Axial Programme Project Director

Job Title: Axial Programme Project Director

Location: Lisbon, Portugal

Introduction to the role:

The Axial Project Director will work in collaboration with an assigned Axial LT member or Enterprise process owners. Your role will be to coordinate, manage and be accountable for timely delivery of various Axial projects and initiatives on behalf of the Axial Extended Leadership Team. You will operationalise the ELT strategies and deliverables through the implementation of project delivery methodology including risk, planning, reporting and financial management.

Working with a global team of subject matter experts (including third party partners), you will need to ensure all aspects of the full project delivery lifecycle are delivered in a timely manner, with relevant interdependencies / interlocks accounted for and risks/issues managed and controlled. You will represent your projects and seek sign off to proceed at regular project control boards to demonstrate progress to plan, work product completion, milestones achieved within budget tolerance.

As a Project Director will be experienced in agile delivery and some experience /awareness with SAP Activate methodology. You will report operationally to the areas within the programme where you are assigned, but will be “homed” in a pool of experienced Axial Project Managers where experience, ways of working and skills can be shared, and your career ambitions managed to allow you to gain exposure, experience and education is other areas of the Axial Programme. You will report into the Head of the PMO to ensure good working practices and governance and maybe required to report up into senior programme leaders to account for your project’s delivery.

You should demonstrate excellent communication skills, with a strong sense of delivery, outcome and results driven with excellent attention to detail.

This is a fast-paced demanding environment that requires the Project Director to have a collaborative, win-win approach and know how develop and work with high performing teams.

Key Skills & Capabilities

We are seeking for Project Managers with a proven track record of leading, mobilizing, and delivering ground-breaking SAP S/4HANA projects. In this role, you will lead project teams through the full lifecycle—from initiation to close—ensuring that we deliver effective solutions that meet both customer and business needs. You will be directly accountable for delivering these solutions within approved budget and schedule commitments while maintaining the highest quality and compliance standards.

Success in this position requires a strong delivery focus, complemented by excellent partner management and presentation skills. Your primary focus will include proactive risk management and the realization of business benefits, all while adhering to established project management standards and contributing to the ongoing development of our internal project management capability.

Key Accountabilities/Responsibilities

• Agree and deliver plans for projects / programmes (or contribution to a section of a larger project), including activities, resources, costs, roles, responsibilities, and quality as defined in the Project Management Methodology (ADF and SAP Activate).
• Run projects or programme budgets, forecasts, tasks, schedules, risks, organisational change, and status to support effective decisions and project reporting to customers and review boards.  Coordinate status and delivery of project workstreams.  Identify and lead dependencies between projects (intra-programme and across portfolio).
• Build a cohesive, high performing project team across the business functions, including offshore and third parties and provide the leadership vital to improve the team’s success. 
• Manage relationships with key business collaborators to ensure the effective capturing of business requirements and dedication to project/programme objectives.  Responsible for steering and partner meetings, communication of status, issues and risks.
• Effectively collaborate with and lead Internal and External Suppliers to ensure delivery of agreed products and services while ensuring adherence to AZ project delivery standards
• Ensure effective risks, issue and organisational change processes are in place and effectively used.  Resolve problems and increase as appropriate ensuring that all impacts and changes are approved and appropriately communicated to partners and review boards.
• Ensure encouraged benefits realization is consistent with project deliverables and clearly understood by partners and project team.
• Support continued development of an elite project management capability and ensure that standard methodology is adopted and reinforced.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Shown project and programme management skills, including:

• Traditional and agile delivery methods, including familiarity with SAFe
• Setting up and leading project controls
• Adhering to governance requirements
• Handling and controlling project budgets and benefits delivery
• External supplier management
• Problem solving
• Stakeholder management
• Significant (typically 5+ years) proven experience as a PM across the whole project lifecycle
• Technical or business degree or relevant equivalent experience
• Experience leading and developing project teams with a diverse blend of skills and capabilities
• Experience working in a global organization where collaborators and project team members are geographically dispersed
• Broad understanding of SAP S/4HANA and technology implemented within a business context
• Effective communication and consulting skills to work with a diverse range of partners

Desirable Skills

• SAP Activate and S/4HANA experience
• Project / Programme Management certifications
• Pharmaceutical industry experience and/or experience of delivery in a highly regulated environment
• Lean & Six Sigma Skills
• Master’s degree
• Experience of collaboration platforms for project delivery – e.g. Jira, PPM tools, testing tools.

We believe that when unexpected teams collaborate in person, we unleash the bold thinking necessary to inspire life-changing medicines. Our office-based environment provides the platform to connect, work at pace, and challenge perceptions; therefore, we typically work a minimum of three days per week from the office. This commitment to in-person collaboration is balanced with a respect for individual flexibility, ensuring you can thrive in our unique and ambitious world.

AstraZeneca is dedicated to being a 'Great Place to Work'—a space where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. Here, we embrace differences and take bold actions to meet global healthcare and sustainability challenges. There is no better place to make a meaningful impact on patients and society through an inclusive culture that values lifelong learning and growth.

We aren’t just offering a job; we are inviting you to join a movement shaping the future of healthcare. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status. We believe our differences make us stronger and more innovative. If you require reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process, please let us know; we are dedicated to ensuring every candidate has an equitable opportunity to succeed.

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.