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Director Study Management

Posted date May. 20, 2026
Contract type Full time
Job ID R-252595
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Why choose AstraZeneca Spain?

AstraZeneca Spain is a rising force in our global business. With headquarters in Madrid and our global hub in Barcelona, we’ve become an important international centre of excellence in the fight against critical disease. Boasting vibrant universities and business schools, the Barcelona ecosystem is a place where scientists can thrive. We attract a diverse workforce from across the globe, shining a beacon for innovation in a country that’s committed to clinical development.

We invite you to bring your talents to Barcelona where our respiratory medicine R&D and Global Marketing centre offers opportunities in R&D, IT, Commercial and HR. Or join us in Madrid and shape our growth in our BUs (Respiratory, Oncology & CVRM ), and a range of Corporate functions. Additionally, you can find sales roles throughout the country. Together, we’re contributing to a world-leading pipeline of therapeutics and delivering life-changing medicines to patients.

Who do we look for?

Calling all tech innovators, ownership takers, challenge seekers and proactive collaborators. At AstraZeneca Spain, breakthroughs born in the lab become transformative medicine for the world's most complex diseases. Alongside technical expertise, colleagues have the resilience, energy and collaborative mindset to change lanes, work with different teams and start projects from scratch.

Here, diverse minds and bold disruptors can meaningfully impact the future of healthcare using cutting-edge technology. Whether you join us in Madrid or Barcelona, you can make a tangible impact within a global biopharmaceutical company that invests in your future. Join a talented global team that's powering AstraZeneca to better serve patients every day.

Success Profile

Ready to make an impact in your career? If you're passionate, growth-orientated and a true team player, we'll help you succeed. Here are some of the skills and capabilities we look for.

Diverse collaborators

This is a speak-up culture that values collaboration. You’ll proactively bring your unique perspectives, experiences and skills to the table and seek the same from others. With our international team composition and the need for fast-paced collaboration, you’ll always be building new connections with colleagues.

Cutting-edge innovators

When you join us, you’ll be part of a team that embraces digital technology and data to transform the way we work and the work we do. Every day, you’ll help make history, empowered to ignite your creativity and build something enduring.

Resilient trailblazers

Here, the answers aren’t always available. So, you’ll need to bring a fearless, self-starter mindset to navigate uncharted territories. You’ll harness your ceaseless energy to discover and make the necessary connections with colleagues to shape the future and achieve maximum impact.

Agile movers

Seize ownership and excel with autonomy to enjoy the constant rush of ground-breaking discovery. Your ability to anticipate sudden shifts and adapt swiftly will prove critical as you make your mark in an environment that rewards initiative and resilience.

Responsibilities

Job ID R-252595 Date posted 05/20/2026

Are you ready to lead global study delivery and turn complex operational challenges into repeatable, high-quality execution that moves medicines to patients faster? Do you thrive on building high-performing teams and creating consistency across locations while embracing new processes and technology? As Director Study Management, you will lead a team of experienced Study Management leaders who enable delivery of clinical and non-clinical projects across our portfolio. Your impact will be felt in how efficiently and reliably our studies run, how quickly our programs progress, and how confidently our teams navigate change. You will build capability, set clear direction, and ensure our ways of working are consistent, compliant, and future-ready—so our science can reach patients with speed and quality.

Typical Accountabilities:

1. Line management of Global Study Associate Directors

• Recruit, Retain & Develop personnel • Demonstrate AZ values  

• Provide skills and capability training to SM personnel to support their development  • Ensure personnel have been trained and work within compliance of ethics, company policies and standard procedures

• Role model and embed a performance driven culture and coach staff for optimum performance

• Develop and nurture capabilities of our present and future AZ leaders

• Manage performance including feedforward and rewards

• Provide expertise and direction to support direct reports with proactive problem/risk identification, solution building and issue resolution to facilitate achievement of objectives on time and to appropriate quality.

