurement, or inventory management
• Proven ability to build executive-level presentations and facilitate senior leadership decision-making forums
• Experience managing cross-functional programs from concept through implementation

Nice to have

• Master's degree (MBA, MS Supply Chain, or related)
• Experience in pharmaceutical distribution, healthcare supply chain, or highly regulated industries
• Familiarity with frameworks such as Stage-Gate®, Lean Startup, or Design Thinking
• PMP, Agile, or related certifications
• Experience working with or evaluating enterprise technology vendors (ERP, WMS, TMS, AI platforms)

Details

• Remote, USA
• Full time