Description
The aim of this role is to ensure that AstraZeneca achieves and maintains a leadership position in the industry in the development and delivery of Personalized healthcare products to customers. The Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers Senior Director Strategy & Alliances will develop strategic approaches and evidence that enable optimal, data-driven decisions based on current and future portfolio needs with a future-oriented view of the evolving healthcare environment. The role holder will develop and execute strategies that integrate Personalized Healthcare & Biomarker capabilities, external alliances and partnerships, so as to increase and significantly enhance the value of pipeline compounds and therapeutic regimens being developed by Innovative Medicine Units. The role holder will deliver effective collaboration and coordination across different functional units to drive cohesive scientific-clinical-business strategies and rationale for the advancement of Personalized healthcare approaches.
The Senior Director Strategy & Alliances will lead a group of senior strategists to develop business cases, competitive intelligence reports and strategic analysis as required to inform investment decisions within the Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers function and by senior leaders across AstraZeneca, including the Innovative Medicines Leadership Team, Senior Executive Team and the AstraZeneca Board.
The role holder will also be responsible for leading a global group of alliance experts to ensure that Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers strategic partnerships are managed collaboratively and effectively so that AstraZeneca drug programs are enabled through access to the best science and technology in the field.
In addition to these global roles, the Senior Director Strategy & Alliances will be a local manager and a senior member of the Strategy, Portfolio & Alliances leadership team. The role holder will be responsible for ensuring strong and effective relationships with relevant functions (such as Global Medicines Development, Global Commercial and Strategic Partnering & Business Development) and other strategic initiatives, and will champion the appropriate use of Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers approaches both within and AstraZeneca and externally in order to transform the way in which drugs are developed across the business.
The skills needed do to this are defined below:
Provide effective leadership of the global strategy and alliance groups within Strategy, Portfolio and Alliances, such that that these groups work successfully and collaboratively across geographical and functional boundaries. Demonstrate courageous leadership by frequent and effective communication of the vision and expectations for these groups. Recruit and coach talented individuals and promote strong teamwork across cultural and functional boundaries, innovative ways of working, and a delivery focus in order to meet the needs of customers across the business.
* Ensure that strategic options and recommendations presented to the Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers Leadership Team are evidence-based, driven by a future-oriented view of internal project needs and the evolving external healthcare environment. Identify and evaluate (with Strategic Partnering & Business Development) potential alliances to meet strategic needs.
* Lead internal and external analysis teams to carry out externally-focused Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers analysis as required to form the basis of new strategic options (such as potential diagnostic investment) to be submitted to senior leaders in AstraZeneca, such as the Innovative Medicine Leadership Team, Senior Executive Team and the Board, for investment decisions. Prepare and communicate business cases and strategic analyses as required.
* Champion the appropriate use of Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers approaches across AstraZeneca and externally, in order to add value to drug projects, meet the needs of customers and delivery better medicines to patients
* Create and maintain strong relationships and effective ways of working with relevant functions (such as Global Medicines Development, Global Commercial, Strategic Partnering and Business Development)
* Ensure the coordination of deliverables, interfaces and information sharing between the Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers function and its alliance partners, such that external biomarker and diagnostic activities are delivered in a compliant, timely and efficient manner to support Innovative Medicines Units and drug project teams.
* Manage the alignment of alliance experts to key collaborations and lead interactions with Personalized Healthcare & Biomarker experts within Strategic Partnering and Business Development to ensure seamless and timely delivery
* Ensure that the Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers Strategy:
Addresses end to end delivery of Personalized healthcare and biomarker plans including deployed resource groups.
Is developed by Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers Leadership Team (with input from Innovative Medicines Units and drug project teams) with full knowledge and understanding of all relevant key internal and external data and information.
Is aligned with higher and peer strategies as appropriate
Is developed and reviewed in line with published synchronized strategy cycle
* Lead the delivery of regular updates to the Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers Leadership Team, the Innovative Medicines Leadership Team, the Senior Executive Team and the Board on Personalized Healthcare & Biomarker competitive intelligence and AstraZeneca's competitive position, highlighting potential gaps and opportunities
Ensure that strategic options and recommendations presented to the Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers Leadership Team are evidence-based, driven by a future-oriented view of internal project needs and the evolving external healthcare environment. Identify and evaluate (with Strategic Partnering & Business Development) potential alliances to meet strategic needs.
