Executive Director, Head of Immune Cell Therapy Operations at AstraZeneca GmbH

Are you ready to take on a leadership role that will shape the future of AstraZeneca R&D? We are seeking an Executive Director, Head of Immune Cell Therapy Operations. This role is pivotal in driving the overall leadership of our newly formed Immunology Cell Therapy unit. You will have the opportunity to collaborate closely with the Vice President to effectively execute the vision for the future of Immunology Cell Therapy, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting the lives of patients, responsible for the performance of critical operations within Immunology Cell Therapy, and ensuring the vision aligns with the objectives of Senior Leadership. You will support the VP of immune cell therapy in building out a team, planning site footprints, and aligning necessary resources. Your work will have a significant impact on AstraZeneca R&D and will require strong leadership skills and a track record in this specialized field as we build a world-class organization that accelerates the delivery of ground-breaking cell therapies for patients with immune mediated diseases.

Immunology Cell Therapy
Our ambition is to build a world-class organization that accelerates the delivery of transformative cell therapies for patients with immune mediated diseases. It’s our big vision that unites and inspires us. Cell therapies represent a fundamental evolution of how drugs are discovered, developed and manufactured. These new advanced potentially curative cellular modalities require a new development strategy to ensure their rapid availability to patients. With multiple autoimmune and inflammatory indications and clinical stage cell therapies in global development, we keep pushing forward. Focusing on cutting-edge science with the latest technology to achieve breakthroughs. AZ is a place built on courage, curiosity and collaboration – we make bold decisions driven by patient outcomes.

What you’ll do...

In this role, you will develop and maintain effective relationships across functions to ensure that implications to the cell therapy plan are understood and risks are managed. Reporting directly to the VP of Immunology Cell Therapy in Boston, this individual will also be a pivotal member of the leadership team. You will support the VP in anticipating investment needs and ensuring appropriate resourcing. Your focus will be on enabling the unit to act nimbly and innovatively to ensure rapid development in a highly competitive landscape. You will also oversee project management support of the portfolio, ensuring streamlined interactions with broader AstraZeneca systems, including finance and portfolio reporting. Lastly, you will develop high-performing teams and instill a culture of agility and innovation.

As an expert collaborator you will navigate across internal and external boundaries to champion a culture that brings scientific leaders from diverse backgrounds and geographies into a unified group aligned with AstraZeneca culture and ways of working. You will partner with Business Development, define contributions required from Expert Functions from across the organization and partner with Finance to understand the budget and opportunities to gain additional investment. This includes designing the organization and the roles required to deliver on established goals and identify gaps in talent required to deliver against goals and partner with Finance and HR to develop JDs, interview, and hire in a phased approach to meet overall objectives. Moreover, this role offers the unique opportunity to collaborate closely with leadership teams at the enterprise level, including Oncology, Alexion, and several development partners, thereby enhancing the overall impact and reach of the position.

Essential Skills/Experience:

1. B.S. degree in life sciences or related field, with 10+ years of Biopharma industry experience.
2. Excellent communication skills.
3. Track record of effective operational support of units or companies within clinical development.
4. Established expertise within cell therapy field and with a strong industry reputation.
5. Extensive experience within the pharmaceutical/biotech industry with significant understanding of the overall drug development and stakeholder management process.
6. Track record of influencing senior management.
7. Ability to influence strategically and persuade tactfully, to obtain desired outcomes while maintaining effective, positive organizational relationships.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

1. Masters/PhD in a scientific discipline.
2. MBA or equivalent business qualification.
3. Breadth of experiences across product development functions.
4. Experience in more than one AZ therapeutic area.
5. Management and/or strategic consulting experience.

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.

At AstraZeneca, we follow the science to explore and innovate. We are working towards treating, preventing, modifying, and even curing some of the world's most complex diseases. We have built our business around our passion for science and are now fusing data and technology with the latest scientific innovations to achieve the next wave of breakthroughs. We offer an inclusive environment where we work seamlessly as one. We unite the best from academia, biotech’s, and the industry to create the greatest and swiftest impact on disease. If you want to continuously learn and try new things, come, and embrace the varied opportunities on offer. This is the place to build a meaningful career as we push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now to join our team at AstraZeneca!