Director, Technology Innovation COE

The Director of Technology Innovation Center of Excellence (CoE) is a strategic leadership role responsible for governing and advancing the evaluation, selection, and deployment of emerging technologies across the supply chain organization. This individual will own and continuously refine a structured stage gate process for vetting technology innovations, ensuring that investments are rigorous, aligned to business priorities, and positioned to deliver measurable supply chain value. This leader will serve as the bridge between technology vendors, internal stakeholders, and executive decision-makers, championing a disciplined yet agile approach to innovation.

Responsibilities

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; 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; Develop and maintain relationships with technology vendors, startup ecosystems, and industry research bodies; 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; 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; Develop executive-ready business cases and investment proposals; Drive alignment between innovation initiatives and the broader supply chain strategic roadmap; Manage the innovation portfolio budget; Establish KPIs and success metrics for piloted and deployed technologies and report outcomes to senior leadership; Conduct post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned and refine the vetting framework; Lead and mobilize a cross-functional network of internal stakeholders and subject matter experts; Build trust and credibility across Supply Chain, IT, Finance, Operations, and other functions; Create alignment around a shared innovation vision; Design and facilitate working sessions, workshops, and forums; Cultivate a culture of curiosity and structured experimentation

Requirements

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)

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision care; Backup dependent care; Adoption assistance; Infertility coverage; Family building support; Behavioral health solutions; Paid parental leave; Paid caregiver leave; Training programs; Professional development resources; Mentorship programs; Employee resource groups; Volunteer activities