Executive Director, Oncology Global Programme Management (TCEs)

AstraZeneca • Boston, MA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

GPPM Oncology is transforming to become trusted partners in portfolio and project strategy and execution. The continued success of the Oncology pipeline requires highly skilled leaders to guide the creation of comprehensive programme strategies that integrate clinical, scientific, and commercial insights to shape portfolio decisions and delivery. This role involves being a strategic thinker and scientific expert with an accomplished background in programme delivery, acting as a trusted partner in key decision-making forums. The role requires influencing across Discovery, Early, Late, and Commercial to navigate governance pathways, with end-to-end accountability for modality portfolio insights, strategy, and execution. The Executive Director will ensure Global Project Teams (GPTs) deliver at pace and with confidence by translating complexity into clarity, anticipating issues, and influencing outcomes using insights. Operating as a player-coach within a High Performing Team (HPT) environment, the role balances enterprise leadership, direct delivery, and enabling others to succeed. This is a critical opportunity to use scientific knowledge and strategic expertise to lead and influence decisions that will directly impact patients’ lives and position AstraZeneca for maximum return on investment and positive patient outcomes.

Requirements

• PhD in life sciences and / or MD + 10 years of experience in life sciences
• Deep understanding of specific modality with proven experience in the pharmaceutical industry or consulting contributing to strategic planning and portfolio decisions
• Ability to interact and communicate effectively with senior executive teams, with demonstrated ability to lead and influence experienced professionals in a fast-paced, highly matrixed work environment
• Ability to think critically, creatively and to anticipate and solve problems, with excellent analysis and fact-based decision-making capabilities
• Highly intellectually capable with agility and adaptability, motivated by working in a fast-paced field with clear societal impact

Nice To Haves

• Experience in strategic planning processes and tools, with ability to translate business needs into coordinated plans and develop creative solutions to complex problems
• Strong financial background and understanding of forecasts, budgets, and financial tools to support strategic decision-making
• Ability to work across global teams and priorities delivering operational effectiveness and prioritization in a fast-growing, highly matrixed organization

Responsibilities

• Hold end-to-end accountability for modality portfolio insights, shaping TA strategy and influencing critical investment and prioritisation decisions across the full drug development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with and influence SVP/VPs, Functional Heads, and Tumour Council leadership to navigate governance pathways and ensure coherent end-to-end modality strategy and pipeline delivery.
• Provide clear, evidence-based and actionable guidance on portfolio optimisation and investment decisions, ensuring the modality remains ahead of emerging scientific, clinical, and commercial opportunities.
• Connect the organisation from Discovery to Commercial and maintain active presence in key decision-making forums across Early, Late, and Commercial to ensure alignment and informed enterprise-level decisions.
• Deliver the AZ scorecard for your modality.
• Serve as the accountable leader for the modality across platforms, ensuring strategic priorities translate into effective execution.
• Be deployed into Tumour Councils while maintaining a direct connection with the modality leadership, enabling integration between scientific modality expertise and therapeutic area strategy.
• Ensure modality knowledge and insights are embedded within teams, enabling dissemination of expertise and strengthening cross-organisational capability.
• Translate modality strategy into clear, actionable plans through GPMs, optimising resource utilisation, capacity planning, and operational delivery.
• Operate as both leader and active contributor, modelling the behaviours of a self-leading, empowered High Performing Team environment.
• Act as an agile leader with the ability to accelerate opportunities and unblock issues.
• Balance strategic leadership of the modality with delivery and execution of key priorities whilst enabling and coaching teams to succeed.
• Navigate complexity and simplify decision landscapes, bringing clarity, focus, and momentum to portfolio execution.
• Establish insight-driven operating rhythms across Global Project Teams and Tumour Councils that enable clarity, pace, and confident delivery.
• Empower and enable GPMs to deliver the pipeline.
• Ensure clear and compelling communication of modality strategy, progress, and priorities to diverse audiences, maintaining transparency and organisational alignment.
• Bring an enterprise leadership mindset helping to link people, process and portfolio insights from across the value chain.
• Leverage advanced analytics and AI-enabled insights to strengthen portfolio understanding, decision making, and strategic foresight.
• Contribute to a future-ready organisation, strengthening capabilities, fostering innovation, and developing the next generation of leaders.
• Support talent development pathways, including progression of GPMs to GPL and other critical roles across the enterprise.
• Act as an expert coach, go-to mentor, and be trusted by senior leaders including Franchise Heads, Clinical Heads etc.

Benefits

• short-term incentive bonus opportunity
• equity-based long-term incentive program
• retirement contribution
• commission payment eligibility
• qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]
• paid vacation and holidays
• paid leaves
• health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree