Chief of Staff to the CEO

Overview: About Certara Certara accelerates the potential of bringing medicines to market and to patients using biosimulation software, technology, and services to transform traditional drug discovery and development. Our clients include more than 2,400 biopharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, and regulatory agencies across 70 countries. Our goal is to enable the life sciences industry’s use of data, modeling, and analytics to make better decisions across the various phases of discovery and drug development. Our software and scientists incorporate modern advances in scientific understanding, drug development experience, data analysis, and AI resulting in significant opportunities to decrease the cost and increase the probability of success for new drug approval and commercialization. The Chief of Staff is a senior execution leader who partners closely with the CEO to ensure enterprise priorities move forward with clarity, discipline, and momentum. The role blends strong execution capability with strategic judgment and financial acumen, supporting effective decision-making and reliable follow-through in a complex, regulated healthcare environment. Working across senior leaders and functions, the Chief of Staff helps translate direction into action, coordinates cross-functional efforts, and proactively identifies and resolves issues that could slow progress or impact outcomes. Responsibilities: Execution, Follow-Through & Operating Cadence Drive execution and follow-through on CEO-level priorities, decisions, and commitments Translate direction into clear actions, owners, timelines, and success measures Build and run a consistent operating cadence for executive-level work Ensure meetings are well-prepared and result in clear decisions and documentation of actions and next steps Track progress and hold owners accountable for delivery Enable efficient decision-making, and reliable documentation of actions and next steps Cross-Functional Coordination Coordinate complex initiatives across business units, R&D, commercial, finance, and operations Drive alignment and momentum across complex, multi-functional activities Manage interdependencies and alignment across leadership and senior stakeholders Reinforce clarity of ownership without formal authority Act as a connective leader across functions Strategic Judgment and Financial Acumen Apply strategic thinking to frame problems and assess implications Evaluate trade-offs using financial, operational, and organizational considerations Partner with Finance, BU Presidents and Commercial to track performance against goals and budgets Work across functions to develop frameworks for consistent reporting of KPI’s and other key metrics and data to drive decisions Issue Anticipation & Problem Solving Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, misalignments and opportunities Resolve issues where possible and selectively escalating with clear context and recommended options as needed Interface with Internal and External Stakeholders Coordinate inputs for key activities including Board of Director and Committee meetings, investor meetings, industry conferences and miscellaneous customer interactions Develop/update annual communications plans for the organization Support multiple enterprise-wide internal communications activities including Town Halls, CEO Communications, internal and external presentations and speeches Enable and orchestrate cascade and reinforcement of messages via the ELT, Extended LT, and other stakeholders What Success Looks Like Enterprise priorities advance with clarity, discipline, and sustained momentum CEO and executive-level decisions consistently translate into action and measurable outcomes Cross-functional initiatives experience fewer delays, escalations, and rework Senior leaders have confidence in operating cadence, information flow, and follow-through Risks and issues are anticipated early and addressed proactively Accountability for follow-up is clear and managed within committed time frames Escalation of issues is limited to those requiring CEO input or decision-making Qualifications: 10+ years of experience in operations, strategy, consulting, finance, or general management Experience operating at a Senior Director/VP level in a global, matrixed organization Demonstrated ability to drive execution across senior stakeholders without formal authority Strong strategic thinking and financial acumen, with comfort evaluating trade-offs Deep understanding of the market in which Certara operates and the healthcare landscape and environment in general Previous experience working in the healthcare and/or life sciences space MBA or other advanced degree preferred Personal Attributes and Skills Strong problem-solving skills – be able to respond quickly and creatively to address issues Works independently and collaboratively Thrives in a fast-paced, global environment Successfully navigates the organization and “connects the dots” Influences others without direct authority to drive decision making Able to represent the CEO and provide guidance on their behalf Strong attention to detail Comfortable with ambiguity; is a self-starter and problem solves / drafts deliverables without significant guidance, but also knows when to ask questions / seek clarity from CEO Effective at time management with strong project management skills Diplomatic but direct with communication High EQ with humility, maturity & situational sensitivity Demonstrated business acumen – understands the marketplace, competitors, technology and what is needed for sustained operating results Communicates effectively with strong executive presence What This Role Is and Is Not This role is: An execution-focused leadership role with enterprise-level visibility A trusted partner to the CEO and senior leadership team Accountable for operating cadence, follow-through, and cross-functional momentum Expected to apply strategic and financial judgment in day-to-day execution This role is not: A replacement for functional leaders or line management An administrative or coordination-only position The sole owner of corporate strategy or long-range planning A role that relies on formal authority rather than influence Certara bases all employment-related decision on merit, taking into consideration qualifications, skills, achievement, and performance. We treat all applicants and employees without regard to personal characteristics such as race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, nationality, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental condition, genetic information, military service, or other characteristic protected by law.