Corporate & Government Affairs Director

AstraZeneca plc; Lisboa; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca plc in Portugal invites a seasoned leader to drive an integrated Corporate & Government Affairs program. You will align policy, partnerships, and reputation to unlock patient access and shape the pricing environment.

Reporting to the Country President and sitting on the Country Leadership Team, you will lead a team of approximately seven direct and indirect reports, delivering measurable outcomes with commercial acumen and ethical governance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Law, Political Science, Communications, Healthcare Management, Business, Economics, or related field.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs, Government Affairs, Communications, or Healthcare Policy, preferably in pharma/healthcare.

Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and refine a Corporate & Government Affairs strategy aligned to company priorities and Portuguese healthcare context, including AI and digital tools integration.
• Act as strategic adviser to the Country President and Leadership Team on policy, engagement, reputation, external affairs and hospital partnerships.
• Monitor legislation, regulatory developments, and geopolitical trends; lead evidence-based advocacy for pricing policy reform and patient outcomes.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with government bodies, regulators, hospitals, patient groups, professional societies, academia, NGOs, and media.

Skills

Public policy

Healthcare policy

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Strategic leadership

Executive advisory

Media relations

Change management

Bilingual (Portuguese/English)

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Are you ready to shape Portugal's healthcare environment and expand patient access by aligning policy, partnerships, and reputation to deliver measurable outcomes? Do you see yourself orchestrating coalitions across government, hospitals, and civil society to remove barriers to innovation and accelerate patient care?

Reporting to the Country President and sitting on the Country Leadership Team, you will lead an integrated Corporate & Government Affairs agenda spanning public policy, government affairs, external communications, sustainability, hospital engagement, and stakeholder partnerships. You will lead a team of approximately seven direct and indirect reports, translating external signals into clear organisational priorities and decisive action.

This is a role for a commercially-minded leader who can negotiate with a strategic and sustainable intent, shape the pricing and investment environment, and convert policy influence into tangible business and patient outcomes. As a strategic adviser to the Country President and Country Leadership Team, you will set clear choices, deliver concrete targets, and help define the next phase of healthcare progress in Portugal.

Accountabilities

Integrated Affairs Strategy: Develop, execute, and continuously refine a Corporate & Government Affairs strategy aligned to company priorities, global direction, and the Portuguese healthcare context, including the thoughtful integration of AI and digital tools into stakeholder engagement and corporate affairs operations, with clear and measurable targets.

Executive Counsel: Act as a strategic adviser to the Country President and Country Leadership Team on healthcare policy, stakeholder engagement, reputation, external affairs, hospital engagement, and societal impact, enabling sharp choices and decisive action.

Policy Intelligence, Advocacy and Reform: Monitor, analyse, and anticipate legislative, regulatory, and political developments in-country and geopolitical trends that impact Portugal; assess implications for patients, healthcare delivery, and business performance; lead evidence-based advocacy strategies and policy positions that advance system sustainability, pricing policy reform, and patient outcomes.

External Stakeholder Leadership: Build and maintain trusted, compliant relationships with government bodies, regulatory authorities, policymakers, hospital executives and networks, patient associations, healthcare professional organisations, scientific societies, industry associations, academic institutions, NGOs, and media stakeholders.

Hospital Partnerships and Access Dynamisation: Build strategic partnerships with hospital leadership and networks (ULS); lead partnership projects from negotiation through activation and performance review, including innovation programmes, stakeholder engagement, and financial governance of hospital partnerships where within remit and compliance.

Reputation, Communications and Media Leadership: Lead the external communications and corporate reputation agenda, including corporate, product, and financial communications, executive communications, media relations, thought leadership, corporate campaigns, press releases, media statements, and approvals of external materials in line with global standards and local requirements.

Issues and Crisis Management: Identify, assess, and manage reputational risks, emerging issues, and crisis situations; ensure organisational readiness and provide strategic guidance to senior leaders.

Coalition Building and Representation: Represent the company in external forums, industry associations, conferences, and public engagements; foster multi-stakeholder initiatives that strengthen healthcare system sustainability; and contribute local insights and procedures to regional and global initiatives.

ESG and Societal Impact: Lead local Environmental, Social and Governance and corporate responsibility initiatives aligned with global objectives and societal needs.

Cross-Functional Orchestration: Drive collaboration with Medical, Market Access, Commercial, Regulatory Affairs, Legal, Finance, Human Resources, and global Corporate Affairs teams to deliver integrated business objectives.

Operational Excellence and Compliance: Manage budgets, external agencies, consultants, strategic partnerships, and governance processes to deliver outcomes efficiently and in full compliance with applicable legislation, industry codes, and ethical standards.

People Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of approximately seven direct and indirect reports, fostering collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous development.

Essential Skills And Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Public Policy, Law, Political Science, Communications, Healthcare Management, Business, Economics, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience in Corporate Affairs, Public Affairs, Government Affairs, Communications, or Healthcare Policy, preferably within the pharmaceutical or healthcare sector.
• Strong commercial and business acumen, with a track record of operating in or alongside business functions and contributing directly to commercial outcomes.
• Proven negotiation skills, with the ability to lead complex, high-stakes negotiations with elegance, compliance, and measurable impact.
• Senior management team mindset, with the ambition and drive to set and deliver concrete, measurable targets in a fast-moving environment. Track record of change management.
• Strong understanding of the Portuguese healthcare system, hospital environment, regulatory framework, and policymaking processes.
• Proven experience managing senior stakeholder relationships across political, medical, and institutional networks.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience and effectiveness in a matrix organisation.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, including experience in media relations and crisis communications.
• Fluency in Portuguese and English, both written and spoken.

Core competencies

Strategic Leadership

• Stakeholder Engagement and Coalition Building
• Executive Presence and Influence
• Reputational Risk and Crisis Management
• People Leadership
• Ethical Judgement and Integrity
• Change management

Desirable Skills And Experience

• Experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences sector.
• Working knowledge of market access, pricing and reimbursement dynamics, applied through a commercial and policy-shaping lens.
• Experience contributing to investment attraction, manufacturing footprint discussions, or pricing policy reform.
• Familiarity with the application of AI in corporate affairs, stakeholder engagement, or healthcare policy.
• Experience in government, policy or advocacy development, and regional or international projects.
• A relevant postgraduate qualification or MBA would be advantageous.

Ways of Working

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 is why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office, while respecting individual flexibility.

Why AstraZeneca

Here you will blend scientific insight with commercial acumen to turn ideas into system-level solutions that improve every step of the patient journey. You will join a fast-moving, trusted environment with the autonomy to act, where diverse teams come together to design and scale innovations that matter.

Leaders create the space to experiment, learn fast, and protect bold thinking, while we value kindness alongside ambition. Your contribution will shape national conversations, speed access to life-changing medicines, and help define the next decade of progress for patients in Portugal.

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 authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.