Head of Corporate & State Government Affairs

The Opportunity

The United States sits at the heart of AstraZeneca's ambition — a market where the intersection of science, policy, and access determines whether life-changing medicines reach the patients who need them most. With our goal to significantly grow our US presence and impact by 2030, the decisions made in state capitals across America — on pricing, access, reimbursement, and regulation — have direct and immediate consequences for our ability to deliver on that ambition and to sustain the commercial foundation that funds our science.

This is the leader who stands between AstraZeneca and that risk. And who turns that environment into opportunity.

The US State Government Affairs Lead is one of the most consequential roles in our US business:

• Carries enterprise-wide responsibility for all state legislative and regulatory strategy across all 50 states
• Represents AstraZeneca's interests in an era of unprecedented policy complexity
• Does not wait for the political environment to move — shapes it
• Does not escalate to the leadership team — is the leadership team
• Does not manage a function — builds a national capability recognised inside and outside the organisation as best in class

This is a full member of the US Corporate Affairs Leadership Team, operating with the authority, visibility, and accountability that designation demands. It requires a leader of rare calibre — someone who combines:

• Deep policy expertise with commercial acumen
• Executive presence with team-building instinct
• Strategic vision with the operational discipline to execute across the most complex legislative landscape in the world

The Context

The U.S. state policy environment has never been more dynamic or more consequential for our industry:

• Prescription Drug Affordability Boards, 340B programme pressures, PBM reform, Medicaid policy shifts, and state-level pricing legislation are moving at speed
• The political dynamics that drive them shift with every election cycle, every legislative session, and every headline
• A single state law can establish a national precedent
• A single legislative session can reshape market access for an entire portfolio

The leader we appoint must walk in with their eyes fully open to this environment — and be energised by it.

What You Will Lead:

Commercial & Financial Stewardship

• Own and manage the full US State Government Affairs budget, allocating resources with the discipline and strategic judgment of a business leader
• Make clear-eyed decisions about where investment drives the greatest return — in external counsel, trade association engagement, advocacy infrastructure, and coalition development
• Report on return on investment with transparency and rigour to senior leadership
• Translate policy risk and opportunity into language that resonates in the boardroom, grounded in a deep understanding of the commercial priorities of the US business

Enterprise State Policy Strategy

• Serve as the enterprise authority on all U.S. state government affairs, setting and driving the national policy agenda for AstraZeneca across all 50 states
• Represent unified enterprise positions on the defining policy issues of our time — 340B, PDABs, PBM reform, Medicaid, and state pricing legislation — with the speed, precision, and strategic coherence that protecting our US market position demands
• Anticipate threats before they materialise, build the coalitions needed to defend our positions, and identify the policy opportunities that others miss
• Lead strategic decision-making on state public policy across all therapeutic areas within AstraZeneca's portfolio
• Create strategies and campaigns to optimise outcomes and defend against harmful legislative and regulatory proposals
• Identify, analyse, and act on emerging state legislative and regulatory matters with speed and enterprise-level impact

Executive Leadership & Board-Level Counsel

• Operate as a trusted advisor to SET-level and senior executive leadership, providing boardroom-ready counsel on U.S. state policy with the authority and confidence to shape decisions at the highest level
• Be the person in the room — representing this function, this team, and this organisation with the presence and credibility the role demands, without need for a senior buffer
• Contribute to enterprise strategy as a full member of the US Corporate Affairs Leadership Team, well beyond the boundaries of government affairs
• Engage with external thought leaders, state governors, legislative leaders, trade associations, think tanks, and third-party allies to shape the external policy environment
• Represent AstraZeneca in senior-level BIO/PhRMA working groups, committees, and high-profile professional settings
• Oversee AstraZeneca Political Action Committee (AZPAC) strategy and execution

