People & Transformation Director, Global Corporate Affairs

Are you ready to shape a global Corporate Affairs organisation to thrive in a world defined by rapid scientific, technological and societal change? Based in Lisbon, this senior role leads an integrated people transformation agenda that strengthens culture, builds leadership capability and embeds digital and AI-enabled ways of working to amplify our impact on patients, partners and the enterprise.

As a strategic partner to the Global Corporate Affairs Leadership Team and HR Business Partner, you will design, lead and govern high-value initiatives that accelerate new ways of working, advance core and emerging capabilities, and create an exceptional end-to-end employee experience. Can you turn bold ideas into measurable progress across culture, capabilities and collaboration?

Joining at a moment of enterprise-wide innovation and growth, you will work across borders and fields to reinvent how we operate, enabling teams to move faster, make smarter decisions and achieve more. This highly visible position offers the platform to influence senior stakeholders, pilot pioneering approaches and scale what works across a global network.

Accountabilities:- People Transformation: Define and deliver an enterprise-scale people transformation strategy for Global Corporate Affairs, translating ambition into sequenced, measurable change that readies the function for the future.- Learning and Capability Strategy: Set the vision for learning and talent development; identify critical skills gaps, design signature programmes and evaluate impact to build a future-ready workforce.- Digital and AI Capability Building: Drive strategic adoption of digital, AI and advanced analytics to embed new skills and digital fluency across teams; ensure technology-enabled learning and working are part of the operating model.- Leadership Agenda: Craft and embed a leadership agenda that cultivates a diverse, high-performing leadership community and strengthens succession pipelines.- Operational Excellence and New Ways of Working: Establish and scale agile practices, simplified processes and continuous improvement; remove barriers to speed, quality and impact across geographies.- Holistic Employee Experience: Design and deliver the end-to-end employee experience—from onboarding and digital enablement to career mobility and wellbeing—creating initiatives that drive engagement and performance.- Inclusion and Diversity Advancement: Develop innovative inclusion and diversity programmes that strengthen global talent pipelines and foster belonging at every level.- Governance, Measurement and Impact: Own governance frameworks, budget oversight, indicators and impact reporting for people transformation, learning and employee experience; provide clear insights to senior leadership.- Executive Partnership and Representation: Build trusted relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders; represent transformation and people priorities across Corporate Affairs and the wider enterprise.

Essential Skills/Experience:- Demonstrated senior experience (minimum 5 years) in enterprise-scale people transformation, digital capability building, change management in a complex global business, preferably with Corporate Affairs experience.- Deep expertise in digital and AI strategy, with a record of embedding technology-enabled learning and capability programmes at the leadership level.- A strategic perspective with ability to design and oversee L&D strategies, build leadership capability, manage global stakeholder engagement, and enhance function-wide culture.- Strong background delivering operational excellence, agile change, and leadership development initiatives across multi-country teams.- Experience crafting comprehensive employee experience programmes, covering engagement, wellbeing, onboarding, and career progression.- Substantial achievement in leading inclusion and diversity breakthroughs at a strategic (not just compliance) level.- Advanced skill in governance, analytics, and reporting to executive audiences.- Strong communication and influencing skills, both verbal and written, supported by strong analytical ability and digital fluency to extract and communicate actionable insights.- Understanding of future trends, particularly in Corporate Affairs, impacting future skills and requirements of teams/leaders.- Track record of successfully project managing complex people initiatives within a global organisation.- Significant experience of managing different stakeholder relationships and confident at forging trusted relationships at a senior level.- Demonstrable experience of working with others to foster positive, results-oriented cultures

Desirable Skills/Experience:- Experience building capability academies or corporate universities and deploying modern learning ecosystems (LXP, skills frameworks, credentialing).- Certification in change and agile methodologies (e.g., Prosci, Agile, Scrum) and/or leadership development.- Experience establishing AI governance and responsible innovation practices in large organisations.- Background in Corporate Affairs within life sciences or highly regulated industries.- Master’s degree or equivalent experience in organisational development, HR, business, communications, or related field.- Fluency in English; additional languages beneficial.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash 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 unique and ambitious world.

Why AstraZeneca:Here you will help power the enterprise by bringing communicators, data experts and technologists around the same table to solve complex problems that matter to patients. We move with intent—testing ideas, learning quickly and scaling what works—while valuing kindness alongside ambition. With strong investment in digital transformation and talent development, you will harness predictive analytics, smart automation and new ways of working to free people to focus on what matters most, from discovery to delivery. You will be part of a global, connected community that shares knowledge openly, challenges the status quo thoughtfully and turns insight into real-world impact.

Call to Action:If you are ready to lead a global transformation that builds capabilities, accelerates performance and leaves a lasting mark on how we work, we want to hear how you will make it happen!

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.