At AstraZeneca, we pride ourselves on crafting a collaborative culture that champions knowledge-sharing, ambitious thinking and innovation – ultimately providing employees with the opportunity to work across teams, functions and even the globe.
Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility, our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office and BlueSky Hub in downtown Toronto are purposely designed with collaboration in mind, providing space where teams can come together to strategize, brainstorm and connect on key projects.
Our dedication to sustainability is also central to our culture and part of what makes AstraZeneca a great place to work. We know the health of people, the planet and our business are interconnected which is why we’re taking ambitious action to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, from climate change to access to healthcare and disease prevention.
Introduction to the role
The Director, TA Lead Feasibility and Portfolio Delivery (TA Lead) serves as the critical strategic interface between Program Management (strategy) and Site Management & Monitoring (execution), translating portfolio strategy into operational reality and operational insights back into strategic decisions for a defined Therapeutic Area (TA).
This role has two interconnected strategic accountabilities:
Strategic Feasibility Intelligence: Provides SM&M strategic input to global teams on operational study design feasibility from concept through protocol design, delivering actionable insights that inform portfolio prioritization, market entry sequencing, and optimal country/site allocation.
Portfolio Strategy & Oversight: Orchestrates cross-functional stakeholders to drive data-driven portfolio decision-making, ensuring effective oversight and early risk detection of key SM&M portfolio milestones. Synthesize complex operational intelligence into strategic narratives that shape executive decisions and enable proactive portfolio management.
The TA Lead champions adoption of data-driven methodologies across SM&M, leveraging advanced analytics and digital tools to transform raw data into actionable business intelligence. They act as translators and facilitators between strategy and execution teams, bringing together the right expertise to solve complex portfolio challenges.
The Therapeutic Area this role will be accountable for is Oncology, including dose escalation studies through Phase 3 (Phase I to III).
The role sits within Oncology Site Management and Monitoring within the Feasibility and Portfolio Delivery Team. The TA Lead is also an extended LT member of the Oncology SM&M team and represents SM&M in various cross-functional optimization and engagement workstreams.
Accountabilities:
Strategic Portfolio Management & Stakeholder Leadership
- Acts as primary strategic liaison between Program Management and SM&M Country Heads/Leadership, ensuring bidirectional flow of strategic insights and operational intelligence to drive aligned decision-making.
- Designs and facilitates high-impact TA portfolio review meetings, synthesizing complex operational data into strategic narratives that drive decision-making. Acts as translator between strategy and execution teams, ensuring alignment on priorities, risks, and resource allocation.
- Prepares executive-ready portfolio insights and recommendations for SM&M Leadership and Program Management, enabling proactive risk mitigation and strategic course correction.
- Orchestrates stakeholder engagement across Program Teams, SM&M Leadership, Country Heads, Digital Health, and Data Management to align strategic priorities with operational capacity and drive consensus on portfolio decisions.
- Shapes SM&M input into global TA strategy by working closely with Program Teams to review indication landscaping and future portfolio, translating market-level insights into strategic recommendations on indication prioritization, market entry sequencing, and portfolio investment decisions.
- Leads cross-functional optimization workstreams and strategic initiatives, mobilizing the right expertise to co-create solutions to complex portfolio management challenges.
Data-Driven Insights & Analytics Leadership
- Champions adoption of data-driven approaches across SM&M, leveraging advanced analytics, AI/ML tools, and digital platforms to transform raw data into actionable business intelligence that informs portfolio strategy.
- Applies synthetic thinking to integrate diverse data sources (feasibility intelligence, enrollment trends, site performance, market dynamics, competitive landscape) into cohesive strategic insights that inform portfolio prioritization and resource allocation.
- Develops data narratives and visualizations that enable cross-functional teams to quickly grasp complex portfolio dynamics and make informed strategic decisions.
- Leads SM&M in identifying, evaluating, and implementing next-generation analytics tools and technologies to enhance portfolio visibility, predictive capabilities, and operational efficiency.
- Expert in data sources and tools, continuously optimizing existing feasibility data sources and identifying external partnerships to bring best-in-class technology into SM&M processes.
Portfolio Delivery & Strategic Oversight
- Drives SM&M early risk detection and strategic risk management across TA for new and ongoing studies, ensuring SM&M performance to business-critical milestones and KPIs (e.g., recruitment completion, database lock, study cycle time reduction). Ensures risks are identified early and corrective actions are implemented, escalating strategic risks to SM&M Leadership and Program Teams.
- Synthesizes portfolio intelligence into strategic insights that shape executive decision-making through Executive Hub Heads and Country Heads, optimizing delivery within SM&M for short and longer term.
- Maintains high-level awareness of new strategic portfolio management/development trends internally and externally at global level, translating these into actionable strategies for the SM&M organization.
- Supports and coordinates TA-aligned SM&M leads across all AZ countries, ensuring consistency of strategic approach and sharing of best practices.
Strategic Feasibility Intelligence
- Establishes and implements global SM&M TA feasibility and country footprint strategies for Oncology, positioning feasibility insights as critical input to portfolio strategy and study design optimization.
- Leads and delivers high-quality study-level feasibility assessments by collating and critically assessing external input and internal intelligence from Oncology SM&M, providing actionable strategic insights to project teams that inform go/no-go decisions and protocol optimization.
