Senior Director - Field Clinical Advisor, Cell Therapy – Australia
About this role
AstraZeneca is establishing a brand‑new Cell Therapy Clinical Operations presence in Australia, and we’re seeking a Senior Director to partner with global and local leadership to stand up the function and then scale it across Australia and the wider APAC region.
This is a high‑influence role for a thought leader who can credibly engage senior stakeholders, translate complex cell therapy protocols into site‑ready execution, and set the bar for operational excellence.
You will bring demonstrated leadership—managing or coaching field teams, owning site performance metrics, and driving change—alongside deep technical credibility in either oncology, haematology and/or cell therapy with strong GCP and clinical operations fundamentals.
Familiarity with the Australian market is highly valued, and exposure to APAC or international environments is a strong advantage as you help build, operationalise, and expand this new capability.
Responsibilities
- As a Senior Director - Field Clinical Advisor (FCA), Cell Therapy, you will operate at as the senior scientific and operational leader in a greenfield build, shaping how AstraZeneca delivers cell therapy trials across Australia from day one. You will lead protocol mastery across multiple indications, elevate site performance, and close education gaps at scale while orchestrating cross‑functional delivery with Clinical Development, Medical Affairs, Patient Operations, Supply/Logistics and Country Operations. In a player–coach capacity, you will help recruit and develop a high‑calibre FCA cohort, establish standards and playbooks, and provide hands‑on support at priority sites—accelerating speed, quality, and consistency as the function scales.
- What you’ll do
- Lead top‑tier protocol education and competency training; translate complex cell therapy science into pragmatic site actions across Australia/APAC
- Design and deliver initiatives that accelerate start‑up, improve patient selection, and lift recruitment while strengthening protocol adherence
- Serve as the field escalation point; drive RCA and CAPAs to cut deviations/data queries and codify best practices
- Systematically convert field insights into protocol/process adjustments and early risk signals as the portfolio scales
- Coordinate CTCO and partner teams for rapid, reliable site support using standardised playbooks and coverage models
- Represent AZ at key scientific meetings; pilot and scale innovations that enhance cycle times, quality, and site experience
- Recruit, onboard, and develop an FCA team; foster an inclusive, high‑performance culture grounded in patient safety and compliance
- Essential skills and experience
- Bachelor’s degree in a health‑related field; advanced degree preferred (PharmD, PhD, MSc, NP/PA, MD/RN or local equivalents).
- 5+ years in oncology/haematology or advanced therapies; cell therapy experience strongly preferred; proven ownership of site performance and senior stakeholder engagement
- Strong GCP/clinical ops expertise; able to turn complex protocols into site‑ready execution and scale across centres
- Track record leading trainings, influencing without authority, and driving change; people leadership or senior coaching experience
- Exceptional stakeholder communication; disciplined, compliant scientific exchange; data‑driven continuous improvement
- Comfortable across multiple studies in a fast‑moving environment; willing to travel across Australia and occasionally APAC