Senior Administrative Assistant, Portfolio Strategy & Pipeline Governance

AstraZeneca•Gaithersburg, MD

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Are you energized by being the force multiplier who keeps a complex, high-stakes portfolio moving at pace? Do you thrive in fast-changing environments where exceptional judgment, discretion, and proactive problem-solving directly influence senior leaders’ focus and enterprise decision-making? Based in Gaithersburg, MD, you will partner closely with the Head & Executive Director of Portfolio Strategy & Pipeline Governance. Your work will streamline priorities, sharpen leadership focus, and enable timely, well-informed decisions that shape our pipeline and, ultimately, patients’ lives. In this role, you will interface regularly with our most senior executives and their assistants, build trusted relationships and ensure the right conversations happen at the right time with the right preparation. You will also coordinate key team operations that keep a ~15-person strategy and governance team operating with clarity and accountability. From rigorous calendar and inbox triage to meeting preparation, budget tracking, and travel logistics, you will create the systems and rhythm that allow leaders and teams to concentrate on their highest-impact work.

Requirements

5+ years of experience supporting Executive Director or VP-level leaders in complex, matrix organizations
Demonstrated ability in managing complex schedules and competing priorities in a highly visible position
Experience in global, matrix organizations with diverse stakeholders across time zones
Demonstrates exceptional judgment and discretion in handling and tracking confidential portfolio, financial, strategic, and other sensitive business information.
Proactive problem-solving—ability to stay two steps ahead and anticipate needs
Strong gatekeeping abilities—comfortable diplomatically saying "no" to protect executive time
High emotional intelligence and stakeholder management skills
Excellent customer service orientation
Calm under pressure managing multiple competing priorities simultaneously
Resourceful and independent—gets things done without step-by-step direction
Flexible and agile—adapts quickly when plans change
Multi-tasking excellence in high-volume environments
Strong organizational systems and meticulous follow-through
Confident with a positive demeanor; has the courage and tact to proactively challenge leadership, recommend actions on team management nuances where executive bandwidth is limited
Advanced Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Expert-level SharePoint and Teams proficiency
Ability to format documents for consistent, professional appearance
Experience with budget tracking tools and financial systems (SAP, Coupa preferred)
Excellent written and verbal communication—able to draft professional emails, documents, and presentations on behalf of executive; professional presence and credibility with senior stakeholders
High School Diploma or GED required

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree strongly preferred
Experience coordinating team operations for 10+ people
Experience supporting governance-heavy or decision-oriented leadership environments
Pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare industry experience
Experience with SAP or Coupa

Responsibilities

Act as a trusted partner to the team leader, filtering requests, pressure-testing meeting needs, and protecting time for highest-priority work; prepare daily briefings and maintain a conflict-free two-week view to drive focus and momentum. May be called upon to provide intermittent support to other GPPM Leadership Team members, as required.
Proactively manage complex, global calendars across time zones; make independent prioritization and trade-off decisions aligned to leadership priorities and ensure readiness through pre-reads and briefing materials.
Triage a high-volume inbox, distilling messages into clear actions and decisions; draft correspondence and maintain organized digital files that keep critical information at leaders’ fingertips.
Represent the team leader with credibility; align stakeholders and resolve issues before escalation; build strong relationships with senior executives and their assistants to speed decision-making and remove friction.
Track team priorities and deliverables; coordinate leadership and staff meetings with clear agendas and documentation; maintain transparency of work and progress so everyone pulls in the same direction.
Partner with Finance to track budget and expenditures; process expenses, purchase orders, and invoices on time and in compliance; manage vendor creation and qualification in appropriate systems.
Identify operational bottlenecks and implement practical systems that enhance speed, quality, and consistency across day-to-day workflows.
Coordinate domestic and international travel; organize meetings and large-scale virtual sessions across time zones; ensure rooms, technology, and materials are set for productive discussions.