Associate Director, Project Management

at  AstraZeneca

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 bold action to solve some of the biggest challenges of our time, from climate change to access to healthcare and disease prevention.

ACCOUNTABILITIES:

As an Associate Director, Project Management, you will support the Head of TMO and the wider group on activities related to project management, across multiple programs. You will lead large-scale projects directly, taking charge of full scope and deployment activities. You will spearhead transformative initiatives from conception to execution, leveraging your expertise and leadership to drive impactful outcomes. You will also manage and oversee transformation and improvement projects, ensuring seamless integration across our various function in R&D.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS/EXPERIENCE:

• Degree in business or scientific field (or Project Management related field)
• Expertise in programme/project management, with a proven track record
• Strong communication and relationship building skills with the ability to influence others to achieve objectives
• Experience of defining the business strategies and influencing the key stakeholders of the vision for the business area
• Strong networking/consulting skills with good internal/external links
• Ability to interpret and communicate technical information into business language and in alignment with AstraZeneca business
• Proven track record in delivering high risk programme/projects and decision making
• Ability to convince and manage negotiations across a complex group

DESIRABLE SKILLS/EXPERIENCE:

• Strong experience in transformation type projects with a deep understanding and practical application of design thinking principles and methodologies to drive innovation, user-centric solutions, and customer experience enhancements
• Robust understanding of processes with a significant emphasis on R&D
• Formal qualifications in project management, change management, and/or process improvement methodologies
• Experience of working in a global organisation with complex/geographical context
• Pharmaceutical Industry experience

Join us as an Associate Director, Project Management in our Transformation Management Office. This role is a key player in managing and driving transformation and improvement projects within our R&D BioPharma Clinical Operations function and across R&D. With a global remit and a wide runway for value addition, you’ll have a highly visible area of responsibility and will contribute to the development and maintenance of project management standards and guidelines for project teams. Reporting to the Head of Transformation Management, you will be accountable for the projects you support, with the authority to run them on a day-to-day basis.