Vice President Alexion Corporate Affairs

Are you ready to lead the charge in transforming the landscape of rare diseases?

Pioneering new possibilities for the rare disease community. We are driven by a mission to change what it means to live with a rare disease. Built on a legacy of turning pioneering science into transformative treatments, we listen to and partner with the rare disease ecosystem to help improve outcomes for more people impacted by rare diseases across the globe.

As the Vice President Alexion Corporate Affairs you will be responsible for developing and executing an integrated global corporate affairs strategy to advance Alexion’s rare disease portfolio and reputation. As an executive leader you will sit on both the Alexion Leadership Team andAstraZeneca’s Global Corporate Affairs Leadership Team (CALT), with direct oversight of country and regional Corporate Affairs teams (markets) reporting into the role. A key element of your role will be to manage, align, and mentor these teams to ensure local and global objectives are consistently and effectively met, in line with business priorities, while maintaining robust budget discipline and leveraging advanced AI and digital tools.

Operating within a rapidly evolving, matrixed organization, you will require exceptional agility and comfort with ambiguity, adapting to complex and changing reporting structures and collaborating across enterprise geographies. The position requires robust budget discipline, advanced use of AI and digital tools, and the ability to inspire creativity, confidence and resilience across local, regional, and global teams.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Define, develop, and deliver a robust global corporate affairs strategy for rare disease, in alignment with Alexion’s business priorities.
• Serve as a member of both the Alexion Leadership Team and CALT, ensuring corporate affairs objectives drive key business outcomes.
• Shape and champion key Global Corporate Affairs initiatives / programmes that are critical to the delivery of our strategy.
• Act as a business partner to Alexion CEO in shaping overall business strategy as well as senior executive engagement plan / visibility.

Market and Regional Leadership

• Lead and manage country and regional Corporate Affairs teams (markets) who report directly into this role.
• Align, mentor, and develop market teams to deliver the corporate affairs strategy locally, tailoring global initiatives for priority geographies (e.g., US, China, Europe).
• Ensure seamless execution and impact of “glocal” (global + local) campaigns and market shaping across all regions and countries.
• Promote continuous capability building and support future-proofing of local and regional teams, enhancing functional and operational excellence as reporting structures evolve.

Policy Shaping & Access Advocacy

• Lead policy and access advocacy efforts globally, embedding policy goals and frameworks into business plans.
• Identify and address capability gaps in priority markets.
• Drive implementation of policy excellence playbooks across global, regional, and local teams.
• Foster cross-functional partnerships with commercial, medical affairs, market access, and patient advocacy teams.

Product and Scientific Communications

• Provide strategic leadership and hands-on oversight for product and scientific communications, shaping compelling messaging about the pipeline and portfolio for diverse audiences, including healthcare professionals, media, patient advocacy groups, government bodies, and the public.
• Develop, adapt, and execute nuanced communications strategies for product launches, new indications, pipeline updates, milestones, and data readouts, ensuring sophisticated scientific positioning and reputational management.
• Oversee planning and execution of presence and thought leadership at scientific congresses and key external events, driving impactful representation and stakeholder engagement.
• Manage and approve press releases, scientific updates, and media communications, effectively reflecting complex and nuanced scientific results—even where indications or subgroups show differentiated outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with medical affairs, regulatory, and patient advocacy colleagues to ensure all scientific messaging is evidence-based, compliant, balanced, and supportive of the overall business reputation.
• Strengthen local market scientific communication capabilities, fostering proactive and strategic approaches, and enabling alignment across internal, external, and cross-functional teams.

Corporate Communications, AI & Digital Leadership

• Oversee global and local reputation management, including product communications and media relations.
• Champion the use of advanced digital and AI-powered tools to enhance strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, media monitoring, sentiment analysis, and crisis management practices.
• Build and upskill communications capabilities across the Corporate Affairs organization, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
• Develop and drive proactive internal and external communications strategies and strategic product positioning.

Metrics, Governance & Compliance

• Establish and monitor clear performance metrics and KPIs for Corporate Affairs impact and reputation outcomes; communicate these effectively to internal and external stakeholders and the Alexion Leadership Team.
• Drive rigorous governance and ensure full adherence to ethical, legal, and compliance standards in all global and local activities.
• Anticipate risks and oversee effective mitigation, crisis readiness, simulations, and post-event learning as part of robust crisis management protocols.

External Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with key external stakeholders, including patient advocacy groups, academic institutions, government entities, and industry partners.
• Serve as an active “flag bearer” for the rare disease agenda, ensuring visible and effective representation at industry and policy events beyond senior executive spokespeople.
• Advocate for policy shaping, capability development, and long-term business ambitions such as cell and gene therapy as part of the broader AstraZeneca agenda.

Team Leadership, Talent Development & Change Management

• Lead, coach, and inspire global, regional, and country-based Corporate Affairs professionals, nurturing a culture of resilience, creativity, agility, entrepreneurship, and bold problem-solving.
• Foster diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the team, and champion talent pipeline development.
• Demonstrate resilience, agility, and resourcefulness, enabling teams to adapt and “bounce back” from setbacks typical in rare disease, while thriving through transition, uncertainty, and organizational transformation.
• Guide change management as the operating model evolves, effectively leading team transitions amid ambiguous and fast-changing environments.

Budget Management and Resource Stewardship

• Oversee annual planning, management, and optimization of global, regional, and country Corporate Affairs budgets, ensuring fiscal discipline, effective resource allocation, transparency, and demonstrable return on investment for campaigns, partnerships, and reputation initiatives.
• Manage agency and vendor relationships, ensuring transparency, compliance, and value in all engagements.

Key Requirements

• At least 15 years’ experience in global or regional corporate affairs, ideally within pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or rare disease. Experience in entrepreneurial, fast-growth, or biotech environments is highly valued.
• Demonstrated success in budget planning, financial stewardship, and resource optimization, with experience managing budgets across global or regional teams.
• Proven expertise in leveraging advanced digital and AI-powered tools for strategic communications, stakeholder engagement, analytics, and crisis management.
• Direct management experience of country and regional market teams in a complex, matrixed, and evolving organization.
• Experience working across major geographies (US, China, Europe), with strong partnership capabilities at the executive leadership level.
• Track record of establishing robust performance metrics, KPIs, and effective governance practices.
• Exceptional influencing, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships both internally and externally.
• Outstanding resilience, agility, creativity, and resourcefulness, with ability to “bounce back” and drive innovation amid ambiguity and setbacks.
• Comfort with organizational ambiguity, change, and dynamic reporting, and ability to drive positive outcomes amid transition.
• Capable of promoting and embodying AstraZeneca values, culture, and long-term ambitions.

Delivering Life Changing medicines. Pioneering in science is in our DNA. We innovate on behalf of patients and families with unmet need and follow the science to deliver life-changing medicines. We do this because the challenge of rare disease is enormous, and the patient need is high. Of the 10,000 known rare diseases, 90% do not have an approved treatment. We have more than 30 years of rare disease leadership and 20-plus years of real-world evidence. Today, this has resulted in 7 approved medicines across 8 rare diseases. With one of the most robust early to late-stage research pipelines in rare disease, we aim to deliver five (5) new medicines by 2030. We are expanding our leadership in rare disease with multiple Phase III trials underway across disease areas, including rare haematology, nephrology, neurology, bone metabolism, cardiology, endocrinology and rare tumours.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now to join our team!

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $303,462 to $455,193. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors. 

Date Posted

20-Oct-2025

Closing Date

03-Nov-2025

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics. We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.