Director, Technology Innovation COE at Cencora

Job description

Our team members are at the heart of everything we do. At Cencora, we are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures, and every person here is essential to us being able to deliver on that purpose. If you want to make a difference at the center of health, come join our innovative company and help us improve the lives of people and animals everywhere. Apply today! Job Details JOB SUMMARY: 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. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Stage Gate Process Ownership 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 Technology Evaluation & Scouting 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. Stakeholder Engagement & Governance 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 Portfolio & Performance Management 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 reporting outcomes to senior leadership Conduct post-implementation reviews to capture lessons learned and refine the vetting framework over time Team Leadership & CoE Culture 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 ac