• Timely assignment of capable Study Management resources to meet the clinical study team demands, in collaboration with other members of Study Management Leadership team, and the Capacity Management Team 

2. Study Management

• Participate in setting, and responsible for implementing, the vision & strategy for Study Management, aligned with Clinical Operations Vision & Strategy

• Work with Senior Director(s) Study Management and Director(s) Study Management to contribute to business strategy and streamline processes for drug/non-drug projects or departmental activities

• Lead and support change by encouraging diversity of solutions and implementing process changes consistently across Study Management 

• Act as a change agent, with local and global impact, to ensure adoption of global initiatives

• Promote and encourage innovation and creativity

• Work within Study Management Leadership Team to achieve accurate resource forecasting and develop solutions to efficiently and flexibly resource study teams  

• Promote and encourage communication within and across Study Management, Clinical Operations

• Ensure quality and compliance to External Regulations and AZ Standards

• Work across the locations to develop global efficient ways-of-working

• Provide expert input into functional and cross-functional global processes

• Foster the sharing of study delivery knowledge, information, and best practice 

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience 

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in medical or biological science, or related subject or equivalent qualification or experience.

• 10 or more years of experience in the pharmaceutical industry  

• Comprehensive experience with ICH-GCP and  clinical and Drug Development process within a pharmaceutical or clinical background

• Proven leadership and ability to promote motivation and empower others in order to accomplish individual, team and organizational objectives  

• Thorough knowledge of Study Management processes in both local regulation and global environment

• An understanding of the therapeutic areas related to AstraZeneca’s products  

• Strong leadership, problem solving, stakeholder management and conflict resolution skills 

Desirable

• Advanced degree in a scientific discipline

• Line management experience  

• Ability to look for and champion more efficient and effective methods/processes of delivering quality clinical trials with reduced budget and in less time.

Date Posted

19-may-2026

Closing Date

02-jun-2026

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.

Reasons to Join

Thomas Mathisen

There are many things I enjoy when working at AstraZeneca, mainly the Speak up culture, the great colleagues that are in my teams, the great products that AstraZeneca provides to our patients and the challenging conversations I have around our medicines.

Sales Representative Oslo, Norway

There are many things I enjoy when working at AstraZeneca, mainly the Speak up culture, the great colleagues that are in my teams, the great products that AstraZeneca provides to our patients and the challenging conversations I have around our medicines.

Christine Recchio

Working at AstraZeneca has impacted my life in such a positive way. I now have an improved work-life balance through creating my own schedule and time management, I feel a balance that I didn’t have before.

Sales Representative California, United States

Working at AstraZeneca has impacted my life in such a positive way. I now have an improved work-life balance through creating my own schedule and time management, I feel a balance that I didn’t have before.

Stephanie Ling

There are a lot of reasons why I enjoy working in AstraZeneca, my colleagues being one of them. My team members and the managers have provided a great deal of guidance in helping me to be more confident in my daily work.

Sales Representative Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

There are a lot of reasons why I enjoy working in AstraZeneca, my colleagues being one of them. My team members and the managers have provided a great deal of guidance in helping me to be more confident in my daily work.

What we offer

We're driven by our shared values of serving people, society and the planet. Our people make this possible, which is why we prioritise diversity, inclusivity, balance and sustainability. Discover what a career at AstraZeneca could mean for you.

An award-winning company

We're passionate about being a great place to work, and 84% of our employees would recommend us as an employer. We've been recognised as a Top Employer in Spain, an EFR Family Responsible Business, and we achieved third place in Forbes Spain's Top 50 Best Places to Work list.

Inclusive environment

Diversity and inclusion are embedded in everything we do, and our different views, experiences and strengths enrich our culture. There's no salary gap at AstraZeneca, and the number of female employees has increased by four per cent over the last three years. We've also made all positions fully accessible.

Work-life balance

Your wellbeing means a lot to us, and we're here to support you through all of life's ups and downs. That's why we offer an unpaid leave policy, annual leave, reduced-hours timetables and a host of benefits, including a retirement plan, long service award, and health and travel insurance.

Sustainability initiatives

We're committed to harnessing the power of science to become a more sustainable business. We've reduced our carbon footprint by over 9,000 kg of CO2 over the last two years, and we lead the European GoGreen Project, which aims to introduce environmentally friendly options in our fleet of corporate vehicles.

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Great culture, great work assignments, supportive management. Rotation opportunity within the company. They value our people.