- Utilizes market insights, data strategy, and TA expertise to define optimal countries and sites for feasibility participation, ensuring endorsement from SM&M leadership for country and site footprint aligned with strategic portfolio priorities.
- Ensures robust global SM&M insights to support strategic indication landscape assessment, study design feasibility, and protocol/site optimization that accelerates enrollment and reduces cycle time.
- Identifies and evolves optimal feasibility processes and systems, driving standardization within SM&M and championing sharing of best practices across SM&M countries via SMM leads and SMM portfolio meetings.
- Oversees and supports Local Feasibility Lead networks within 25 markets globally, ensuring consistency of global strategy at country level and building capability in data-driven feasibility approaches.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & Innovation
- Represents SM&M in Global Optimization workstreams, bringing SM&M operational insights to strategic discussions and ensuring SM&M readiness for portfolio evolution.
- Drives organizational transformation by championing adoption of innovative technologies, processes, and data-driven methodologies. Leads change management efforts to shift SM&M culture toward strategic partnership and proactive portfolio management.
- Provides direction to Associate Directors and Analysts within the Feasibility and Portfolio Delivery team, building capability in strategic thinking, data analytics, and stakeholder management. May also include line management of these roles.
- Maintains awareness of marketplace activities, policies, trends, technology, and new data sources affecting the business and organization to drive continued improvement of clinical recruitment efforts and portfolio management, adhering to company policies.
- The job holder requires a high level of cultural sensitivity, interactive communication, negotiation, and effective collaboration to influence without authority across matrixed global teams.
Essential Skills/Experience:
- Bachelor's Science degree in an appropriate discipline, preferably in medical or biological sciences.
- Minimum 4 years Cell Therapy Experience in a pharma or biopharma setting.
- Proven strategic thinking and portfolio management experience within a clinical or pharmaceutical environment, with demonstrated ability to translate complex operational data into executive-level strategic insights.
- Substantial experience in Pharmaceutical Industry in Clinical Development and Study Operations, with proven experience of clinical development/drug development process in various phases and therapy areas and working in a global environment.
- Experience of Feasibility in the pharmaceutical industry, with ability to leverage feasibility intelligence for strategic decision-making.
- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills, with proven ability to influence without authority and build consensus across matrixed global teams with competing priorities.
- Exceptional facilitation and convening skills, able to bring together diverse stakeholders to co-create solutions to complex portfolio challenges and translate between technical/operational language and strategic business language.
- Demonstrated analytical and synthetic thinking capabilities, with ability to integrate diverse data sources into cohesive strategic insights and develop compelling data narratives.
- Good understanding and keen interest in digital solutions, technology, and advanced analytics (AI/ML, predictive analytics, data visualization tools).
- Proven leadership ability promoting, motivating, and empowering others to accomplish individual, team, and organizational objectives.
- Change leadership experience—ability to drive adoption of new ways of working and data-driven methodologies in complex, global matrix organizations.
- Awareness and sensitivity to cultural diversity.
- Excellent problem-solving and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to champion more efficient and effective methods/processes of delivering clinical trials to plan, focusing on key performance metrics of speed, quality, and cost.
- Strong orientation towards external environment and internal stakeholders.
- Manages change with a positive approach to the challenges of change for self, team, and the business. Sees change as an opportunity to improve performance and add value to the business.
- Dedicated team player.
- Integrity and high ethical standards.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills (English), negotiation, collaboration, and interpersonal skills, with ability to communicate complex concepts to executive audiences.
Desirable Skills/Experience:
- Early Oncology and/or Haematology experience in the Feasibility Setting.
- Professional qualification—Mastery of Clinical Development area and multi-disciplinary experience (cross-functional or functional).
- Experience with advanced analytics platforms, AI/ML applications in clinical operations, and data-driven decision support systems.
- Track record of driving organizational transformation and change adoption in pharmaceutical clinical development.
- Ability to influence strategically and persuade tactfully, to obtain desired outcomes while maintaining effective, positive organizational relationships.
- Extensive knowledge of the latest technical and regulatory expectations.
- Familiarity with the latest research and thinking in portfolio management, clinical operations optimization, and digital health.
- Excellent knowledge of AstraZeneca policies, procedures, and guidelines.
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AstraZeneca is 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 emailing AZCHumanResources@astrazeneca.com.
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Annual base salary for this position ranges from 147,702.40 to 193,859.40.
AstraZeneca is committed to providing fair and equitable compensation opportunities to all colleagues. Our compensation policies and practices have been designed to allow colleagues to progress through the salary range over time as they progress in their role. The range provided in this posting represents an offer pay range used in a majority of situations. The base pay offered will vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including the candidate's skills and experience, job-related knowledge, and other specific business and organizational needs. In some cases, offers outside the range may also be considered to address unique circumstances.
In addition, our permanent positions offer an annual Variable Pay Bonus/Short Term Incentive opportunity as well as eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (if applicable to role). Benefits offered for permanent roles include a competitive Flex Benefits & Retirement Savings Program, 4 weeks’ paid vacation, and annual Personal Days. Fixed Term Contract/Temporary positions (excluding students) are offered a Contract Benefits Program.
We are using AI as part of the recruitment process.
This advertisement relates to a current vacancy.
