Director Global Performance Excellence, Cell Therapy

The role holder provides technical leadership either as an expert lead or through leadership of small to medium sized clinical studies to ensure effective collaboration between the project teams. Will develop and build or act a specialist expert within a cross-functional multi-skilled team compromised of experts across a range of products within Astra Zeneca to drive continuous improvement. 

The CTCO Site Management and Monitoring (SMM) and Patient Operations organization, a global-based organization with staff in over 20 countries, is responsible for leading the delivery of clinical trials at a country level ensuring high quality study data is collected in a timely and productive way to support Cell Therapy R&D studies from phase I to phase III.    

The Cell Therapy Site Management and Monitoring (DSMM) Director, Global Performance Excellence, reports into the SMM Global Head and is responsible for Performance excellence and oversight for the countries.   

This person is a key member of the Leadership teams, playing a lead role in ensuring the CTCO field maximize and optimize portfolio delivery and country footprint for volume, quality, speed & costs in the country grouping. This person is also responsible for delivering the optimal operating model and operational efficiency for CTCO field.    

In addition to Gaithersburg, MD, this role may also be based in Boston, MA; San Francisco, CA; Santa Monica, CA; or Wilmington, DE, offering flexibility across these locations.

Country Performance Excellence:  

• Partnering with the Regional Heads, the Director Global Performance Excellence (GPE) this individual is responsible for supporting and monitoring all aspect of performance excellence and oversight at a global level. Accountabilities include:   

• Support CTCO field & stand-alone country Leadership Teams in the local implementation, management & execution of the Global Performance Excellence strategies related to processes & systems agreed at global level  

• Key interface between the Global Performance Excellence group / Country level functions.   

• Compiles and present the performance metrics across CTCO field, utilising analytics, KPIs and automation of reporting to deliver clear outputs to countries and to leadership.   

• Responsible for overall oversight of capacity management, ensuring they remain within targets, whilst delivering the portfolio.  

• Supports Country leaders with budget leadership and oversight.   

• Responsible for the Operational Excellence plan for CTCO field and/or the stand-alone country, driving delivery and change and providing regular oversight to CTCO field leadership.   

• Responsible for local sourcing strategy including overseeing Work Orders (WOs) management, execution of the 3PRM process and partnering with key vendors at a CTCO field level and providing feedback to the Global Governance Team relevant to the agreed KPIs with the vendor  

• Responsible for centralizing and optimizing local finance and other processes to include PO creation and management of key systems such as SAP and COUPA and Investigational product management   

• Responsible for CTCO field compliance to financial processes and supports training related to this for LSADs and local leadership. Also coordinates and supports local finance audits as required and ensures adherence to the Financial Control Framework overall.   

• Working with CTCO field leadership, supports and develops processes and systems to optimize business partnering to include External partners, procurement and alliance management.   

• Supporting Country Footprint strategy in the CTCO field – partnering with CROs to develop footprint in non-AZ markets.   

Support for Global Performance Excellence initiatives:   

• The role will also support the Director, GPE Lead in delivering global support on various Global Performance activities to include:   

• Supporting the implementation of outsourcing strategies to ensure optimal and flexible sourcing models are implemented, delivering top tier industry metrics (time, cost, quality)  

• Support for CTCO field Algorithms and systems, ensuring to reliably estimate demand for the function.   

• Supporting large cross country project deliverables   

• Partnering with Country Leadership, ensure creation and adherence to country budgets.   

• Represents CTCO field in cross-functional groups and leads process improvement projects globally     

Accountabilities:   

• The job holder requires a high level of cultural sensitivity, interactive communication, negotiation and effective collaboration.   

• Drive and build collaborations internally and externally between CTCO stakeholders to ensure input to, and delivery of all internally delivered clinical trials  

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with a minimum of 5 years of industry experience.

• Previous experience of working in Clinical Research at a country, regional or global level  

• Extensive experience in accounting, financial control/analysis and/or operational excellence programs.  

• Ability to effectively influence and communicate and ability to engage, influence and collaborate across boundaries with a problem solving and delivery focus 

• Ability to assimilate complex information and identify key issues and message 

• Strong experience of working across a global organization in various functions, particularly finance, commercial, clinical operations, development operations 

• Understanding of regulatory/statutory requirements and governance principles/SOX 

• Project Management experience  

• Ability to look for and champion more efficient and effective methods/processes  

• Ability to quickly master new systems and tools  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, negotiation skills, collaboration, and interpersonal skills in a multicultural environment 

Benefits offered include: 

A qualified retirement program [401(k) plan] 

Paid vacation, holidays, and paid leaves 

Health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage following 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. The annual base salary for this position ranges from $172,000 to $257,000. However, 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). 

#Hybrid #CellTherapy

Date Posted

11-Jun-2026

Closing Date

10-Jun-2026

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