Director, Strategic Academic Alliances

AstraZeneca plc; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 164,000 - 246,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Short-term incentive bonuses

Equity-based awards

Health, dental, and vision coverage

Job summary

AstraZeneca in Kendall Square, Cambridge seeks an experienced Academic Alliance Lead to build a new alliance management capability and to enable high-impact collaborations between academia and BioPharma R&D. You will manage a portfolio of strategic alliances and enable a broader range of academic collaborations to deliver scientific and organizational impact.

Based at our new R&D site, you will coordinate governance, deliver operating plans, and ensure milestones and risks are visible, while

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences required.
• 8+ years of experience managing complex alliances.
• Strong understanding of drug discovery and development.
• Experience with external partners including academic institutions.
• Ability to lead alliances directly while enabling others.
• Governance, milestone tracking, risk management, decision support.
• Excellent communication and relationships with senior leaders.
• Navigate ambiguity and diplomacy.
• Strategic thinking with execution focus.

Responsibilities

• Lead a portfolio of strategic alliances as primary contact.
• Set direction, governance and translate agreements into operating plans.
• Coordinate delivery across cross-functional teams.
• Maintain relationships and identify opportunities to extend alliances.
• Support amendments, renegotiations, and transitions.
• Enable delivery across wider alliance portfolio.
• Provide guidance, templates and problem-solving support.
• Connect teams to expertise and resolve cross-functional issues.
• Maintain portfolio view and surface risks and opportunities.
• Build community of practice for alliance management.
• Define governance standards and measures of partnership health.
• Bring external best practice and adapt.
• Shape new alliances with governance integrated.
• Capture learning for future opportunities.

Skills

Alliance management

Portfolio management

Governance

Milestone tracking

Risk management

Decision support

Stakeholder management

Communication

Diplomacy

Education

Bachelor's degree in life sciences

Advanced scientific degree (MS, PhD)

Job description

AstraZeneca in Kendall Square, Cambridge seeks an experienced Academic Alliance Lead to build a new alliance management capability and to enable high-impact collaborations between academia and BioPharma R&D. You will manage a portfolio of strategic alliances and enable a broader range of academic collaborations to deliver scientific and organizational impact.

Based at our new R&D site, you will coordinate governance, deliver operating plans, and ensure milestones and risks are visible, while