Global Franchise Head CVRM, Weight Management Portfolio

Global Head, Late CVRM– Weight Management Portfolio

Are you an inspiring Leader with extensive experience in Late-stage drug development? Would you like to apply that expertise to impact the development of life changing medicines in Weight Management and Cardiometabolic Disease? 

At AstraZeneca, your innovative discoveries will ultimately have the potential to reach millions of patients in need, all across the globe. This is the place to make a greater impact on science and patients' lives. 

We have an exciting opportunity to join AstraZeneca Late R&D, Cardiovascular, Renal and Metabolismas a Global Franchise Head for our portfolio in Weight Management and Cardiometabolic Disease. You’ll take on a senior leadership role including both people and project management, with overall accountability for delivery of the disease area strategy. Your high-level accountabilities are critical to the delivery of AZ business objectives and portfolio value targets.  This includes responsibilities for multiple assets within the weight management franchise, and multiple indications, providing strategic leadership to the cross-functional Franchise Team to ensure successful global product delivery aligned with Weight Management objectives throughout the brands' life cycles. Additionally, you will be responsible for the overall leadership of multiple indication-level Global Product Teams (GPTs) to develop and implement specific asset strategies.

The role reports to the Senior Vice President Late CVRM and is placed at our dynamic R&D sites in Boston, Seaport Boulevard, MA, US or Gothenburg, Sweden.

What you’ll do

As part of developing and delivering the asset strategies you will define and drive the strategic and scientific value creation of the brands including the development path, governance approval, growth and maturity of the brands (Life Cycle Management) while integrating diverse internal and external perspectives into the process. Your accountabilities will also include: 

Development & delivery of ambitious & coherent franchise strategy

• Accountable for the overall disease area and asset strategies and their execution including TPP, all Investment Decisions and agreements with the business

• For indications relating to Weight Management define and drive strategic and scientific value creation across lifecycle including development, approval, launch, growth and maturity, integrating diverse internal and external perspectives

• Partner with the Commercial VP / Lead to generate, evaluate and deliver optimal commercial strategies to maximize the franchise value.

• Develop and maintain integrated product development plans for the franchise

• Drive continued new value generation for the franchise including strategic focus upon Asia, Emerging Markets and Must-win commercially prioritized markets.

• Oversee GPTs' execution of governance-approved business cases, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and quality standards, and collaborating with functional management to address any issues

• Ensure effective and transparent risk, opportunity and issue management at strategic and operational levels across the franchise

• Drive innovative and novel ways to accelerate development & maximize value for patients and the company for the franchise

Lead ambassador for the franchise internally & externally

• Serve as single point of contact for the asset, accountable for interactions with Disclosure Committee and SET

• Establish, cultivate, and actively consult with Key External Expert networks to promote strategic partnerships and acquire strategic intelligence

• Deliver product information to support internal and external business portfolio reporting (e.g., CEO briefings, annual results communications etc)

• Partner with Investor Relations to develop and actively manage the external messages for the analyst community for end of year results and all other material business interaction

Building and effectively leading high performing cross-functional teams.

• Lead and empower the franchise team through strong, creative and visible leadership, promoting  a high performing, cross functional global  leaders responsible for  franchise delivery

• Line manage Global Project Leaders for all weight management and other indications for the assets within the franchise

Ensuring appropriate Governance and Compliance and protect AZ´s Rights, Data and Intellectual Property

• Approve all external information on the product/franchise (including publications, regulatory documents, clinical trial registers etc)

• Manage and protect the Intellectual Property (IP) assets of the franchise in consultation with IP and legal experts including leadership of the Patent, Regulatory and Legal Defense Team 

Essential for the role

• Bachelor’s degree is required with science expertise as preferred

• At least 5 years of pharmaceutical industry experience

• Significant expertise & experience in all aspects of the drug development process, specifically in designing development strategies and delivering Phase 3 programs coupled with the appropriate regulatory and commercial insights required to achieve a successful product approval and launch.

• Strong business leader credible with Key Opinion Leaders, Payers and Scientific communities. Specific and relevant Therapy Area expertise. 

• Entrepreneurial in their style of working and have the energy level to create and lead a group of motivated individuals 

• Ability to communicate and influence at the highest levels with both internal and external stakeholders. 

• Successful global cross-functional team leadership and Line management experience

Desirable for the role

• Experience from large Metabolism Programs (Weight Management Programs preferred)

• Postgraduate qualification (or equivalent)

• 10 years of pharmaceutical industry experience preferred

• MBA