Director, Scientific Operations
Do you have a passion for Science? Would you like to apply your expertise to impact a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life changing medicines? Then AstraZeneca might be the one for you!At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.
About AstraZeneca in Gaithersburg, MD:
Our Gaithersburg, Maryland facility creates life-changing medicines for people around the world. This campus employs more than 3,500 experts in our field and is only a short drive from Washington, DC. This modern and vibrant scientific campus is the home of R&D and Oncology in the US. Here, we play host to some of the most cutting-edge technology and lab spaces, all designed to inspire collaboration and cross-functional science. We believe employees benefit from being challenged and inspired at work. We are dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion and collaboration.
The Gaithersburg site offers a variety of amenities to help boost productivity and help keep our employees happy and healthy. This includes a fitness center, employee healthcare clinic, electric vehicle charging stations, dry cleaning, full-service cafeteria and copy center. This is where you’ll find newly-designed, activity-based work spaces to suit a variety of working styles while increasing collaboration between teams.
Introduction to Role:
The DSO enhances operational effectiveness and integrates sensor technology to gain insights into laboratory occupancy, utilization, and capacity, thereby enhancing lab efficiency and resource management. They prepare data-driven insights for decision-makers, develop business intelligence, and establish KPIs to drive service enhancements, ensuring strategic decisions are thoroughly analyzed. Collaborating with cross-functional R&D leaders, the DSO identifies operational opportunities to expedite drug development and facilitate project results through continuous improvement and communication, aligning with AstraZeneca’s sustainability goals.
Additionally, the DSO analyzes data to support LabOps processes, engaging with senior business levels to provide technical insights and project delivery in analytics. This strategic role supports AstraZeneca’s pipeline by implementing initiatives to improve Lab Operations, aligning with business needs, driving operational excellence, and ensuring data-driven strategic decision-making.
Typical Accountabilities:
Operational Effectiveness and Sustainability:
Establish methods to disseminate internal tools and technical capabilities to apprise scientists of existing cross functional R&D Lab Operations services to drive organizational effectiveness.
Partner with scientific project teams and business planning customers to identify strategic priorities and proactively implement operational support models.
Establish a voice of customer (VOC) network across sites to define areas for continuous operational improvement and identify new and enhance existing processes.
Pinpoint opportunities to reduce outsourcing of R&D activities by streamlining the utilization of internal capabilities.
Disseminate scientific standard processes and establish cross-site scientific equipment training programs to speed delivery and reduce downtime.
Identify departmental bottlenecks and facilitate outsourcing of projects where appropriate.
Partner with senior leaders and R&D scientists to define existing R&D technical platforms and harmonize where appropriate to gain efficiencies and enhance AZs sustainability goals.
Establish Operational standard processes and training tools to simplify ways of working in R&D lab space and to optimize sustainability efforts.
Identify, assess, and mitigate high-level operational risks through innovative solutions and comprehensive cross-functional understanding.
Working with the Directors, Lab Operations and LIS partner, provide the framework to support data driven decisions to improve service delivery regarding Manage to Maintain, Service Contract costs, and sustainability efforts.
Operational Leadership and Project Management:
Drive organizational effectiveness by identifying and addressing areas for strategic and operational improvements across sites, in conjunction with Lab Digitization initiatives.
Work with the local LabOps Directors to ensure the LIS partner implements a Manage to Maintain framework to realize AZ’s carbon reduction goals.
Direct and supervise complex issue resolution in a cross-team and cross-site environment.
Develop site support teams, including sensor techs, optimization support teams and the new program implementation team to ensure program duties are in support of Lab Operations strategic goals.
Lead change initiatives and drive transformation programs, ensuring Scientific Operations provides optimized support to internal customers.
Lead complex, pioneering projects related to lab space optimization, coordinating efforts across multiple sites while driving organizational innovation.
Define and drive execution of projects which improve capability and capacity.
Technology Integration and Process Enhancement:
Develop, implement, and refine the lab sensor strategy to create understanding of lab space utilization and capacity and how to optimize space to support company growth including discovery and implementation of vital technologies to provide insights into understanding overall lab space usage.
Drive the digitization of laboratory processes and implement innovative technologies for data management to optimize scientific operations.
Contribute to the creation of a platform which enables sharing and viewing of data across multiple R&D sites supported by the Lab Operations central team.
Coordinate with R&D teams implementing GLS compliance to ensure LabOps-aligned and successful project implementation across all Oncology R&D sites.
Support site level project initiatives to meet implementation timelines and ensure effective delivery of pivotal initiatives.
Strategic Data Management:
Supervise the development of data-driven insights, including KPIs and business intelligence tools, to optimize operational effectiveness and support LabOps' mission to deliver superior R&D services across sites.
Provide thought leadership and act as a subject matter authority in designing and recommending appropriate analytical approaches and methodology to identify and address key issues across LabOps.
Apply business strategy to ensure the scalability and evolution of the LabOps team based on insights being delivered, balancing short-term and long-term needs.
Facilitate the establishment and execution of the roadmap and vision for service delivery and management to align with business objectives.
Prepare reports and create data visualizations to communicate sophisticated data narratives to customers, ensuring clear, concise, and visually engaging presentations.
Supervise the development and refinement of analytical models for data review and analysis to enable pipeline progression.
Lead measurement, assessment, and proactive communication about LabOps teams’ performance to facilitate operational excellence across multiple sites.
Operationalize the application of data and information to deliver optimal team performance and harmonize ways of working across R&D sites, supporting actionable insights for departments across LabOps, SiteOps, and R&D.
Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
Essential:
Bachelor’s or higher degree in an analytical or scientific field
8+ years of relevant data analytics experience
5+ years of people management experience
Consistent track record of turning insights gleaned from program analysis into real world solutions at various complexity levels
Experience with business intelligence, strategic planning, project management, and cross-functional objectives delivery
Experienced in bringing together diverse functions and building teams, guiding them through successful data analytic projects.
Mathematically inclined critical and analytical problem solver
Good interpersonal and problem-solving skills
Highly organized, efficient, and self-motivated
Strong interest in customer service and attention to detail
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Significant experience with Tableau, MSOffice, SQL, R, Visual basic and other data visualization tools.
Desirable:
Leads complexity
Productive
Customer Focus
Nimble Learning
Gets Results
Resourcefulness
Customer Focus
Decision Quality
Inspiring Others
Organizing
Priority Setting
Process Management
When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we fuel bold thinking with the power to encourage 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 unique and ambitious world.
At AstraZeneca, we are committed to turning our drug development strategies into reality. We work at all stages of development to translate our life-changing science into medicines to get the best results for AstraZeneca, patients in need and healthcare professionals. We are a diverse and open-minded team harnessing our different skills and experiences. Our differences enable us to explore new ideas and ways of doing things. It keeps us on our toes and excited for what's next. We are part of the solution, involved in key discussions. In our role we act as both a drug developer and Regulator. We think broadly about patients and what it takes to prevent and treat diseases to develop progressive solutions.
Are you ready to lead the way for a new breed of solutions-oriented Regulators? Champion a new approach to Regulatory that supports quick decision-making and balanced risk-taking. Apply now to join our efficient and nimble team at AstraZeneca!
The annual base pay for this position ranges from $143,894 to $215,833 . 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.
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.
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