Executive Director Clinical Operations, Program Management

AstraZeneca • Cambridge, MA

7d • $304,856 - $457,285 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Executive Director Clinical Operations, Program Management leads a global community of program leaders across AstraZeneca’s growing Oncology portfolio. The role sets strategic direction for global clinical program delivery across indications and late-stage development, ensuring programs are strategically planned, operationally robust, and delivered to time, quality, and budget. The Executive Director drives portfolio-wide standardization, serves as a key escalation and resolution point, and strengthens interfaces with internal customers and external providers.

The role partners with Global Product and Global Clinical leaders to embed governance and scenario planning, sponsors cross-functional improvement initiatives, and develops Senior and Global Program Directors. It leads resource and portfolio planning, contributes to protocol and development review committees and indication-level decisions, and manages departmental activities and FTEs within budget. The position is based in Gaithersburg, Maryland; Boston, Massachusetts; or Cambridge, United Kingdom. The role follows an average minimum of three office days per week, with individual flexibility.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.
• At least 10 years of experience in late-stage Oncology drug development, ideally including experience as a Senior Global Clinical Program Director (GCPD) or equivalent.
• Line management expertise and experience performance-managing Associate Director-level staff; experience managing Director-level staff is desirable but not essential.
• Demonstrated experience developing others and identifying opportunities to improve their capabilities.
• Experience contributing meaningfully to Clinical Operations functional improvement initiatives that cross clinical programs.
• Management experience involving resourcing, budget planning, and functional-level activities.
• Established, well-connected network with other Therapeutic Area Leaders, Development Operations Leadership, and Early Development Oncology.
• High professional achievement and willingness to encourage professional excellence in others.
• Positive approach to change, viewing it as an opportunity to improve performance and add business value.
• Influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
• Supplier and partnership-management skills.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to set and manage priorities, resources, performance targets, and project initiatives in a global environment.
• Continuous-improvement mindset, awareness of external competitive practices, creativity, and initiative.
• Delivery focus and commitment to high standards, AstraZeneca values, policies, and employment principles.
• Awareness of and sensitivity to cultural differences and their impact on communication, expectations, and performance.
• Ability to lead and contribute effectively to local and international cross-functional teams.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally is listed as desirable.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (Master’s or PhD).
• Significant Clinical Development experience and knowledge of global operational program and study delivery.
• Experience with lung studies.
• Proven project-management experience.
• Comprehensive knowledge of clinical and pharmaceutical drug-development processes in Oncology.
• International work experience, including work with major markets and resolution of international issues.
• Business-planning skills and knowledge of planning processes used in managing drug projects.
• Risk and crisis-management experience.
• Experience leading successful teams across more than one national culture.
• Experience managing a cost centre or department budget and contributing to Clinical Operations budget management.
• Experience managing project budgets to threshold for assigned work packages.

Responsibilities

• Communicate business priorities and vision and ensure adoption of globally agreed therapeutic area and clinical development strategies across programs and teams.
• Ensure operational and clinical development components of global clinical programs are delivered within scope; drive standardization and proactive mitigation to meet timelines and commitments.
• Line manage Senior Global Clinical Operations Program Directors and Global Clinical Operations Program Directors; recruit, develop, and performance-manage talent and build a performance-driven global culture.
• Assign clinical operations resources in collaboration with capacity management and forecast and balance resourcing across the portfolio.
• Participate in protocol and development review committees, support robust strategic and operational planning through governance, and contribute to indication-level decisions.
• Lead and evolve the global customer interface and support model for the therapeutic area, strengthening partnerships with internal stakeholders and external providers.
• Serve as a key escalation point for issues across programs; anticipate risks and lead cross-functional mitigation and resolution.
• Serve as an extended member of the late-stage leadership team; sponsor non-drug strategy and organizational infrastructure initiatives, catalyze cross-functional improvements, and drive organizational change.
• Deliver agreed departmental activities within budget, including management of FTEs, and contribute to delivery model options that balance customer needs and efficiency.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Short-term incentive bonus opportunity.
• Eligibility to participate in the equity-based long-term incentive program for salaried roles.
• Qualified retirement program (401(k) plan).
• Paid vacation and holidays.
• Paid leaves.
• Medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage, subject to applicable plan terms and conditions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive