Director, Early Global Program Team Leader

Are you ready to lead the charge in preclinical development? As the Director, Early Global Program Team Lead (EGPTL), you will be pivotal in steering strategic direction and guiding preclinical development for one or more programs and Early Global Program Teams (EGPT). Your role will involve crafting an integrated development plan, maintaining strategic focus, and ensuring commitments are met. Collaborate with team members and external partners to fuel creative discussions, foster ownership, instill urgency, and facilitate robust risk identification and mitigation! Represent your program to leadership and review committees, acting as the liaison to other groups, ensuring clarity of purpose and responsibilities within the team.

Accountabilities:

• Strategic direction and leadership of cross-functional early global program team(s) from candidate selection (CSID) through development investment decision (CDID) to IND acceptance in accordance with organizational goals.
• Program ownership with final accountability for strategy, goals, and deliverables.
• In partnership with the program manager and core team, develop and implement an efficient integrated plan and timeline for achieving program goals and achievements.
• Lead the program team in developing preclinical, clinical, regulatory, translational, biomarker, diagnostics, CMC, and clinical development plans through to approval to meet the target product profile.
• Identify potential risks to program objectives and timelines. Develop and implement mitigation strategies and ensure contingencies are in place.
• Build competitive intelligence to develop preclinical and clinical differentiation strategies supporting the reason for investment.
• Act as point of contact and project representative to governance, decision-making bodies, and senior leadership including information dissemination and the resolution of critical project issues.
• Ensure efficient writing and timely submission of the IND/CTA (and IDE if needed); coordinate and author sections of key regulatory documents as needed.
• Responsible for overall excellence, quality, and rigor, holding team members accountable for meeting high standards.
• Negotiate with and influence key internal and external collaborators to achieve program goals.
• In partnership with the program manager, develop the budget and maintain adherence to forecasts. Resolve resourcing issues, applying expertise to stay on schedule and on budget.
• Contribute to objective setting and appraisal of core team members for program-related activities.
• Create a motivated, committed, and engaged project team; ensure effective team behavior with clear roles and responsibilities.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• MSc, PhD, MD/PhD, or PharmD with a minimum of 8 years of experience.
• Experience in preclinical drug discovery and development in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industries.
• Experience leading preclinical drug development programs in a matrixed, global organization.
• Excellent critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence others without direct authority, including team members, senior leaders, collaborators, and external decision-makers.
• Regulatory experience that includes a Pre-IND meeting, Scientific Advice meeting, or IND/CTA filing.
• A thorough understanding of the global scientific, regulatory, and commercial environments relevant to drug development.
• This is an office-based role with an expectation of a minimum of 4 days per week in office.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Broad background and knowledge of rare disease.

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 four 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, we are driven by a passion for innovation that transforms lives. Our commitment to rare disease biopharma places us at the forefront of biomedical science. With transparency, objectivity, and ethics as our guiding principles, we push boundaries to translate complex biology into transformative medicines. Our global reach and potent capabilities allow us to shape the future of rare disease treatment into new areas of unmet need. Here, you will find a vibrant culture that fosters connections, encourages exploration of new ideas, and supports learning. Empowered by tailored development programs designed for skill enhancement and empathetic understanding of patient journeys, you'll be part of a community dedicated to making a difference.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now to join our team!

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.