Building a National Capability

• Lead the full US State Government Affairs team of approximately nine to ten people — not just managing them, but genuinely building them
• Create a performance culture where accountability is clear, development is continuous, and succession is planned
• Attract talent that raises the bar, set standards that define best in class, and build a team recognised across the industry as exceptional
• Provide ongoing performance feedback, development support, and career growth opportunities to direct reports
• Lead capability building and succession planning for the national function, with full accountability for long-term team performance
• The strength of this function five years from now will be a direct reflection of the leader appointed today

AI-Led Transformation

• Champion the embedding of artificial intelligence into the government affairs function — leading by example in adopting AI-driven approaches to legislative monitoring, stakeholder intelligence, policy analysis, and campaign strategy
• Role-model a different way of working — demonstrating personally that AI makes leaders faster, sharper, and more impactful
• Create a team culture where digital fluency is an expectation, not an aspiration
• Partner across Corporate Affairs and our enterprise technology function to pilot, scale, and embed the tools that give us a competitive edge
• This is not an innovation workstream. This is how we work.

What Success Looks Like:

In year one:

• Established as the unambiguous enterprise lead on U.S. state government affairs — internally and externally
• Clear view of the national policy landscape with a prioritised strategy for the states and issues that matter most
• Trust of SET-level leadership secured
• Team knows where they are going, feels the difference in leadership, and is performing
• AI tools are in use and the team is building fluency

By year three:

• Built one of the most respected state government affairs functions in the pharmaceutical industry
• AstraZeneca's positions on the defining state policy issues are shaping national debate
• Team has grown in capability and is developing the next generation of government affairs leaders
• AI is embedded in how the function operates — not as a feature but as the default
• The US business is stronger commercially because of the policy environment this team has helped build and defend

The Leader We Are Looking For:

You are a national-level policy leader with a track record of delivering outcomes — not just managing relationships:

• You have built the kind of credibility that means state officials return your calls, trade associations seek your counsel, and internal executives trust your judgment
• You are as comfortable in a governor's office as you are in a boardroom, and you bring the same quality of thinking to both
• You lead teams with genuine conviction — setting high standards, investing in your people, and building cultures where performance and development go hand in hand
• You have managed significant budgets and understand what it means to be accountable for return on investment, not just activity
• You are curious about AI and honest about the fact that it is changing the nature of this work — you do not need to be a technologist, but you need to be a leader who embraces change, models new ways of working, and brings your team with you
• You bring a commercial mindset to a policy role — you understand that the ultimate measure of this function is its contribution to patients and to the business, and you are motivated by both

Essential background:

• Bachelor's degree required; graduate or law degree strongly preferred
• Fifteen or more years of progressive experience in state government affairs, public policy, or law, with a minimum of ten years in senior national leadership
• At least five years leading teams with direct reports in a complex, matrixed organisation
• Deep pharmaceutical or healthcare industry knowledge
• Full budget ownership experience
• Willingness to travel up to 40%

Preferred Requirements

• Graduate or law degree
• More than 10 years' experience in state government affairs, public policy, or legal
• At least 5 years' experience in the pharmaceutical industry
• Demonstrated strong external relationships with key stakeholders in state capitals, governors, state legislatures, and trade associations such as BIO & PhRMA
• Demonstrated ability to shape the external environment through interactions with state officials
• Experience with pharmaceutical cross-functional teams (ally development, public relations, health policy)
• Demonstrated ability to manage corporate relationships with trade associations
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally
• Strong understanding of the activities undertaken by political action committees
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across commercial sales, market access (managed care), medical affairs, corporate affairs, legal, and compliance

Why This Role. Why Now.

• The policy decisions being made in U.S. state capitals today will define the commercial landscape for the next decade
• AstraZeneca is not a company that watches that happen — we shape it
• This role is the single most important lever we have at the state level
• We are looking for a leader who understands that weight, welcomes it, and has the capability to carry it

If you are a government affairs leader who is ready to operate at true enterprise scale, to lead a national team with ambition and accountability, and to help define what modern, AI-augmented policy leadership looks like — this is your role.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

The annual base salary for this position ranges from $229,332 to $315,332. However, 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. 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 salary (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.

Date Posted

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.