Launch and MLR Planning Director, US OBU

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

2d • $193,898 - $290,848 • Onsite

About The Position

In this role, you will lead onshore and nearshore teams responsible for Launch Planning and the end-to-end Medical, Legal, and Regulatory (MLR) review and approval process for the US market. You will drive Day 0 readiness so brands can release content upon label approval, accelerate time-to-impact, and leverage AI-driven productivity to raise the bar in speed, quality, and compliance.
Reporting into a global planning and medical delivery leadership team, you will partner closely with brand, medical, regulatory, and business excellence stakeholders to evolve our shared services. You will shape how we plan, prioritize, and deliver launches from strategy to execution, connecting disciplined operations with bold innovation to bring life-changing medicines to patients faster.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree required.
• A minimum of 10 years’ experience working in roles associated with Marketing, Launch Planning, Business Excellence, and MLR.
• A minimum of 6 years’ experience working in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry within a commercial or commercial support organization.
• Knowledge of Launch Planning processes, procedures, and program delivery standards.
• Knowledge of the MLR (Medical, Legal, and Regulatory) planning process for the development and approval of promotional content.
• Experience with brand strategic operational planning processes and content platforms.
• Strong leadership abilities, with a demonstrated track record of successfully managing cross-functional teams and driving results.
• Ability to build trusted relationships across a range of partner groups, including Marketing, Medical, Regulatory, Business Excellence, IT, and agencies.
• Ability to manage multiple projects running in parallel.
• Strong project management experience, including risk mitigation and planning.
• Ability to influence, motivate, and inspire change.
• Proven track record of working across functions, with a high level of commitment and follow-through.
• Demonstrated experience in problem-solving and continuous improvement.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and negotiating skills.
• Accountability for financial performance.
• Energetic, self-motivated, and a positive teammate.
• Supplier management experience.

Nice To Haves

• MBA in a relevant field, such as marketing, business, or strategy.
• 3–4 years of pharmaceutical brand marketing experience.
• Experience in a shared services environment.
• Experience leading nearshore and offshore teams.
• Experience in service design.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee Launch Project Management activities, ensuring integrated plans and milestones are delivered with rigor and pace.
• Drive Launch Day 0 planning for new products, indications, and label updates to enable content release upon label approval.
• Provide leadership, direction, guidance, and support to direct reports, aligning work to business goals, growth and development, and AstraZeneca values.
• Manage resource allocation in a dynamic, fluctuating demand environment to ensure the right capacity is in the right place at the right time.
• Build effective, collaborative relationships with stakeholders across Global and US functions, including Business Excellence, Innovation & Business Planning, and Brand Teams, using forums and communities of practice to align on needs and improvements.
• Understand launch strategies and business objectives; assess service performance against expectations and identify opportunities to evolve services to better meet client needs.
• Drive process excellence, operational rigor, and productivity by leveraging AI and other digital initiatives to improve cycle time, quality, and scalability.
• Lead and deliver transformation initiatives that enable new ways of working, improve operational efficiency, and strengthen service delivery across the service line.
• Continuously scan for leading trends and practices in Launch Planning and MLR shared services, bringing insights back to shape strategy and operations.
• Work across shared service team leads and adjacent service organizations to maximize collaboration and optimize cost, quality, and speed of delivery.
• Ensure comprehensive understanding and application of policies, procedures, and operational frameworks; uphold adherence to the AstraZeneca Code of Conduct across direct and indirect reports.
• Maintain accountability for financial performance, aligning investments and capacity to outcomes and value.

Benefits

• Qualified retirement programs
• Paid time off, including vacation, holidays, and leaves
• Health, dental, and vision coverage
• Eligibility for various incentives, including an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles, and commissions for sales roles.

What This Job Offers

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