Senior Director, Global Project Management, Cell Therapy

AstraZeneca; Gaithersburg (MD); Hybrid; USD 207,000 - 310,000; Full time

Job summary

AstraZeneca is seeking a Senior Director of Global Project Management for Cell Therapy in Gaithersburg, MD. This role leads Global Project Teams to align strategy, execution, and governance across cross-functional drug development programs.

Hybrid work model with on-site presence and collaboration with global partners. The successful candidate will drive high-impact projects, develop portfolio strategies, and mentor project teams in a dynamic, patient-focused environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a scientific or business field.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience with cross-functional drug development teams.
• Extensive experience leading drug development projects and governance processes.
• Proven track record delivering high impact programs on time, on budget, with quality data.
• Strong ability to build and mentor high performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Provide program management leadership and align program strategy with operations.
• Lead development of drug project, cross-project, or portfolio strategies.
• Coordinate with alliance partners and governance committees as needed.
• Identify opportunities for strategic shifts based on internal/external events.
• Partner with Business Development for input to potential deals and investments.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Project management

Stakeholder management

Leadership & mentoring

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in a scientific or business related field

Job description

Senior Director, Global Project Management, Cell Therapy

Gaithersburg, MD, candidates from Boston, MA will also be considered

Global Portfolio & Project Management (GPPM)

Hybrid Work- on average 3 days/week in office

The Senior Director, Global Project Management, Cell Therapy is a key leadership position, accountable for the project management of Global Project Teams (GPTs), working alongside Global Product, Scientific, Clinical Commercial Leaders to establish the brand strategy and deliver the approved project plans.

You will be assigned to lead programmes of the highest complexity and priority and are regarded as key leaders within the GPT and GPPM organization. This is a critical and exciting opportunity to use your scientific knowledge and strategic expertise to lead and influence decisions that will have a direct impact on patients’ lives. Working at the highest levels, you will ensure the decisions we make position AstraZeneca for maximum return on investment and positive patient outcomes.

What you’ll do

• Provide program management leadership and excellence through active input into the project strategy ensuring alignment of the program strategy with operational reality
• Lead development of drug project, cross-project, or portfolio strategies
• Where applicable, work with alliance partners and run joint alliance forums and governance committee
• Identify key business opportunities or needs for strategic shifts based on external and internal events
• Partner with Business Development to provide strategic input to potential deal cases (investment & divestment)
• Ensure appropriate linkages between project strategy and key internal processes (TA strategy, TA prioritization, corporate scorecard)

Cross-functional Team Leadership and Delivery

• Lead project management of cross functional drug development teams and ensure delivery of strategic objectives
• Create a shared sense of purpose, inspiring and energising others to build and maintain a cohesive High Performing Team.
• Coach project teams and GPT towards successful issue resolution and decision making. Engage with critical stakeholders to address barriers or challenges facing team
• Focus the GPT on the right activities at the right time. Coordinate the efforts of sub-teams to ensure delivery at multiple levels of the development team.
• Design, implement, and optimize effective communication within and outside the team. Coordinate with corporate communications to lead the team’s external communication plan.
• Ensure the team has a good information management system in line with AZ best practice. Ensure integrity of information management systems to connect to external parties. Drive continuous improvement in how the team approaches information management
• Ensure data quality as per agreed standards and monitoring metrics
• Identify development opportunities for team members

Governance and Investment Decisions

• Lead team towards optimized governance decisions – e.g. evaluate multiple strategic options and drive team to value-maximizing drug development decisions
• Provide guidance to both the team and senior management / governance bodies that allows efficient (timely and informed) decision making
• Leverage broad influential network and ensures engagement at all levels prior to key decisions

Planning, Monitoring and Delivery

• Ensure that overall GPT deliverables, budgets, schedules, and performance standards are realistically set, governance approved and attained, and that the project effectively fulfils all information management and business reporting requirements
• Direct project support staff in maintaining plans of the highest data quality, accountable for all integrated project management deliverables associated with the GPT
• Accountable for all integrated Project Management deliverables associated with the program

Entrepreneurship

• Serve as a role model for cross-functional collaboration and effective conflict resolution
• Lead by example in learning and innovation, seek opportunities to change paradigms and remove barriers within and outside the team
• Apply extensive business insight to drive cross project learning, champion and embed better ways of working across the enterprise.
• Proactively promote learning and knowledge sharing. Expected to mentor or supervise other project managers. May provide input for staff development, recruitment, succession planning and resource model. Help establish new company best practices
• Share lessons learned and communicate those throughout the GPM community to drive adoption of knowledge beyond the GPT

Essential for the role

• Bachelor's degree in a scientific or business related field
• Minimum of 10 years of relevant experience with cross-functional drug development teams.
• Extensive experience leading drug development projects including success in multiple roles/development phases/TAs related to drug development project or program management.
• Track-record of expertly navigating governance processes to drive complex projects forward.
• Successful track record of delivering complex/ high strategic business impact projects within agreed time, quality and cost. Expert knowledge of project management tools and processes.
• Experience of driving cross portfolio, above-asset DA or TA drug development projects.
• Experience in developing Business Development business cases including pressure testing of proposed timelines, and where applicable, Due Diligence activities.
• Skilled at building, motivating, leading and inspiring high performing teams. Proven ability to develop and educate team members and mentor individuals within and outside own function.
• Experience in project control, project reporting and ensuring high quality project data (milestone, cost, risk) in enterprise systems.
• Track record of effective senior stakeholder management, demonstrating effective communication skills and strong ability to influence strategically using data.

Desirable for the role

• Late stage drug development experience
• Relevant therapeutic area expertise – CVRM and/or Respiratory & Immunology, and/or cell therapy experience.
• Strong internal network with experience in AZ ways of working.
• Track-record of building diverse, inclusive teams and delivering in multi-cultural environments.

Office Working Requirements

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.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $206,993.60 - 310,490.40 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.

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.