Business Excellence Lead

Role Purpose

• Mission: Embed operational excellence and cross‑functional process optimization across Marketing, Sales, Medical, and Market Access by adapting Global leading practices, methods, and toolkits to Romanian market realities and brands, while driving capability building and AI‑enhanced decision making to improve measurable performance.
• Scope: National (all brands/TAs), with cross‑BU alignment (BBU, OBU, RDU) and tight integration with SFE, Omnichannel, Data/BI, Digital Excellence, and Market Access governance.

Key responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional business excellence across Marketing, Sales, Medical, and Market Access, embedding standardized ways of working, governance, and metrics.
• Orchestrate Brand Planning, Go-To-Market, cycle planning, and cross-functional handoffs, aligning to Romanian priority pathways and accounts with shared scorecards.
• Drive SFE and channel effectiveness governance: partner with SFE & Channel Effectiveness Managers (per BU) on segmentation, targeting, territory design, incentive schemes, and field performance diagnostics; synchronize with omnichannel plans and medical scientific engagement.
• Champion operational excellence across customer engagement, people/processes, and data & AI - evolving toward agentic AI use cases for Next Beast Action (NBA) and compliant content at scale.
• Operational Metrics & Accountability: Define and maintain standard KPI taxonomy (reach, frequency, mix, conversion, SFE KPIs, OC KPIs); embed OKRs and quarterly business reviews; ensure consistent reporting definitions with BI.
• Leading Practices Pull‑Through: Translate global leading practices and toolkits into Romania’s market realities (brand planning frameworks, cycle planning checklists, pre-launch excellence plans, account working plans etc); ensure capability pull-through and adoption across TAs; update annually and after major launches.
• Education & Enablement: Co‑design with Capability and Learning Managers role‑based curricula; run “excellence sprints” for brand teams; track capability adoption and proficiency; ensure reinforcement post‑launch or major program rollouts.
• AI Integration: Identify AI use cases in planning/execution; socialize guardrails with Compliance; lead “analytics translation” sessions to convert AI/BI recommendations into brand actions and field plays; oversee A/B testing governance.

• Process Improvement: Run continuous improvement cycles on key processes (brand planning, cycle cadence, launch readiness, account working), documenting changes and benefits; retire outdated practices.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Ensure adherence to data privacy, promo/medical boundaries, and platform governance; coordinate with IT Lead and Compliance for process changes impacting systems or data.

Core Skills and Competencies

• Operating Model Design & Governance: Build standardized ways of working, governance forums, and cadence discipline; strong process optimization.
• SFE & Omnichannel Expertise: Deep knowledge of segmentation/targeting, cycle planning, incentive design, omnichannel execution standards, and performance governance.
• Advanced Analytical Thinking: Ability to interpret dashboards, AI outputs, and A/B tests; convert insights into practical actions for brand and field teams.
• Change Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Influence across BUs/TAs; partner with leadership to embed capabilities; strong communication and facilitation.
• Compliance Mindset: Robust understanding of promo/medical boundaries, data privacy, and platform governance.
• Education & Coaching: Instructional design literacy; hands‑on enablement and reinforcement strategies.

Core Capability Pillars

• Toolkit Adaptation & Method Enablement: Translate Global frameworks (brand planning, GTM, cycle planning, SFE, OC “what good looks like”) into local SOPs, templates, and operating rituals; maintain a living library of methods and playbooks.
• Education & Capability Building: Lead structured curricula for commercial functions (Marketing, Sales, Medical, Market Access) in partnership with L&D; drive onboarding, reinforcement, and role‑based competency uplift via workshops, clinics, and on‑the‑job coaching.
• Governance & Ways of Working: Establish and steward standardized governance for brand planning, cross‑functional handoffs, performance scorecards, OKRs, and cadence management; ensure compliance and audit‑readiness.
• Sales Force Effectiveness (SFE): Oversee the SFE framework with SFE & Channel Effectiveness Managers: segmentation/targeting, territory/call planning, goaling/incentives, field performance review, and omnichannel integration.
• AI‑Enabled Operational Excellence: Champion AI integration (e.g., NBA, content recommendations, resource optimization) to streamline planning and execution; interpret model outputs with Data Transformation and BI and drive insights‑to‑action.

Qualifications and experience

• 8+ years in commercial excellence, SFE, or related pharma roles; experience across multiple functions.
• Proven record of implementing standardized governance and driving capability adoption.
• Familiarity with brand planning, GTM models, OC planning and execution, cycle planning (CEX360 tools), Veeva CRM processes, and EUCAN frameworks.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• SFE & Channel Effectiveness Managers: Co‑govern SFE and OC integration; align on targeting, call planning, and incentive frameworks and performance readouts.
• Commercial L&D: Co‑own capability roadmap; localize Global content; measure proficiency gains and adoption.
• Omnichannel & Digital Specialists: Define “what good looks like” for campaign design; connect brand planning outputs to OC operational plans and dashboards.
• Digital Excellence Lead: Align on AI/MarTech toolkits, adoption programs, and change management; ensure consistent digital standards and playbooks.
• Data Transformation & BI Analyst: Validate KPI definitions; standardize dashboards; run A/B tests and analytics translation; ensure insight‑to‑action loops.
• Medical & Market Access: Synchronize scientific engagement governance and account working; align pathways, priorities, and compliant handoffs.
• IT Lead/Compliance: Coordinate platform/process changes; ensure security, privacy, and role governance.

Integration of AI Technologies

• Use Cases: Next Best Action, content recommendations, call/resource optimization, audience/segment prioritization, cycle plan optimization, A/B test design.
• Operating Guardrails: Document AI decisioning boundaries, human‑in‑the‑loop review, and compliance checkpoints; ensure explainability and audit trails with Data/BI.
• Adoption: Lead change management, training, and role‑specific enablement; track adoption KPIs (usage, recommendations actioned, performance uplift).
• Measurement: Define uplift targets per use case (e.g., call plan efficiency, engagement conversion, content utilization); run controlled tests; scale post‑validation.

Methods & Toolkits (adaptation focus)

• Brand Planning & GTM Playbooks: Localized templates, timelines, stakeholder maps, and handoff checklists.
• SFE Frameworks: Targeting/segmentation methods, territory optimization guidelines, incentive design toolkit, performance review cadences.
• Omnichannel Standards: “What good looks like” for journeys, content operations, dashboard packs, and campaign OKR templates.
• AI Adoption Guides: Use‑case charters, guardrails, human‑in‑the‑loop SOPs, change management materials, and analytics translation guides.
• Governance Assets: Scorecards, KPI dictionary, OKR frameworks, QBR templates, and RACI matrices for cross‑functional processes.

Operating Cadence

• Quarterly: Brand performance reviews, capability maturity assessment, SFE governance, AI use‑case reviews.
• Monthly: Cycle plan checkpoint, OC campaign governance, analytics translation clinics, continuous improvement stand‑ups.
• Per Launch/Initiative: Launch readiness governance, training sprints, A/B test plans, post‑implementation impact reviews.

Role Interfaces in IBEX 2.0

• Operational pillar: Leads Business Excellence with SFE, Learning & Development, OC Specialists, BI, IT, and Internal Support to ensure repeatable, measurable delivery.
• Transformational pillar: Partners with Digital Excellence and Data Transformation to scale AI use cases and modernize decision making.

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.