Department: Digital Health R&D                             Function: Patient Health & Innovation        

Reports To: Product Director Unify                         Date:  Aug 2020

Location: Warsaw/Gothenburg/Cambridge/Gaithersburg

12 month secondment

Number of Positions: 1                                             Grade: F

Job Description

In 2016, we started our transformation journey in our research & development organisation, launching a new operating model to optimize our drug development activities, which is already achieving significant benefits, including simpler, streamlined ways of working and productivity improvements.

Now we are further accelerating our transformation efforts to ensure we demonstrate the best in new technology and leading-edge capabilities to keep us at the forefront of future drug development.

Digital Health R&D is reimagining how we work to position AstraZeneca as an industry leader, making the development & delivery of new medicines easier. We’re doing this by harnessing the latest innovations enabled by digital, data & analytics and working with our people to design and build the technology and working practices.

AstraZeneca’s Digital Health R&D Patient Health & Innovation organisation develops digital solutions to support our development and commercial drug portfolios. These digital solutions (e.g. Unify) encompass connected monitoring devices and sensors coupled with medical device software to:

• Improve clinical development, through optimising data collection and improving communications between AZ, HCP and patients
• Provide enriched data sets to support regulatory submissions, and differentiated labelling
• Optimise real world medication use by patients and deliver digital interventions to improve clinical outcomes

As part of the Digital Health R&D the team will develop and execute AZ’s R&D Digital strategy.  The program has already secured a significant investment in a digital platform and is now preparing for the first launch of bespoke digital solutions for all clinical trials globally, built on a standardized set of modules to enable identification and recruitment of patients, ongoing engagement and retention, support to sites and collection of data directly from patients.

The Change Lead will work in collaboration with the Unify Deployment team, Development Operations and other parts of AstraZeneca as needed to drive change management activities, develop and optimize processes to secure a successful implementation of digital tools to support the execution of clinical trials across our Therapy Areas

This is a 12 month secondment with an option to be extended.

Responsibilities:

You will:

• Work closely with the Unify Development and Deployment teams to develop and optimize processes affected or required for development and implementation of patient and site facing digital tools.
• Lead process mapping activities and definition of Roles and Responsibilities across multiple organisations
• Initiate and lead Change Impact Assessments with key stakeholders 
• Lead Change management programs, in close collaboration with the Regional Implementation Managers, to prepare the key stakeholder organisations for the implementation of Unify and similar solutions
• Coordinate creation of change tools to support implementation
• Represent Digital Patient Solutions in the overall Digital Health R&D Change Management work
• Support study teams around processes change related to implementation of Digital patient solutions and identify new areas for optimization or documentation of best practice
• Collaborate with Process & System owners in related fields to identify and address potential gaps in current business processes
• Partner with Training and Communications work streams to input and inform training and communications plans in support of implementation of patient and site facing digital solutions

Essential Requirements:

·         Bachelors Hons Degree in scientific field

·         Meaningful relevant experience in R&D and strong knowledge of Drug Development processes

·         Deep knowledge of Clinical trial delivery

·         Knowledge of GCP

·         Well-developed Project management skills focused on Change management

·         Ability to work collaboratively in a cross functional setting with internal as well as external partners

·         Ability to challenge the status quo, take ownership and holds self and others accountable

·         Senior Stakeholder management skill with together with proven negotiation, collaboration and interpersonal leadership skills

·         Effective problem and conflict solving skills

·         Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to deal with ambiguity and create clarity

·         Passion for Customers, representing the needs of multiple customers in decision making.

Desirable:

·         Experience of developing products to support patients in AZ’s therapy areas

·         Device, software development and / or clinical project management

·         Experience of process mapping

·         Comprehensive understanding of dynamics affecting the pharmaceutical industry and needs for transformation

·         Ability to work globally including international travel

Date Posted

29-Sep-2020

Closing Date

12-Oct-2020

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.