Senior Director, Business Strategy and Operations

About this role

Responsibilities

• Department Strategy and Leadership:
• Enable the effectiveness of the GPD Leadership Team by establishing clear governance, decision rights, and operating cadence; aligning strategic priorities with PT&D and Global Operations; driving portfolio, resource, and risk management; and ensuring timely, high‑quality decision‑making consistent with the business calendar.
• Performance Assessment and Reporting:
• Applying high levels of business sense, build, own, and lead the evaluation of business performance across the functional area. Develop appropriate measures, assess key performance metrics, and report trends to ensure the GPDLT and PT&DLT have a clear understanding of performance, risks, and actions needed to mitigate risks. Ensure solutions are developed to address performance issues identified through data analysis, leading or facilitating the creation of strategies to improve business outcomes.
• Business Review Process
• : Drive GPD Business Review Meeting (BRM) preparations; compose compelling narratives using deep insights of critical business priorities so that GPD demonstrates excellence in department performance, efficiency, strategy and progress to senior PT&D team members.
• Lead rolling budget updates and Mid Term Planning (MTP) submissions for GPD
• : Work closely with GPDLT and PT&D Finance Business Partner. Ensure budget forecasts have clear assumptions of portfolio demand and revenue expenditure. This results in identifying future financial requirements, risks, and opportunities clearly. Always ensure adherence to financial governance and standards.
• Portfolio Management:
• Ownership of business process(es) facilitating effective portfolio management and oversight, including agile supply allocation by GPD resource holders in line with business priorities. Ensure swift escalation of resourcing issues from GPDLT and work across PT&D to drive prioritisation decisions based on clear assessment of opportunities and risks within GPD work (project and non-project). Oversee overall GPD portfolio performance and risks and collaborate with cross-functional teams to balance contending priorities and drive portfolio success.
• Operational Leadership:
• On behalf of VP, Global Product Development, lead central activities such as resource management and forecasting, contractor management, strategic capability development, and revenue budget management to support functional growth and performance, and excellent financial performance.
• Communication:
• Serve as the principal communicator of performance data, presenting key data, performance indicators, and assessments to GPDLT and PT&DLT. Highlight key issues, propose improvement plans, and maintain relationships with senior stakeholders regarding performance and assessments.
• Drive development of the GPD Strategic Roadmap aligned with business priorities
• : Lead the development and execution of the annual GPD scorecard with key collaborators and SMEs. Ensure performance measures match strategic priorities and regularly track progress against targets using the Tier system.
• Risk Management:
• Facilitate risk management framework and processes to ensure effective identification, communication and mitigations of functional risks, and visibility and oversight of project risks relevant to GPD, in alignment with PT&D risk governance.
• Organisational Standards:
• Ensure GPD adopts Lean practices, adheres to business process management and other organisational standards, and seize opportunities for harmonisation and standardisation in order to contribute to PT&D achieving business targets; work collaboratively with the broader Business Performance team to uplift Lean capabilities in GPD.
• Collaboration and Best Practice:
• Build strong relationships and networks with Strategy & Operations peers and senior stakeholders to drive continuous improvement, share and adopt standards, and ensure cohesive communication of overall functional performance.
• People:
• Advance the GPD People agenda, working with the PT&D HR Business Partner and people lead within GPD units to ensure key activities in the People calendar, e.g., biannual promotions, strategic workforce planning, succession planning, and Reward and Performance, are conducted by line leaders across GPD.
• Systems Team:
• Ensure successful harmonisation of GPD system applications across geographies and effective ownership of relevant PT&D systems, e.g., GRID ELN, LIMS etc, through leadership of GPD Systems Team.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (BA/BS) required, with advanced degree (MBA or similar). Degree can be scientific/technical or in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Leadership experience promoting, motivating, and empowering others to accomplish individual, team and organisational objectives.
• Strong experience in business and performance management, including portfolio management, preferably in a mixed in house/outsourced IT environment.
• Significant understanding of the overall drug development and commercialisation process from development and launch, through life cycle management.
• Experience leading budgets and understanding emerging business intelligence tools.
• Experience with leading central activities including allocation oversight and demand planning, contractor coordination, capability development.
• Strong analytical, organisational, project management, facilitation, relationship-building, communication (verbal and written), and presentation skills.
• Experience analysing data, identify trends, and construct practical solutions for business improvement.
• Experience and ability to work in diverse, global teams and influence others to achieve positive outcomes.
• Experience applying Benefits and Value Management techniques in a business performance context.
• Strong customer service orientation and leadership skills with experience at the senior level and strong collaboration skills.
• Lean experience.
• Desirables:
• Ability to lead cross functional working groups and teams
• Strong knowledge of the latest technical and regulatory developments
• In Office Requirement:
• 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.
• Competitive salary and benefits package on offer!
• The successful candidate will have access to a flexible employee benefits fund, including holiday purchase and flexible time off, pension contributions, Share Save Plans, A performance recognition scheme and a competitive, generous remuneration package.
• Date Posted
• 28-Apr-2026
• Closing Date
• 27-Apr-2026
• Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.

About AstraZeneca BE

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world’s most serious diseases. But we’re more than one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we are pioneering new frontiers by identifying and treating patients earlier, working towards the aim of eliminating cancer as a cause of death. Come and join our AZ team where you will play a pivotal role in this exciting period of development!! As the Senior Director Strategy and Operations for Global Product Development (GPD) , this position will take a leading role in shaping the strategy and future vision of the GPD organization through the management of a global portfolio within a large, complex functional area of approximately 500 employees across three countries. The role holder will design and coordinate management processes that connect strategic objectives with key performance indicators (KPIs), enabling senior leadership in Global Product Development Leadership Team (GPDLT) and Pharmaceutical Technology and Development (PT&D) Leadership Team (PT&DLT), to make data-driven decisions. The insights and reporting assigned will directly impact high-level decision-making and support continuous improvement within the GPD organization and assist in leading global initiatives.