Programme Director – PPM Data Transformation

AstraZeneca • Gaithersburg, MD

15d

About The Position

At AstraZeneca, we are proud of our ground-breaking pipeline and continue to look for new ways to bring the best medicines to patients. We are building and fostering high-performing collaborative teams across the organization to help us deliver on our ambition. There’s no better time to join our global, growing enterprise as we lead the way for patients, healthcare and broader society. Within GPPM (Global Portfolio & Project Management), the PPM Platform team is embarking on a bold PPM data transformation journey to build a high-quality, accessible, and future-ready data platform. With PPM data critical to the investment decisions we make across our portfolio, this multi-year initiative will create high-quality, AI-ready data, unlock new insights, enable agile ways of working, and empower timely data-driven decisions that accelerate the delivery of our portfolio. As an experienced transformation lead with proven expertise in driving large-scale data and digital transformation, the Programme Director, PPM Data Transformation, will bring strategic leadership to this critical programme, working across SET Areas to drive end-to-end delivery, establishing robust and effective programme governance, and shaping the organisational culture needed to achieve our ambitious vision. Your responsibilities will include: Programme leadership: Lead the scoping, planning, and execution of the PPM Data Transformation. Track benefits and value realization. Own the roadmap, milestones, risks, dependencies, and integrated plans Programme Governance and PMO maturity: Establish best practice programme governance, status reporting cadences, risk and issue management, and programme documentation standards. Ensure decisions, protocols, and controls are clear and traceable. Stakeholder engagement: Partner across GPPM, R&D, Finance, IT and external vendors; align with executive sponsors and governance forums to enable adoption, unblock decisions and achieve the goal of an integrated platform at the enterprise level. Change, communications and training: Lead change management planning and execution. Communicate with key user groups and develop role-based training strategies. Coach SMEs and leaders to embed a data-driven culture. Performance management: Define and track KPIs/OKRs. Manage budget and resources. Provide transparent progress, risk, and mitigation reporting to senior leadership. Ensure incremental value delivery through phased releases. External insights: Bring in external best practices, emerging technologies and partner capabilities to simplify processes and improve decision and delivery velocity. Cross PPM Platform integration: surface and understand dependencies across the PPM Platform, including enterprise-driven initiatives that shape PPM data (e.g. ABACUS & AXIAL) and the evolving strategic roadmap for key GPPM capabilities (Project Management, Capacity Management, Governance & P2P, Portfolio Analytics).

Requirements

• Extensive track record (10+ years) leading complex, cross-functional transformation programmes in data strategy, portfolio/project management, or digital change environments.
• Proven success driving cross-functional teams in the implementation of integrated data platforms, governance frameworks and digital workflow solutions.
• Executive influence and communication skills; able to cut through complexity and target clear messages to senior leaders and governance forums.
• Evidence of successfully delivering incremental programme value, building agile teams, and embedding organizational culture change.
• Demonstrated uplift of PMO maturity and continuous improvement, with strong risk management and delivery excellence.
• Data and analytics literacy, including modern data management methodologies, AI/ML, insight generation and technology-enabled change.
• Bachelor’s / Master’s in business, technology or related discipline.
• Strong network to external thought leadership in PMO, data and digital transformation.

Nice To Haves

• Background / experience in life sciences preferred
• Understanding of the pharmaceutical business (including R&D, Operations, Commercial, Finance, etc)
• Vendor selection and management in partnership with Procurement/IT.
• PMP/PgMP or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Lead the scoping, planning, and execution of the PPM Data Transformation.
• Track benefits and value realization.
• Own the roadmap, milestones, risks, dependencies, and integrated plans
• Establish best practice programme governance, status reporting cadences, risk and issue management, and programme documentation standards.
• Ensure decisions, protocols, and controls are clear and traceable.
• Partner across GPPM, R&D, Finance, IT and external vendors; align with executive sponsors and governance forums to enable adoption, unblock decisions and achieve the goal of an integrated platform at the enterprise level.
• Lead change management planning and execution.
• Communicate with key user groups and develop role-based training strategies.
• Coach SMEs and leaders to embed a data-driven culture.
• Define and track KPIs/OKRs.
• Manage budget and resources.
• Provide transparent progress, risk, and mitigation reporting to senior leadership.
• Ensure incremental value delivery through phased releases.
• Bring in external best practices, emerging technologies and partner capabilities to simplify processes and improve decision and delivery velocity.
• Surface and understand dependencies across the PPM Platform, including enterprise-driven initiatives that shape PPM data (e.g. ABACUS & AXIAL) and the evolving strategic roadmap for key GPPM capabilities (Project Management, Capacity Management, Governance & P2P, Portfolio Analytics).

Benefits

• 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: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees