Head of Business Strategy and Operations

Head of Business Strategy and Operations

At AstraZeneca, we believe in the potential of our people, empowering you to grow beyond what you thought possible. We leverage your skills and passion, actively supporting your development no matter where you start with us.

As the Head of Business Strategy and Operations, you will take a leading role in shaping strategic management, performance evaluation, and portfolio management within a large, complex functional area. You will design and oversee management processes that connect strategic objectives with key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling senior leadership, including the Chem Development Leadership Team (CDLT) and PT&D Leadership Team (PT&DLT), to make data-driven decisions. Your insights and reporting will directly impact high-level decision-making and support continuous improvement within the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Performance Assessment and Reporting: Build, own, and manage the evaluation of business performance across the functional area. Develop appropriate measures, assess key performance metrics, and report trends to ensure the CDLT and PT&DLT have a clear understanding of performance, risks, and actions needed to mitigate risks.
• Strategic Communication: Serve as the principal communicator of performance data, presenting key metrics, performance indicators, and assessments to CDLT and PT&DLT. Highlight key issues, propose improvement plans, and manage relationships with senior stakeholders regarding performance and assessments.
• Solution Development: Ensure solutions are developed to address performance issues identified through data analysis, leading or facilitating the creation of strategies to improve business outcomes.
• Scorecard Leadership: Develop and lead the scorecard framework for the functional leadership team, ensuring that performance measures align with strategic business priorities and provide an accurate overview of progress against targets.
• Annual Performance Planning: Drive the annual process for updating and improving the functional scorecard, ensuring individual objectives are aligned with these measures, and clearly communicate the updated scorecard across the function.
• Portfolio Management: Oversee the management and optimization of the project portfolio, ensuring that resources are allocated effectively and in alignment with business priorities. Monitor portfolio performance and risks, ensuring that projects deliver value and meet strategic objectives. Collaborate with cross-functional teams to balance competing priorities and drive portfolio success.
• Operational Leadership: Lead central activities such as resourcing, forecasting, contractor management, strategic capability development, and budget management to support functional growth and performance.
• Budget Governance: Work closely with functional business partners to forecast, plan, and manage the functional budget and project portfolio, ensuring adherence to financial governance and standards.
• Risk Management: Communicate performance trends and potential risks to CDLT and PT&DLT at the earliest opportunity, enabling proactive mitigation.
• Organizational Standards: Ensure the functional area complies with all organizational standards and finance/budget requirements, working collaboratively with the broader Business Performance team.

People: Drive, measure and track I&D, employee engagement, well-being, department professional development and performance strategy.  

Collaborative Relationships:

• Functional Leadership: Act as the key interface for managing business performance against key indicators and risks, driving continuous improvement and strategic alignment.
• Chem Dev and PT&D Teams: Work closely with the wider teams to create and lead performance improvement plans and foster a culture of performance management focused on continuous improvement and effective measurement.
• Business Performance Leads: Collaborate with other Business Performance leads to drive continuous improvement, share best practices, and ensure cohesive communication of overall functional performance.
• Senior Stakeholders: Ensure that performance measures and portfolio management processes are well understood by senior leadership and drive functional strategy and delivery.

Education, Qualifications, and Experience

Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BSc) required, with an advanced degree (MBA or similar) preferred in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Strong experience in business and performance management, including portfolio management, preferably in a mixed in-house/outsourced IT environment.
• Experience within the pharmaceutical industry.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and achieving consensus.
• Expertise in scorecard development, portfolio management, ad-hoc/routine reporting, and benchmarking.

Desirable:

• Lean experience.
• Familiarity with industry standards and qualifications.
• Experience managing budgets and understanding emerging business intelligence tools.

Skills and Capabilities

Essential:

• Strong analytical, organizational, project management, facilitation, relationship-building, communication (verbal and written), and presentation skills.
• Ability to analyze complex data, identify trends, and construct practical solutions for business improvement.
• Proven problem-solving and change management skills.
• Ability to work effectively in diverse, global teams and influence others to achieve positive outcomes.
• Experience applying Benefits and Value Management techniques in a business performance context.
• Strong customer service orientation and leadership skills with experience at the senior leadership level.
• Demonstrated experience in leading in a business performance, portfolio, or strategy environment.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of performance management approaches and their application.
• Ability to articulate the potential impact of developments in the IT marketplace on internal and external stakeholders.

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca, we are driven by our commitment to deliver accelerated growth for our company while making people's lives better. Our Operations team is dedicated to turning molecules into medicines through a rigorous process of development, manufacturing, testing, and delivery. We are leading the way in delivering Lean processes that drive greater efficiency and speed while ensuring sustainable practices are at the heart of what we do.

Be part of an inclusive environment where we work together as a team. Beyond that, we are leading exciting partnerships and joint ventures as we work together to face the latest challenges and realize new opportunities. If you have the passion and drive to accelerate growth and make people's lives better, then this is the place for you!

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.