Local Study Associate Director CAR-T

Are you ready to lead country-level CAR-T studies that turn scientific ambition into outcomes for patients with speed and precision? In this role, you will convert complex cell therapy strategies into operational excellence, accelerating start-up, elevating site performance, and safeguarding quality across every milestone. You will partner closely with cross-functional experts—monitoring, regulatory, medical, data and quality—to deliver studies that are inspection-ready and on time. Your leadership will strengthen site relationships, shorten activation timelines, and improve data integrity, directly influencing how quickly transformative therapies reach those who need them. Based in Milan, you will orchestrate delivery in a fast-moving environment where smart decisions and disciplined execution matter. Can you bring clarity, pace and accountability to high-stakes studies while coaching others to raise the bar?

Accountabilities:

Leadership and Oversight: Lead the Local Study Team, set a clear operating rhythm, and optimize team performance to deliver country milestones on time and within budget; ensure compliance and effective governance, and run high-value meetings that drive decisions and momentum.

Study Management: Translate protocol and strategy into country execution plans; develop monitoring strategies, coordinate timely site identification and selection, and secure on-time submissions to enable rapid activation and sustained site performance.

Feasibility and Site Engagement: Lead country feasibility assessments, leveraging knowledge of the local clinical research landscape to identify high-potential sites and assess patient recruitment opportunities. Partner closely with investigators and site staff to evaluate study viability, anticipate enrollment challenges, and shape execution plans that maximize study delivery and patient access. Contribute strategic insights to study allocation decisions and support the development of strong relationships with key research centers. 

Monitoring and Compliance: Conduct co-monitoring to strengthen quality and coaching, review monitoring outputs to spot trends early, and oversee audit activities; drive corrective and preventive actions that keep studies inspection-ready.

Documentation and Systems: Maintain complete, accurate documentation throughout the study lifecycle; ensure systems are current and reliable and prepare for final archiving to protect data integrity and regulatory readiness.

Collaboration and Reporting: Work hand-in-hand with CRAs, Investigators and Regulatory Affairs; provide clear, regular updates on progress, issues and decisions to keep stakeholders aligned and risks managed.

Training and Support: Onboard and coach new team members; champion process improvements that simplify operations, reduce cycle times and scale best practice across studies.

Regional Contribution: Uphold company values and contribute to regional initiatives that harmonize ways of working and elevate performance beyond a single study.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Proven ability to lead a Local Study Team, optimize team performance, ensure compliance, organize meetings and manage budgets.
• Experience meeting study commitments, developing monitoring plans, coordinating site selection and ensuring timely document submissions.
• Experience performing co-monitoring visits, reviewing monitoring reports and overseeing audit activities.
• Demonstrated capability to ensure document completeness, maintain study information in required systems and prepare for final archiving.
• Strong track record of working closely with CRAs, Investigators and Regulatory Affairs, providing updates on study progress.
• Training and Support: Experience training new team members and contributing to process improvements.
• Miscellaneous: Commitment to company values and willingness to support regional initiatives.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Experience leading country-level studies in oncology or other complex therapeutic areas. Familiarity with risk-based monitoring and data-driven site management approaches.
• Relevant experience on management of CAR-T Cell Therapy studies. 
• Proficiency with clinical trial systems (e.g., CTMS, eTMF) and documentation standards.
• Demonstrated success in audit readiness and inspection management.
• Strong stakeholder management skills with investigators, site networks and regulatory partners.
• Experience driving cross-study process improvements and harmonization across regions.

Why AstraZeneca: Join a team advancing cancer care from early diagnosis through long-term survivorship, where science, speed and rigorous delivery come together to change what’s possible for patients. We unite diverse specialists to make fast, data-informed decisions, pairing bold ideas with disciplined execution. Here you will shape how innovative combinations and next-wave modalities like CAR-T reach patients sooner, while growing as a leader in a culture that balances ambition with kindness. We believe the best work happens when people are together, so we typically meet in the office at least three days a week—creating the energy to co-create, challenge assumptions and move faster—while offering flexibility when it matters.

Call to Action: If you are ready to lead local study delivery from Milan and turn breakthrough science into tangible patient benefit, take the next step and help us accelerate what’s possible!

We offer:

Salary range: 64.206,40€ to 96.309,60€ per annum

Contract Level: A3

CBA: Chemical-Pharmaceutical

Full-time

Permanent 

Benefits:

In addition to the Gross Base Salary, we offer:

• An annual target bonus governed by the Company’s policies as amended from time to time and subject to periodic review/Sales incentives governed by the Company’s policies as amended from time to time and subject to periodic review
• Participation Bonus
• Wellbeing benefits (welfare, insurance, psychological support, etc.)

 Final compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to skills, experience, internal organizational equity and other relevant factor.

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.