AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. At AstraZeneca, we're proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and collaboration. Here, employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives - and are made to feel valued, energised and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.

The Global Data Office (GDO) sits within Global Business Services (GBS), a function providing value to the business by simplifying the way work is done and reducing the complexity that often gets in the way of our scientists and commercial leaders who are targeting to develop and deliver life changing medicines to 200 million patients by 2025.  The GDO provides Finance data governance and assurance functions alongside finance data management services.  The GDO vision is to be a collaborative, trusted, innovative and value led enterprise-level master data function enabling process excellence & timely decision making.  Data is now at the heart of everything we do, and what we record, consume and report is growing vastly. Driving value through how this data is created, consumed and provides insights will give us a competitive advantage while ensuring compliance and control.  The GDO has ambitious plans to transform the data management service provision for our current scope (Finance, Customer & Vendor Master Data) and to expand our services to other areas.

As part of this, a Programme of work has been initiated to harmonize and simplify our Customer and Vendor master data globally, across our regional ERP systems, ensuring we have consistent tools and processes used to create, maintain and master this data centrally.  The Customer master data solution lead will sit within the programme and be the leader of transformation for their own area, designing and implementing change across people, process and technology and driving value through the data we hold, consume and gain insights from. As Customer data is consumed across many business processes the role holder will work across the enterprise function including working with process owners in contract to cash, record to report and the wider business.

The role holder will report into the Programme Director and will work very closely with Global Process Design Leads.  You will be tasked with taking a problem or opportunity and shaping a holistic programme of change to transform, simplify, standardise and drive value. Responsibilities will include collating and documenting requirements, shaping design (e.g. ‘to be’ data model), supporting the design and rollout of new processes for data creation, maintenance and deletion, helping to drive data cleanse as well as playing a key role across the testing phases of our new systems for mastering and maintaining Customer master data.  Although the role has no direct line reports other teams will collaborate with you to drive delivery (data analysts, IT, project managers etc).

The role holder will have profound expertise in the area of Customer master data and expert knowledge of best in class process design, technology and the ability to drive change. This will be combined with a strong attention to detail and an ability to communicate simply, with precision and impact across the global user community.  

Join AstraZeneca as the Customer master data solution lead at our Cambridge HQ, and you’ll be using those skills to the full.

This is a highly visible role that puts you at the heart of building Data processes, governance and tools that will grow and flex as AstraZeneca grows. Ultimately data feeds all of the core business processes across the company so the data team is pivotal to success.

Put simply, it’s an opportunity to make your skills count as part of a world-leading pharmaceutical company.

Your new role!

• Work with relevant stakeholders to drive out business requirements across system functional and non-functional requirements as well as data and reporting requirements.

• Work closely with the GDO Customer Process Design lead to establish the end to end solution design for Customer master data.  This will include:

• Data Design (including the ‘to be’ data model – for example the number of account groups and how we map existing ones into ‘to be’)

• System design (e.g. work with IT to determine where we build in validation, how much validation do we build into front end vs backend etc, the workflow design, the user interface design etc.)

• Process design (work with Process leads on the design of creation and maintenance processes and operating model and ensure no existing BAU processes break). 

• Establish “To-be” accountabilities, clear RACI matrix and oversee the development of SOPs

• Apply a people, process and technology lens to the proposed solution.

• Supporting data cleanse, establish and be accountable for a data cleanse strategy for Customer Master Data.

• Support all prototyping/build phases and testing phases of our new systems for mastering and maintaining Customer master data.  This will include reviewing test scripts and evidence.

• Partner with our data team and obtain data quality information, defining what is inefficient today and what future targets will be set for data quality.

• Work with technology and wider project teams as new tools are implemented to ensure the standard is embedded and data quality is maintained.

• As a member of the Global Data Office team provide input to the organization in the form of leadership, shaping future direction and service expansion, team engagement activities and general running of the organization

Your essential qualifications, skills and experiences:

• Strong education background (University Degree Level).

• Excellent and current data management skills and knowledge are essential, from practice or industry.

• Knows and can articulate best practice ways of working and solutions.

• Excellent communication skills

• Knowledge of Customer master data management systems, data structures and principles

• A proven track record of delivering business value and awareness of service levels

• Experience in implementing change programs and/or managing teams through rapid change environments.

• An excellent command of business English.

• Excellent presentation, stakeholder management and enterprise working ability across a wide area of the business with multiple stakeholders and views

• Strong numerical and analytical skills.

• Able to simplify complexity and find simple, standard solutions which will work, drive value and are fit for purpose

Your desirable qualifications, skills and experiences:

• Experience of working in a global organisation with complex/geographical context

• Experience of SAP & SAP change projects

• Project Management Skills

• Technical expertise in the extraction and reporting of data performance metrics, knowledge of process design and a keen understanding of KPIs

• Process improvement (LEAN, Six Sigma) expertise preferred

• Experience in a Shared Service Centre

Competitive rates of pay apply

Opening date: 19th Aug

Closing date: 3rd Sept

Date Posted

Closing Date

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.