Director, Global Insights & Forecasting, Early Assets & Business Development

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

About The Position

You will play a pivotal role in guiding critical investment decisions across AstraZeneca's industry-leading R&I pipeline — from pre-clinical stages through Phase 3 readiness , as well as in-licensing and business development opportunities . You will translate complex scientific, epidemiological, and market dynamics into decision-grade forecasts and actionable insights that shape therapeutic area strategy and unlock long-term value. This is a highly visible role that partners directly with senior leaders across Global Early Commercial, Finance, Market Access, Medical, and Business Development , offering the chance to influence portfolio direction while championing the adoption of AI, automation, and next-generation analytics across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required in scientific area.
5+ years of relevant experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or consulting industry, with a focus on forecasting, portfolio strategy, business development and market insights .
Strong scientific and business acumen , with the ability to bridge technical and commercial perspectives.
Scientific agility to quickly assess new indications, modalities, and biological targets.
Solid understanding of commercial drivers, market access dynamics, pricing, reimbursement, and policy factors .
Excellent communication skills — able to translate complex data into clear, actionable recommendations for senior stakeholders and governance forums.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree strongly preferred ( MBA, MS, or PhD in a quantitative, scientific, or life-sciences discipline).
Therapeutic area expertise in Respiratory and/or Immunology .
Hands-on experience designing and leading qualitative and quantitative primary market research .
Familiarity with secondary and syndicated data sources — including medical claims, EHR/EMR, IQVIA Rx, and sales data — with proficiency in interpreting large, longitudinal patient-level datasets.
Change leadership experience: building adoption of new tools, processes, and ways of working across cross-functional stakeholders and geographies.
Practical experience leveraging AI agents, workflow automation, or digital productivity tools to streamline insight generation, reporting, and stakeholder communication.
Strong curiosity, growth mindset, and high learning agility .

Responsibilities

Build and refine early forecasts and scenario analyses covering epidemiology, market adoption curves, competitive dynamics, and policy shifts to support stage-gate decision-making.
Construct robust patient-based forecast models integrating primary and secondary data inputs, benchmarked against internal and external analogs to inform investment decisions.
Deliver commercial diligence and market models for in-licensing opportunities, partnerships, and acquisitions .
Provide clear, decision-oriented narratives for governance reviews, executive updates, portfolio prioritization, and opportunity assessments.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, articulating forecast drivers, model changes, external signals, and strategic implications with clarity and confidence.
Contribute as a core member of the Disease Strategy Team , helping to shape long-term R&I strategy.
Design and oversee vendor-led qualitative and quantitative market research to support investment decisions and therapeutic area planning.
Identify and embed AI-enabled approaches — including machine learning, generative AI, agentic workflows, and automation — to enhance speed, quality, explainability, and scalability of insights.
Champion strong data and model governance, documentation, responsible AI practices, and transparent explainability to reinforce business confidence and manage risk appropriately.