Lead internal and external analysis teams to carry out externally-focused Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers analysis as required to form the basis of new strategic options (such as potential diagnostic investment) to be submitted to senior leaders in AstraZeneca, such as the Innovative Medicine Leadership Team, Senior Executive Team and the Board, for investment decisions. Prepare and communicate business cases and strategic analyses as required.
Champion the appropriate use of Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers approaches across AstraZeneca and externally, in order to add value to drug projects, meet the needs of customers and delivery better medicines to patients
Create and maintain strong relationships and effective ways of working with relevant functions (such as Global Medicines Development, Global Commercial, Strategic Partnering and Business Development)
Ensure the coordination of deliverables, interfaces and information sharing between the Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers function and its alliance partners, such that external biomarker and diagnostic activities are delivered in a compliant, timely and efficient manner to support Innovative Medicines Units and drug project teams.
Manage the alignment of alliance experts to key collaborations and lead interactions with Personalized Healthcare & Biomarker experts within Strategic Partnering and Business Development to ensure seamless and timely delivery
Ensure that the Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers Strategy:
* Addresses end to end delivery of Personalized healthcare and biomarker plans including deployed resource groups
* Is developed by Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers Leadership Team (with input from Innovative Medicines Units and drug project teams) with full knowledge and understanding of all relevant key internal and external data and information
* Is aligned with higher and peer strategies as appropriate
* Is developed and reviewed in line with published synchronized strategy cycle
Lead the delivery of regular updates to the Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers Leadership Team, the Innovative Medicines Leadership Team, the Senior Executive Team and the Board on Personalized Healthcare & Biomarker competitive intelligence and AstraZeneca's competitive position, highlighting potential gaps and opportunities
Skills and Capabilities
· Thinks strategically -- · Acts decisively -- · Acts collaboratively --
Internal and External Contacts/Customers
· Internal -- Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers Leadership Team, Innovative Medicines Leadership Team, Senior Management Teams in Research & Development, including Strategy Portfolio and Performance group. Senior leaders in Research & Development, Strategic Partnering and Business Development and Global Commercial.
· External -- management consultancy groups such as McKinsey etc
Reporting Relationship
· Reports to Head of Strategy Portfolio and Alliances
· Line manages a global group (up to 8 FTEs, Bands C-F)
· May matrix manage a local group (up to 3 additional FTEs, Bands E-F)
Budget responsibility
Up to $2M per annum (to be confirmed) Measure of Success
The successful deployment of this role will result in:
· Every AstraZeneca drug project that can benefit from a Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers approach progresses through Research & Development decision points with an appropriate Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers strategy
The excellent contribution of this role will result in:
· The launch and reimbursement by payers of AstraZeneca drugs with a Personalized Healthcare and Biomarkers approach.

Requirements
Minimum Requirements --Education and Experience
Education
College/university degree in a relevant subject or equivalent experience
Doctorate in relevant subject or equivalent experience
Minimum required experience
· Demonstrated skills in developing strategy and managing alliances to bring value to Innovative Medicines Units during drug development including life cycle management
· Deep understanding of the drug discovery and development process and the key internal and external factors that impact delivery of successful value based products using Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers approaches
· Recognized international expert in Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers
· Proven ability to learn and communicate new information effectively
· Experience in commissioning and delivering strategic projects
· Effective in leading and developing talented individuals
· Broad experience in the management of small and large external alliances that enable drug programs and decision making
· Significant experience in pharmaceutical industry in areas relevant to the development of Personalized Healthcare & Biomarkers
Preferred previous experience
· Previous experience in companion diagnostics development
· Previous experience in a similar role
· Experience in providing business and impact analysis to senior leaders
· Experience as a leader of global multi-disciplinary development teams
· Experience in the strategic development of plans that enable the discovery and execution of biomarker programs for drug development teams.
· Proven ability to deliver value from external alliances in drug development
· Ability to work with key healthcare stakeholders in the external environment who will shape Personalized healthcare & biomarker approaches including: regulators, payors, and s
· Deep understanding of the critical drivers that impact Personalized healthcare & biomarker approaches