Forecasting Director - US Oncology

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

At AstraZeneca, we’re not afraid to do things differently. We’re resetting expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening up new ways to work, ground breaking and cutting-edge methods and bringing unexpected teams together. The Forecast ing Director , Oncology lead s the US forecasting process for Gynecology+ Genitourinary indications and the LYNPARZA brand in the Oncology portfolio. As a thought partner to the business, the Forecasting Director will develop product-specific short-term and long-term forecasts and provide critical insights into market risks & opportunities that may impact performance to ultimately guide commercial strategy and decision-making. S trong analytical and critical thinking skills are essential to develop ing rigorous forecasts using patient - flow / patient - based models and incorporating new AI capabilities . The Forecasting Director seamless ly collaborate s with Insights and Analytics colleagues to deliver fact-driven, actionable insights to the business. In addition, the Forecasting Director will closely partner with Marketing, Sales, Market Access, Sales Operations, Global Analytics & Insights, Supply Planning, and Finance to ensure alignment on forecast assumptions and narrative . The Forecasting Director regularly present s to senior leaders the forecast and performance story. Key abilities include consultative and influencing skills , quantitative technical skills , and proficiency in interpreting primary market research / secondary data analyses. The Forecasting Director ’s deep expertise in forecasting enables them to solve complex technical challenges efficiently and effectively , anticipate upcoming forecast questions , and identify innovative solutions , including AI, that benefit the entire portfolio . Beyond brand-level contribution, the Forecasting Director p lay s an integral role as a leader within the US Oncology Forecasting & Performance CoE (Center of Excellence) , helping to deliver cross-brand forecasting alignment, efficiencies, best practices, and capability builds. In addition, the Forecasting Director will help to coach and train a forecasting & performance talent pipeline. This role reports to the Integrated Insights Senior Director for the Tumor Franchise and sits within US Integrated Insights - Oncology Business Excellence organization , an inclusive team that partners with the US Oncology commercial organization to drive strategic decisions by providing objective, data-driven insight generation and analytics.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree, with a preference for a quantitative field ( e.g., Engineering, Data Science, Statistics, Math, Economics, Computer Science, Operations Research)
• 6 years of experience at a pharmaceutical / biotechnology manufacturer or working in the biopharmaceutical industry (e.g., forecasting, data/analytics, management consulting, market research, investment banking)
• 6 years of experience in forecasting: building models, leading input evaluation, communicating outputs, and guiding business decisions based; 4 years of forecasting specifically in a biopharmaceutical role
• Deep e xpertise in building the pharmaceutical forecast models, a broad range of forecasting techniques, and leading/optimizing the full forecasting process; requires no supervision and able to direct more junior forecasting team members
• Highly experienced in evaluating analytics from pharmaceutical data sources (APLD, IQVIA, claims, etc.) and epidemiological data ( SEER, Kantar, DRG)
• Strong knowledge of primary market research, advanced analytics , and competitive intelligence ; experience leading those projects or collaborating with others to integrate findings into the forecast

Nice To Haves

• Advanced Quantitative Degree or Advanced Marketing Degree (e.g., MBA)
• Experience working in Oncology
• Passion for Customers: Understands one's customers and uses that insight to provide value; Highly consultative with ability to build credibility and relationships with key stakeholders.
• Thinks Strategically: Strategic and critical thinking skills to quickly identify and act on opportunities, combining forethought with action.
• Acts Decisively: Makes and acts on decisions quickly and effectively and fosters the same in others; Comfort with ambiguity with the ability to challenge traditional thinking and courage to take smart risks to solve problems.
• Works Collaboratively: Actively creates and promotes cross-boundary collaboration to achieve better business results.
• Ability to influence: Strong communication and influencing skills with demonstrated ability to develop and effectively present succinct , compelling reviews of business performance infused with insight and business implications/actions to be considered.
• Lead without authority: Demonstrated success in mentoring, coaching, directing others towards delivering towards a shared goal, even without direct reporting lines; Creates an environment that enables others to perform at their best.

Responsibilities

• Lead the US forecasting and business planning processes and all associated work streams for covered brand / indications (scenario planning, integration with Finance, etc.)
• Develop, build , and maintain up-to-date product-specific short-term and long-term forecasts models, synthesizing an integrated picture with information across multiple sources ; as , manage external agency executing the model build/update
• Proactively and clearly identify key drivers that impact short-term and long-range product and market forecasts , highlighting significant risks and opportunities
• Inc orporate AI analytical tools into the forecast process and drive continuing enhancements of the AI forecasting platform
• Collaborate cross-functionally with key commercial leaders, Business Excellence colleagues, and other forecast stakeholders to align on objective, data-driven forecast inputs
• Provide in-depth analyses of underlying drivers of brand performance in support of key business deliverables and milestones ( e.g. Quarterly Business Reviews)
• Monitor external environment to stay up to date on the competitive landscape and latest market developments for covered brand/indications as well as broader Oncology trends
• Consult on primary research and secondary analytics relevant to forecasting , and incorporate results into modeling to add deep customer insight and assess future events
• Deliver insightful, objective presentations to senior leaders ( e.g., SVP US Commercial Oncology, VP of US Franchise) that clearly and succinctly highlight critical insights and business implications through strong storytelling
• Collaborate with senior US leaders on performance narrative for C-level audience
• Maintain effective relationships with contractors and other third-party vendors through oversight of the vendor management process
• Direct and help prioritize work of Forecasting & Performance Associate Directors, Sr. Managers , and Sr. Analysts
• Work with US Oncology Forecasting Center of Excellence Senior Director to build forecasting capabilities and identify and drive cross-brand forecasting process efficiencies , automation , and innovation (including AI capabilities)

Benefits

• Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

What This Job Offers

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