Associate Director, Oncology Targeted Delivery GPM

Associate Director, Oncology Targeted Delivery GPM

Location: Gaithersburg, MD

Introduction to role

At AstraZeneca, we are dedicated to being a Great Place to Work where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science, challenge convention and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. We encourage you to embrace differences and take bold actions to drive the change needed to meet global healthcare and sustainability challenges.

As a project management and scientific expert, you will ensure the delivery of Discovery stage projects within the Oncology Targeted Delivery (OTD) organization within agreed time and budget constraints to the agreed quality. You will ensure that the project team adopts the required quality and compliance standards, policies, and procedures, and coach junior staff. You will be recognized as an expert within your field and often the first point of contact for specialist queries.

Accountabilities

The Associate Director manages and leads cross-functional drug discovery and development teams within the Oncology Targeted Delivery (OTD) unit to achieve key strategic objectives and deliver development, regulatory, and commercial landmarks.

Depending on the stage of development and project complexity, you will work across multiple cross-functional drug development teams, accountable for ensuring that the team operates in a way that represents standard methodology for Discovery project management within AstraZeneca.

This position plays a highly visible, critical role in successfully delivering innovative medicines through the drug discovery process to treat cancer patients with high unmet need.

Responsibilities

Cross-functional Team Leadership and Delivery

• Serve as a core team member and drive efficient operation of Discovery phase project teams, including overall cross-functional plans, priorities, budget, and risk management.
• Support mechanistically complex and/or accelerated early Discovery Antibody Drug Conjugate (ADC) projects as prioritized by the OTD Leadership Team (LT). Chances to lead post-Discovery OTD projects may be available as deemed feasible by the leaderships of OTD and GPPM.
• Drive an effective, efficient team environment and help the Discovery team Leads build a cohesive, high-performing team.
• Facilitate project teams towards successful issue resolution and decision-making in most situations. Focus the team on the right activities at the right time, directing them to deliver on the integrated project plan.

Project Strategic Alignment

• Provide input into the project strategy and vision through expertise in project management, execution, and governance.
• Ensure alignment of the project and operational results to the team’s strategy.
• Lead the development of elements of the team’s development plan or strategy.
• Ensure appropriate linkages between project strategy and key internal processes (TA strategy, TA prioritization, corporate scorecard).

Governance and Investment Decisions

• Facilitate team towards effective governance decisions (e.g., Phase IDs, project revisions) and lead the development of investment decision documentation.
• Integrate and provide information to both the team and senior management (including OTD LT) / governance bodies that allows efficient (timely and informed) decision-making.

Planning, Monitoring, and Delivery

• Ensure that overall team results, budgets, schedules, and performance standards are realistically set, governance approved, and attained, and that the project effectively fulfills all business reporting requirements.
• Maintain plans of the highest data quality, accountable for all Project Management results associated with project team(s) covered.
• With Drug Project Coordinator support, update the OTD pre-LOID discovery portfolio landmarks in project management systems.

Entrepreneurship

• Seek opportunities to drive positive change and remove barriers within and outside the team.
• Champion company standard methodologies.
• Use business knowledge to drive cross-functional and cross-project learning.

Essential Skills/Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in a scientific or technical drug development subject, or requisite drug development experience.
• At least 3 years of relevant experience in project management within the Pharmaceutical or Biotech industry.
• At least 5 years of experience working on cross-functional drug discovery or development teams or leading sub-teams.
• Project Management experience with a successful track record of delivering projects within agreed time, quality, and cost.
• Ability to manage high-performing teams and establish effective team operations.
• Ability to work effectively with senior partners.
• Experience with project management tools and processes.
• Experience with Information Management and AI tools, including SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and OneNote, and the ability to use AI tools and technologies to drive project management and tracking efficiency and innovation.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Advanced degree (PhD) in a scientific field and/or MBA.
• In-depth knowledge of the drug discovery and development process, including experience leading cross-functional drug development teams.
• Experience in using Planisware.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $131,653 to $197,480. 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.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Play your part in contributing to a business truly dedicated to its purpose and patients. United by a shared connection and commitment, we can see how everything we do adds up to a bigger impact on patients and society. Working for an enterprise at the forefront of science, we feel a huge sense of pride in our potential to transform the lives of patients with unmet needs.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now!

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.