Senior Manager – Publications Delivery (Alexion, AstraZeneca Rare Disease Unit)

Title: Senior Manager – Publications Delivery

• Career Level: E
• Shift: 2 to 11 IST
• Role: People Management with hands on Publication Development
• Experience: 10 to 15 years of experience
• Work Mode: Hybrid (3 days in office)
• Location: Manyata Tech Park, Bangalore

About Alexion:

Here it means more. More because here everyone, no matter the role, deeply connects with patients so we can do our best work. More because of the supportive culture where ideas are encouraged, the work is challenging and rewarding. More because of the impact we can have on our own careers, developing at pace. But most of all, more because of our patients, their journey and their hope. That is what brings us closer to every individual, closer to our work, and closer together as a team.

Introduction to role:

The Publications Delivery Lead (Senior Manager) will establish and lead the Alexion Publications Delivery team, coordinating a multi-tier organization of content authors, visual designers, InVision specialists, and editors. This role blends people leadership and operations management, with accountability for end-to-end delivery excellence in scientific publications, operational rigor, collaborator engagement, and ongoing improvement.The ideal candidate is an experienced publications professional with a strong background in international shared service hubs or service agencies. They have a proven record of building teams from scratch. They also define important metrics, establish standard operating procedures, and improve quality and performance indicators on a large scale.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Leadership and People Management

• Team build-out: Establish and scale a high-performing publication delivery team; define roles, levels, and career pathways.
• Coaching and mentorship: Provide ongoing guidance, feedback, and development plans for Publication Writers, Graphic designers, and Editors
• Performance management: Set clear goals, conduct regular check-ins and annual reviews, manage underperformance, and recognize high performance.
• Workforce planning: Forecast demand, plan capacity, and manage hiring, onboarding, and succession.

Operations Management and Delivery Excellence

• End-to-end delivery: Oversee planning, drafting, review cycles, approvals, and finalization of publications to meet timelines and quality standards.
• Ways of working and SOPs: Design, implement, and maintain SOPs, RACI matrices, workflows, and operating models across therapy areas and publication types.
• Process optimization: Identify bottlenecks, drive continuous improvement (e.g., Lean, Kaizen), and standardize guidelines across teams.
• Benchmark and indicator management: Define and track SLAs, benchmarks, and objectives and key results (e.g., timely delivery, first-time-right quality, cycle-time, rework rates, collaborator happiness).
• Quality management: Implement robust QA/QC processes, editorial standards, checklists, and audit readiness; ensure compliance with GPP or equivalent experience and internal policies.
• Risk and issue management: Proactively identify risks, maintain RAID logs, and drive timely mitigations and resolution of blocking issues.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Partnerships: Build strong, transparent relationships with Alexion Publication teams. and strong relationships with external vendors/agency partners.
• Intake and prioritization: Run structured request intake, triage, resourcing, and scheduling to balance portfolio priorities and work volume.
• Governance: Lead cadence meetings (stand-ups, sprint reviews, monthly governance calls, QBR), publish dashboards, and present performance to leadership.

Resource and Vendor Management

• Resourcing: Allocate work across internal teams and approved vendors; manage flexible capacity models.
• Vendor oversight: Define scopes, performance metrics, and quality gates for agencies; ensure cost-effectiveness and compliance.
• Budget and efficiency: Track effort, utilization, and unit costs; drive efficiency improvements and return on investment. Support invoicing, PO, Realization and recharge.

Publication Delivery Domain Responsibilities

• Provide structured, high-impact review, mentoring, and coaching to Expert Publication Writers and Senior Publication Writers. Serve as the trusted, go-to advisor for publication-related queries. Support the team by providing clear mentorship to resolve conflicting author comments and changing collaborator requirements.
• Align with GPP (Good Publication Practice), ICMJE, CONSORT/PRISMA where applicable, medical-legal-regulatory standards, and organizational guidelines. Should be aware of the guidelines in Equator Network and should be an advocate to implement then as needed.

Tools, Technology, and Documentation

• Systems: Champion publication management tools (e.g., Pub planning platforms, content repositories, reference managers), collaboration suites, and workflow trackers.
• Templates and playbooks: Create and maintain templates, checklists, SOPs, and training materials to ensure consistency and scalability.
• Artificial intelligence: Demonstrated understanding of AI tools in healthcare literature, coupled with a keen interest in piloting, implementing, and scaling solutions that improve efficiency, quality, and consistency.
• Reporting: Build automated dashboards and monthly business reviews; deliver actionable insights to collaborators and leadership.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Advance degree in life sciences, pharmacy, medicine, or related field; PhD/MD/PharmD/MSc preferred.
• Experience: 10+ years in medical publications/medical writing, including 5+ years in people management and operations leadership.
• Proven track record: Setting up new teams/functions in GCCs or client support organizations, implementing SOPs, important metrics, and delivery governance.
• Domain expertise: Strong knowledge of GPP, criteria established by ICMJE, reporting frameworks like CONSORT and PRISMA, ethical authorship, data standards, and journal/congress processes. ISMPP CMPP Certification is preferred.
• Operational excellence: Demonstrated ability to run large-scale delivery with metrics, QA, and ongoing improvement.
• Collaborator management: Experience partnering with global cross-functional teams and external agencies; strong communication and influence skills.
• Global experience: Working across time zones and cultures; experience in global capability centres or offshore/nearshore models.

Core Competencies

• Leadership: Team building, coaching, and empowerment.
• Operational rigor: Process design, SOPs, KPIs, and compliance.
• Scientific rigor: Data accuracy, sound data interpretation, correct comprehension, and robust scientific understanding of rare diseases.
• Quality approach: First time-right delivery, audit readiness, and continuous improvement.
• Critical thinking: Aligning publication delivery with asset and portfolio goals.
• Communication: Clear, concise, and influential with senior collaborators.
• Problem solving: Data-driven, pragmatic, and resilient under pressure.

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.

At AstraZeneca's Alexion division, you'll find a unique opportunity to grow and innovate within a rapidly expanding portfolio. Our entrepreneurial spirit fosters autonomy while our energizing culture encourages connections that lead to new ideas. As part of our commercial team, you'll meet the needs of under-served patients worldwide. With tailored development programs designed for skill enhancement and empathetic understanding of patient journeys, you'll align your growth with our mission. Supported by exceptional leaders and peers, you'll drive change with integrity in a culture celebrating diversity and innovation.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now to join our team!

Alexion is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where every single person can belong because of their uniqueness. The Company will not make decisions about employment, training, compensation, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment based on race, color, religion, creed or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), parental status (including adoption or surrogacy), military status, protected veteran status, disability, medical condition, gender identity or expression, genetic information, mental illness or other characteristics protected by law. Alexion provides reasonable accommodations to meet the needs of candidates and employees.

Date Posted

Closing Date

Alexion is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where every single person can belong because of their uniqueness. The Company will not make decisions about employment, training, compensation, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment based on race, color, religion, creed or lack thereof, sex, sexual orientation, age, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, (including childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), parental status (including adoption or surrogacy), military status, protected veteran status, disability, medical condition, gender identity or expression, genetic information, mental illness or other characteristics protected by law. Alexion provides reasonable accommodations to meet the needs of candidates and employees. To begin an interactive dialogue with Alexion regarding an accommodation, please contact accommodations@Alexion.com. Alexion participates in E-Verify.