Associate Director R&D Central Business Support Team

Location: Warsaw, Poland
Hybrid model of work (3 days in office, 2 remote per week

Associate Director R&D Central Business Support Team

Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

• Accountable for ensuring business support excellence across AstraZeneca R&D organization in a dynamic and complex business environmentby adhering to stakeholders needs and AstraZeneca’s R&DPolicies & Standards.

• Accountable for identifying business needs and developing and extending support of R&D Central Business Support team for R&D in diverse projects, while staying flexible in administrative support. Maintain strong cross collaboration with stakeholders in R&D, possess in depth business understanding and using this knowledge to propose implementation of new projects and processes or improvements to existing ones. 

• Accountable for leading business support projects from initiation to implementation. Shaping solutions and ensuring that business requirements are effectively captured.Ensuring that R&D CBS team adopts quality and compliance standards, policies and procedures. Managing risk, benefits & value of every project. Deploy excellent analytical skills in the review of complex strategic issues/proposed projects, quantify impact on business and provide recommendations towards innovative solutions.

• Accountable formanagement and developmentof R&D CBS team members to ensure operational excellence and high level of customer service provided across AZ R&D organization. Provides direction, guidance and development to 5 Managers.

• Accountable for routine monitoring and annual audits. Identify, measure and report R&D CBS team activities compliance with AZ policy and standards.

• Lead initiatives to streamline and simplify process and procedures to provide efficiency and promote operational excellence. Seek out and introduce new solutions and ways to simplify and improve activities and ways of working including modern technology-based solutions.

• Accountable for PO support model for Clinical Trials in R&D. Ensuring team provides support for Study Teams in proper categories,in compliant manner,working closely with Procurement and Finance departments and ensuring operational excellence when working in Coupa systems.Accountable for coordination of External Funding process in BioPharma R&D including assuring compliance with AZ standards and educational process for External Funding Representatives Provide support to Head of BPO COO. Support reporting, and risk; business strategy tracking and reporting.

Tactical

• Identify business needs in R&D by maintaining close cooperation with stakeholders and deep business understanding. 

• Act as subject matter expert for requirements, policies and guidelines in projects supported by R&D Central Business Team. 

• Conduct regular assessment of projects and processes in R&D CBSand provide solutions to enhance productivity, efficiency, compliance, simplicity & quality to enhance operational excellence in ways of working.

• Ability to develop professional and working relationships with other functions in R&D.

• Identify, develop and launch new projects and processes that enhance collaboration, role clarity and responsibilities and simplicity with all stakeholders.Shape solutions and ensures that business requirements are effectively captured.

• Communicate R&D Central Business Support teammetric report updates.

• Ensure R&D CBS projectscompliance tracking and reporting.

• Ensure people strategy for R&D Central Business Support Team, provide and support development possibilities.

In this role you must be able to deal with high levels of ambiguity and be able to effectively navigate multiple diverse stakeholders. This role requires the ability to think strategically about key issues and drive operational excellence. 

Education, Qualifications, Skills and Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or related field. Desirable: Project Management qualification

• At least 3 years experience in a leadership role managing diverse teams. Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing teams in a complex and changing business environment.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a track record of strategic decision-making based on data.

• Pragmatic, operationally focused, keen to assist others in finding practical solutions

• Process improvement and change management experience

• Understanding of global best practice

• Excellent communicator across all levels of the business including comfort dealing with senior stakeholders

• Strong networking skills and an ability to achieve through engaging the co-operation of others