Director, Cell Therapy Vein-to-Vein Operations

AstraZeneca; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 142,000 - 213,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca Cell Therapy is seeking a Director to lead Vein-to-Vein Operations, driving end-to-end patient and product journey orchestration, real-time visibility, and proactive issue resolution across global studies and commercial scaling.

You will partner with Clinical Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Digital, and external logistics providers, building a scalable control tower and a high-performing cross-functional team in a hybrid office model (3 days in office).

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a field related to supply chain, engineering, life sciences, operations, or similar.
• Extensive leadership experience in biopharma supply chain, cell therapy operations, or clinical logistics.
• Strong ability to lead complex, regulated operations with cross functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead Vein-to-Vein Operations with end-to-end responsibility for patient and product journeys.
• Establish and operate a 24/7 global control tower and real-time monitoring for milestones across collection, manufacturing, transit, and delivery.
• Own planning, execution, and exception management with cross-functional escalation processes.

Skills

Vein-to-Vein Operations

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Regulatory/compliance knowledge

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations, or related field

Tools

Power BI

Tableau

Excel

Smartsheet

Job description

Introduction To Role

AtAstraZeneca Cell Therapy, we are building the capabilities required to deliver complex, personalized therapies through a highly coordinated, patient-centered, and digitally enabled operating model. As we evolve from traditional clinical logistics coordination to Vein-to-Vein Operations, we are shifting our focus toward patient and order orchestration, proactive journey management, real-time visibility, exception management, and customer experience that will scale towards Commercial phase and AstraZeneca’s cell therapy ambition.

Introduction To Role

AtAstraZeneca Cell Therapy, we are building the capabilities required to deliver complex, personalized therapies through a highly coordinated, patient-centered, and digitally enabled operating model. As we evolve from traditional clinical logistics coordination Vein-to-Vein Operations, we are shifting our focus toward patient and order orchestration, proactive journey management, real-time visibility, exception management, and customer experience that will scale towards Commercial phase and AstraZeneca’s cell therapy ambition. The Director leads the Vein-to-Vein Operations organizational capability, governance framework, readiness approach, and performance model that enable the transition from reactive shipment support to proactive end-to-end orchestration and support Vein-to-Vein readiness for global expansion and commercial scale. This role partners closely with Clinical Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Trade Compliance, Digital, Delivery Performance, Packaging, external logistics providers, and other stakeholders to ensure the V2V model is effective, compliant, scalable, and centered on the patient journey. This is a hybrid position with a requirement to work in the office three days a week.

Accountabilities

• Lead the Vein-to-Vein Operations function, with accountability for organizational design, role clarity, decision rights, governance, ways of working, and execution performance across the end-to-end patient and product journey.
• Own the Vein-to-Vein Operations operating model centered onpatient and order orchestration, proactive patient journey management, customer experience, and digitally enabled control tower visibility.
• Establish and lead the V2V orchestration model, including the 24/7 global control tower mindset and the operating rhythms required to monitor product and patient journeys in real time and intervene proactively.
• Lead product journey monitoring capability, ensuring all critical milestones across collection, manufacturing, transit, release, and return delivery are visible, monitored, and linked to timely operational response.
• Own slot execution and coordination capability, ensuring the organization can effectively manage the forecast-to-booked slot pipeline and operate within defined planning rules and capacity parameters.
• Ensure robust V2V and COI/COC traceability, including appropriate business process ownership, standard templates, process controls, and operational discipline required to maintain traceability and GMP/GDP compliance.
• Own exception management and escalation capability, ensuring clear playbooks, decision pathways, and cross-functional escalation processes are in place when patient or product journeys move off the expected path.
• Lead courier and logistics provider engagement for active Vein-to-Vein journeys, ensuring real-time milestone visibility, escalation of off-path events, and coordinated recovery actions for shipment delays, temperature excursions, missed milestones, and other transport-related disruptions impacting patient timelines.
• Lead customer experience deliveryfor treatment centers and internal stakeholders by establishing service expectations, communication standards, escalation pathways, and a coordinated end-to-end experience in collaboration with Patient Operations.
• Own operational performance managementacross Vein-to-Vein Operations, including service reliability, milestone adherence, exception trends, customer experience, and execution quality.
• Build and Lead cross-functional governance and decision-makingfor operational, compliance, capacity, and service issues impacting V2V execution.
• Ensure operational readiness and scale-upfor new studies, countries, sites, third parties, products, lanes, digital capabilities, and Commercial readiness impacting Vein-to-Vein Operations.
• Partner with Digital and business stakeholdersto ensure systems, workflow design, reporting, and data structures support the intended V2V operating model and real-time visibility requirements that will scale for the future.
• Drive continuous improvementacross the function by identifying structural issues, prioritizing enhancements, and strengthening the operating model for reliability, scalability, and customer experience.
• Provide strong people leadership, building and leading a high-performing team through clear direction, coaching, development, performance management, and a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Essential Skills/Experience

• 10+ years (or MS/MA/MBA with 8+ years) in logistics operations at pharma/biotech or leading clinical supply or logistics providers; cell therapy experience preferred.
• Minimum education: a Bachelor’s degreeinSupply Chain, Engineering, Life Sciences, Operations, or a related field.
• Extensive experienceinbiopharma supply chain, cell therapy operations, clinical logistics, or related operational leadership roles, typically including12+ years of relevant experience, with substantial experience inautologous Vein-to-Vein operationsand complex regulated environments.
• Demonstrated success leading complex operational organizations with accountability forpeople leadership, operating model design, execution, governance, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Deep understanding ofpatient and order orchestration,COI/COC traceability,slot execution,product journey monitoring,exception management, and specialized cold chain or time-sensitive logistics.
• Strong experience building or leadingscalable operating models,control tower or real-time monitoring capabilities,business process ownership frameworks, and cross-functional ways of working in regulated environments.
• Experience supportingclinical-to-commercial transition, commercial readiness, global expansion, or operational scale-upin cell therapy or similarly complex supply environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead through complexity, influence senior stakeholders, and align teams acrossClinical Operations, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Digital, Trade Compliance, and external logistics partners.
• Strong understanding ofGDP, GMP, GxP, deviation management, CAPA, and inspection-readiness expectations.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate strategic direction into scalable operational capability and a high-performing team culture.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Advanced degree such asMS,MBA, or equivalent.
• Experience building or leading acontrol tower, centralized operations, or real-time operational monitoring capability.
• Experience supportingclinical-to-commercial transition, launch readiness, global expansion, or operational scale-up in cell therapy or advanced therapies.
• Experience withPower BI, Tableau, Excel, Smartsheet, or similar tools for performance visibility and operational analytics.

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $141,997.60 to $212,996.40 USD. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

Why AstraZeneca:

Join a place where you are trusted to take ownership and move fast, combining scientific rigor with data-driven operations to deliver therapies that change lives. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with unexpected teams in the same room, unleashing bold thinking to solve complex logistics challenges at scale. We champion curiosity and decisive action, value kindness alongside ambition, and empower you with the tools, partnerships, and freedom to shape how living medicines reach patients across the world.

Where can I find out more?

• Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/astrazenecacareers/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/astrazeneca_careers/?hl=en
• Our US Footprint: Powering Scientific Innovation - YouTube

Date Posted

18-Sep-2026

Closing Date

01-Oct-2026

AstraZenecais an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by [e-mail].

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.