Cybersecurity Senior Director, Operations and Intelligence

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that pushes the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines. More than just a leading pharmaceutical company, we are a vibrant community of innovators dedicated to making a difference in medicine, patients' lives, and society. We foster an inclusive, collaborative culture where you're empowered to push your entrepreneurial spirit, champion diversity, and commit to lifelong learning and growth. At AstraZeneca, you’ll be part of something bigger.

Our Cutting-Edge IT Environment

Here our work has a direct impact on patients – transforming our ability to develop life-changing medicines. We empower the business to perform at its peak and lead a new way of working, combining pioneering science with leading digital technology platforms and data. All with a passion to impact lives through data, analytics, AI, machine learning and more. Join us at a crucial stage of our journey in becoming a digital and data-led enterprise. Make the impossible possible by building partnerships and ecosystems, creating new ways of workingand driving scale and speed to deliver exponential growth. Focused and committed, and backed with the investment to succeed, we’re driving cross-company change to disrupt the entire industry. Ours is a place to innovate, take ownership and run with it. You’re trusted to explore and to find new solutions, experimenting with groundbreaking technology and grappling with challenges in a modern technological environment that might never have been tackled before. It’s a dynamic and challenging environment to work in – but that’s why we like it. There are countless opportunities to learn and grow, whether that’s exploring new technologies in hackathons, or transforming the roles and work of colleagues, forever. Shape your own path, with support all the way. Diverse minds that work multi-functionally and inclusively together. Be part of a team that has the backing to innovate, disrupt an industry and change lives.

About the Role

The Cybersecurity Senior Director, Operations and Intelligence will lead a team of directors, senior security managers, engineers, specialists and analysts, maintaining corporate wide cybersecurity operations to ensure that AstraZeneca’s digital ecosystem and assets are adequately protected from breaches, threat actor exploitation, and internal threats.  Working directly for the AZ Chief Information Security Officer, the role is responsible forleading cybersecurity operations, operations engineering, intelligence, and threat management. This is a critical AstraZeneca cybersecurity leadership role demanding high energy, continuous availability, ability to surge for extended uninterrupted periods to lead incident response and recovery efforts. The position requires eligibility for a US Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information clearance. Therefore,the position is open to US citizens only. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive cybersecurity operations policies, procedures, and practices.

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for global cybersecurity operations, including defense, detection, and response to sophisticated cyber threats.

• Ensure continuous compliance with AstraZeneca's Security Policy Framework and relevant global cybersecurity regulations (EU, US, China, and emerging regions).

• Conduct cyber risk assessments and provide experienced recommendations to senior management on standard processes and technology solutions.

• Contribute to the maturation of AstraZeneca's Cybersecurity Awareness program, ensuring effective training for employees and contractors.

• Partner in the development of a standardized risk dashboard and relevant cybersecurity metrics.

• Actively participate as a key member of the AstraZeneca Cybersecurity Leadership team.

• Maintain deep expertise in cyber threat vectors, attack methodologies, and mitigation strategies.

• Lead and guide cybersecurity assessments and penetration testing activities.

• Develop and champion a best-in-class threat management program.

• Establish and advance a best-in-class threat intelligence capability.

• Cultivate and enhance a best-in-class cybersecurity operations center (SOC) capability.

• Coach and mentor a geographically distributed, multinational team, fostering a supportive and high-performing work environment.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Extensive experience in cybersecurity leadership roles, with a consistent track record of success in cybersecurity operations leadership.

• Demonstrated expertise in implementing and operating cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST, ISO, CIS, IEC, and MITRE.

• Significant and current knowledge of cyber threat vectors and attack methodologies.

• Deep understanding of information security technologies, including cloud environments, SaaS, external-facing digital assets, networking, identity controls, and OT monitoring concepts.

• Strong interest and awareness of emerging AI technologies, AI-generated exploits, and AI threat tactics.

• Comprehensive understanding of the cybersecurity solution and tool landscape.

• Experience in cyber forensics and reverse engineering.

• Demonstrable experience leading and operating a 24x7x365 global Security Operations Center (SOC).

• In-depth knowledge of monitoring automation techniques, tools, integrations, and associated operational engineering practices.

• Demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and perform effectively under pressure.

• Current relevant information security certifications (GIAC, CISSP, CISM, CISA, etc.).

• Global perspective on privacy, security, and data protection issues and trends.

• Expertise in reducing cyber risk in large, global enterprises.

• Experience working across various IT disciplines and industries.

• Exceptional problem-solving and solve skills, with the ability to work autonomously and set strategic direction.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical information to diverse audiences.

• Collaboration, integrity, and enablement skills.

• Experience working in globally distributed organizations.

Key Relationships:

• IT Leadership Team

• Enterprise Technology Services Leadership team

• AZ Business Leaders

• AZ business risk / security teams

• Procurement

• Finance

• Internal Audit

• IT & Global Compliance

• External 3rd parties and suppliers

• External Auditors

Education:

• Bachelor's or associate degree in a relevant technology field (Computer Engineering, Computer Science) or equivalent professional experience.

• 8+ years of experience in a leadership role being responsible for cybersecurity operations.

Technology at AstraZeneca: Where Purposeful Disruptors Thrive!

The annual base pay for this position ranges from 185.843,20- 278.764,80 USD Annual (80% - 120%). Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we spark 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 outstanding and ambitious world.

Join a team with the backing and investment to win! You'll be working with brand-new technology. This marriage between our purposeful work and the use of high-tech platforms is what sets us apart. Lead the way in digital healthcare. From exploring data and AI to working in the cloud on new technologies. Join a team at the forefront. Help shape and define the technologies of the future with the backing you need from across the business.

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.

Ready to make an impact? Apply now!