Strategy & Performance Director - Global Business Services, R&D Services

Strategy & Performance Director - Global Business Services, R&D Services

Location - Cambridge, UK

Competitive salary and benefits

At AstraZeneca when we see an opportunity for change, we seize it and make it happen, because any opportunity no matter how small, can be the start of something big. Delivering life-changing medicines is about being entrepreneurial - finding those moments and recognizing their potential. Join us on our journey of building a new kind of organization to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, pioneering ground-breaking methods and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

The Strategy & Performance (S&P) Director plays a critical role within the Global Business Services (GBS) model, representing a specific area of GBS (either functional or enterprise service) and ensuring its strategic needs are met. This role requires a deep understanding of the holistic strategy of the customer, including pricing, volume, demand, and opportunities across GBS. A key responsibility is to collate and present the GBS story, effectively communicating value and performance to the customer. This role demands a strategic thinker with excellent analytical skills, capable of influencing senior leaders and driving performance improvements across the organization. 

Reporting to the head of GBS Research and Development Services (R&DS), the R&DS Strategy & Performance Director, will be a key member of R&DS Leadership Team (LS) and will work closely with the LT to set and execute the strategic priorities of the Service Tower.  The S&P Director, together with GBS Functional Business Partners, will work with customers across R&D to ensure their strategic needs are met by GBS as a whole.  

The R&DS Tower is newly established within GBS.  As such the focus on the S&P director will initially be on working with dedicated functional business partners, GBS project teams, and enabling functions to establish GBS services for R&D.  As the Service Tower matures, management and reporting of performance will become more critical to the role. 

The S&P Director will prepare for customer boards, offering insights and strategic guidance to align GBS capabilities with customer goals.  They will also be responsible for the collation of mid-term planning (MRP) and rolling three year forecasts for the Service Tower, ensuring alignment with the customers needs.

The role holder will monitor performance and operational activities across R&DS and ensure ongoing alignment with both customer and GBS strategy. Management of risk is critical for the ongoing success of R&DS and GBS.  The role holder will have responsibility for monitoring and reporting on risk management across R&DS.  The role holder will coordinate regular testing of the design and implement of key controls as well as the operating effectiveness of said controls. 

The role holder will work with external enabling functions such as IT, Finance and HR to ensure appropriate support is delivered to R&DS.   

This is a leadership role, which will require cross functional relationships and matrix management.  The role holder will be key to the ongoing success of R&DS and GBS as a whole. 

The role holder will be accountable for:

• Developing and maintaining a deep understanding of the R&D customer's strategic objectives, market dynamics, and operational needs

• Preparing for and participating in customer board meetings, providing strategic insights and recommendations

• Analyzing pricing, volume, demand, and opportunities to inform decision-making and strategic planning.

• Collaborating with GBS teams to ensure alignment of services with customer expectations and strategic goals.

• Enabling the collection and dissemination of information to articulate the GBS value proposition to the customer

• Driving continuous performance improvements and strategic initiatives within the GBS service

• Monitoring and reporting on GBS performance metrics, identifying areas for improvement and growth

• Leveraging external perspectives, industry research and best practice to support innovation and strategic development across GBS

• Building strong relationships with key stakeholders to influence and drive strategic alignment

• Ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and standards in all strategic activities

• Strategic Planning

• Dotted line to Head of Strategy, GBS to ensure alignment with GBS strategy

• Defining and delivering R&DS  communication plans, and aligning with central GBS Communication team

Essential

Proven experience working within, or deep understanding of the R&D process of a global pharmaceutical organisation:

• Experience of working in a global pharmaceutical organisation and understanding of the drug development life-cycle and R&D processes. 

Or

• Experience in an advisory business working with senior leadership of a global pharmaceutical organisation, with focus on R&D.

Proven experience in a strategic and/or leadership role within, or working closely with, a shared services or GBS environment:

• Strong analytical and strategic capabilities with a focus on pricing, volume, and demand analysis.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to influence senior leaders.

• Experience in preparing for and participating in high-level customer interactions and boards.

• Demonstrated ability to align services with strategic goals and drive performance improvements.

• Strong relationship management skills and ability to work effectively in a matrix organization.

• Ability to synthesize complex information and tell a compelling story about GBS value and performance.

• Understanding of market dynamics and strategic planning in a GBS context.

• Familiarity with industry best practices and benchmarks in strategy and performance management.

Desirable

GBS/Business Acumen: Comprehensive understanding of the GBS space as well as the clear understanding of the external marketplace (current & future) to shape new opportunities. Experience in both Captive and BPO.

• Experience in digital transformation and strategic change initiatives

• Global and/or cross-cultural experience.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible! We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world!