Associate Director, Cell Therapy Logistics Coordinator Lead

AstraZeneca • Los Angeles, CA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

In AstraZeneca's Cell Therapy division, we follow the science to explore and innovate. We are working towards treating, preventing, modifying, and even curing some of the world’s most complex diseases. We have the potential to grow our pipeline and positively impact the lives of patients around the world. We are committed to making a difference and have built our business around our passion for science. Now we are fusing data and technology with the latest scientific innovations to achieve the next wave of breakthroughs. This role is part of the Cell Therapy Supply Chain team tasked with supporting critical development of supply chain logistics capability and process. We ask that you plan, escalate issues to ensure successful project delivery. The Associate Director, Cell Therapy Logistics Coordinator Lead is the first‑line operational lead and primary “go‑to” for Logistics Coordinators (LCs) supporting autologous, allogeneic, and in vivo studies. As an individual contributor, you will oversee day‑to‑day execution across your assigned lanes/sites/programs, implement slot‑management rules, balance and assign LC workload (including overtime/after‑hours coverage), coach on best practices, and step in to perform LC tasks to maintain service levels. You will ensure COI/COC and GxP/GDP compliance, high data quality, and real‑time exception recovery in close partnership with Clinical Operations, Manufacturing/Tech Ops, Quality, Trade Compliance, Depot Operations, and specialty couriers. You will be based in Tarzana, CA and report to the Sr Director, Supply Chain Logistics.

Requirements

• BS/BA in Supply Chain, Engineering, Life Sciences, or related field (MS/MBA a plus).
• 8+ years in biopharma clinical logistics/supply chain with significant cell therapy V2V execution (COI/COC, cryogenic/refrigerated logistics, specialty couriers).
• Proven real‑time problem solving and shipment recovery; shift/coverage leadership.
• Proficiency with cell orchestration platforms and LSP/courier portals; advanced Excel and BI tools (Power BI/Tableau), Smartsheet; familiarity with global trade compliance, deviation/quality systems, and GDP/GxP.
• Strong first‑line operational leadership without direct reports; ability to prioritize, balance LC workloads, assign shipments/patients/studies, and schedule overtime coverage; coach/mentor and train/onboard team members; enforce SOPs/WIs and data standards
• Clear, concise written and verbal communication; provides decision‑ready dashboards/briefings; transparent rationale for slot/assignment decisions; effective stakeholder management across Clinical, Manufacturing/Tech Ops, QA, Regulatory/Trade, Depot Ops, and vendors.

Responsibilities

• V2V execution and first‑line support: Serve as operational point of contact for LCs; coordinate apheresis collections, manufacturing slot reservations, and temperature‑controlled IMP/starting‑material shipments; perform LC tasks to cover surge/backlog or critical paths.
• Slot management and scheduling: Implement established slot‑management rules and guardrails; manage slot calendars and rescheduling across assigned studies/sites; align to manufacturing cycle/hold times and capacity; lead escalations to minimize patient impact.
• Shipment booking and exception management: Plan/oversee temperature‑controlled bookings (LN2, 2–8 °C, ambient, OBC); coordinate pickups, customs clearance, and deliveries to meet release windows; monitor in‑transit status; lead real‑time recovery for delays, excursions, and holds with vendors and internal teams; ensure off‑hours/overtime coverage.
• COI/COC and compliance: Ensure end‑to-end COI/COC traceability and audit‑ready documentation; support deviation investigations and implement CAPAs with Quality; uphold QMS/GxP/GDP.
• LC workload distribution and standards: Balance and assign shipments/patients/studies based on capacity/complexity; set day‑to‑day priorities; schedule overtime/after‑hours coverage; reinforce SOPs/WIs/playbooks; deliver coaching and continuous feedback (no direct line management).
• Training and onboarding: Own onboarding plans for new LCs; provide recurring training on SOPs/WIs, systems, COI/COC controls, and exception playbooks; run shift handovers and huddles.
• Systems and data quality: Ensure timely/accurate milestones in cell orchestration/scheduling platforms and courier/LSP portals; lead UAT for enhancements; maintain user guides/work instructions; coach LCs on data quality standards.
• Reporting and analytics: Build and maintain operational KPIs (slot utilization, on‑time pickup/delivery, cycle time, reschedule rate, excursion rate, deviation closure time); perform trend/RCA and drive corrective actions; provide concise readouts to study/leadership forums; partner with the separate analytics team for advanced modeling and capacity scenarios.
• Vendor and lane oversight (day-to-day): Manage shipment‑level vendor issues and recoveries; coordinate contingencies/alternative routings; capture performance trends and incident summaries to inform the dedicated vendor management function and Quality/Procurement.
• Cross‑functional coordination: Represent Logistics Operations in study/operational meetings; align with Global Planning/Manufacturing/Clinical/Depot Ops; support EU GDP handoffs and trade compliance with brokers and Legal/Compliance.
• Change readiness: Support logistics readiness for new indications, capabilities, facilities, and digital/process changes; lead hyper care for first‑patient/first‑site within assigned portfolio; train LCs on changes.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees