Director, Cell Therapy Logistics Operation

Introduction to role:
Are you ready to build and lead the global backbone that moves living cell therapies safely and on time? This role puts you at the center of vein-to-vein logistics for autologous and allogeneic programs, ensuring every patient’s treatment journey is protected by precision, speed, and rigor.

You will own the logistics control tower, manufacturing slot management, and courier performance across the US and international markets. Partnering across functions, you will define the operational requirements for our cell orchestration platform and guide the scale-up from clinical to commercial, transforming complex pathways into reliable, repeatable operations that accelerate access to therapy.

Accountabilities:

• Global Operations: Direct end-to-end, vein-to-vein logistics across US and ex-US; safeguard COI/COC, cold-chain integrity, right-first-time execution, and rapid exception management to protect patient treatments and program timelines.

• Slot Management: Govern manufacturing site scheduling; optimize slot utilization, anticipate conflicts, and lead escalation and recovery to maximize throughput and minimize delays.

• Courier Vendor Management: Own courier performance; set COPs and SLAs, monitor KPIs, lead RCA/CAPA, maintain qualified lanes and temperature controls, and coordinate contingency routing to ensure uninterrupted service.

• Trade Compliance: Ensure compliant import/export movements, permits/licenses, documentation, and adherence to regional requirements in partnership with Legal/Compliance and customs brokers, preventing regulatory delays and shipment risk.

• GDP/GMP and Quality: Embed GDP/GMP standards into SOPs, training, audits, and documentation; maintain inspection readiness and drive continuous improvement to elevate quality and reliability.

• People Leadership: Build and lead a high-performing logistics operations team; set goals, staffing, training, SOPs, and site enablement; foster collaboration, accountability, and clear performance standards.

• Systems and Data: Define business requirements and operational inputs for the Cell Orchestration Platform and related systems; enable scheduling, track-and-trace, dashboards, and data governance that power informed decision-making.

• Strategy and Analytics: Develop global logistics strategy and capacity plans; use analytics for scenario modeling, risk mitigation, and portfolio scaling, aligning operations with clinical and commercial growth.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• A minimum BS/BA degree with a minimum of 10 years (or MS/MA/MBA with 8+ years) in logistics operations at pharma/biotech or leading clinical supply or logistics providers.

• 5 years of people leadership experience, preferably managing across multiple sites or countries.

• Proven logistics control tower leadership for critical, temperature-controlled shipments, including scheduling, COI/COC, and incident response.

• Direct courier vendor management experience (SLAs, KPIs, RCA/CAPA); strong GDP/GMP and international trade compliance knowledge.

• Experience defining requirements for a cell orchestration platform and applying analytics to capacity and network performance.

• Strong people management and stakeholder partnership across internal and external interfaces.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Cell therapy logistics experience across autologous and allogeneic programs.

• Experience scaling operations from clinical to commercial phases.

• Lean/Six Sigma or operational excellence certification.

• Hands-on collaboration with customs brokers and regulatory agencies across multiple regions.

• Track record implementing scheduling, track-and-trace, and operational dashboards within orchestration platforms.

• Leadership of multisite, multinational teams in matrix environments.

• Advanced analytics for scenario modeling, risk simulations, and capacity planning.

• Ability to rapidly design SOPs and enable new sites in high-growth, evolving environments.

• Additional language proficiency for global operations.

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $141,997.60 to $ 212,996.40 USD. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by emailing AZCHumanResources@astrazeneca.com. 

Why AstraZeneca:
Join a place where you are trusted to take ownership and move fast, combining scientific rigor with data-driven operations to deliver therapies that change lives. You will work shoulder-to-shoulder with unexpected teams in the same room, unleashing bold thinking to solve complex logistics challenges at scale. We champion curiosity and decisive action, value kindness alongside ambition, and empower you with the tools, partnerships, and freedom to shape how living medicines reach patients across the world.

Call to Action:
Lead the global nerve center of cell therapy logistics and build the systems, teams, and partnerships that move cures to patients faster—bring your expertise and make your mark.

Where can I find out more?

• Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/

• Follow AstraZeneca on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/astrazenecacareers/

• Follow AstraZeneca on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/astrazeneca_careers/?hl=en

• Our US Footprint: Powering Scientific Innovation - YouTube

Date Posted

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.