Senior Director Global Clinical Solutions

Development Operations

Warsaw, Cambridge or Gothenburg

At AstraZeneca we work together across global boundaries to make an impact and find answers to challenges. We do this with the upmost integrity even in the most difficult situations because we are committed to doing the right thing.

We lead our industry in our development of a strong and varied pipeline. This means our people are here to win! We give you a breadth of opportunities to be curious and do groundbreaking, outstanding work that has big impact on science and medicine.

Development Operations brings together all the skills groups to drive critical operational activities for early and late stage medicines development.

The Senior Director Global Clinical Solutions has established Business Technology and Scientific credentials drug development expertise, good understanding of business process improvement and implementation, and is familiar with the ecosystem of systems, technology, shared services and vendors typically used in clinical trials. Their experience ideally extends across multiple delivery models, therapy areas and phases of drug development.

The role is a specialist in redefining clinical trial enabling processes and technology to enable competitive edge in the delivery of early and late stage trials and projects. The role entails significant global strategic and leadership responsibility of a distributed team with significant presence in Warsaw (Poland)

Responsibilities Include:

You will provide effective strategic leadership, ensuring that the strategy for cross functional development operations processes, associated technology and services is continually improved and delivered to time cost and quality. Owning the functional budget (circa 200 employees in different countries. Majority in Warsaw)

Responsible for Study and Data solutions and their implementation in clinical trials (eg IXRS, eCOA); Strategic development and management of Veeva eTMF and CTMS including associated operating services; Business leadership for Clinical systems, platforms and associated technology to enable the planning and execution of clinical trials.

A member of the Development Operations Leadership Team, you will actively contribute in setting and driving the strategic agenda for the entire Development Operations function (2,000+people)

Interacting effectively with other strategic and operational functions across AstraZeneca (TAs, Digital Health, IT, Procurement, CMO, Biometrics and Data Science and AI)

You will lead suppliers and partners with internal and external bodies in the implementation of digital transformation and automation, ensuring specialist and fit-for-purpose process and technology capabilities and support services to studies and projects

Acting as an ambassador for Development Operations internally and externally. You will communicate the wider business vision to the Group in line with the R&D’s technology and digital roadmap.

Recruiting and retaining talent, and line developing teams and individuals on a global scale is an integral part of the remit, as will invest in the development of the teams and employees to meet the future skills requirement of the roles.

Full time/significant time and leadership presence in Warsaw (where majority of the team is based), frequent travel is a key requirement to fulfil the job requirements to empower and engage with the Global Clinical Solutions Function and the broad and diverse group of partners and stakeholders internally and externally.

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor degree or equivalent
• Clinical Operations/Development Operations and scientific background, preferably across multiple therapeutic areas, with significant drug development experience
• Specialist in delivering and redefining business process, technology and central service design to optimise quality speed and efficiency in clinical trials
• Extensive knowledge of applicable external regulations and guidelines including Industry trends, challenges and innovations.
• Validated experience in global line management and skills development for ‘enablement professionals’
• Expertise in Quality Management Practices including Audit and Inspection and Continuous Improvement for large organisations.
• Risk and crisis management experience
• Background of high professional achievement and willingness to encourage this in others
• Ability to lead change, seeing it as an opportunity to improve performance and add value to the business
• Creativity, innovation and results orientated.
• Ability to set and lead priorities, resources, performance targets and project initiatives in a global environment
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and their impact on communication, expectations and performance and an ability to bring to bear cultural diversity to improve team performance
• Ability to find opportunities, lead and cultivate cross-functional collaboration and continue to increase performance of the full clinical development value chain.

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.