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Senior Director

AstraZeneca
· posted 19 August 2026
Category
Manufacturing and Production

Job Title: Senior Director, External Science Engagement Strategy Lead

Location: Remote, UK (occasional travel to London/ Cambridge may be required)

Duration: 6 months

IR35 Status: Inside



Below, you will find a complete breakdown of everything required of potential candidates, as well as how to apply Good luck.

The Senior Director, External Science Engagement Strategy Lead supports the ORD Strategy - Academic Partnerships mission of driving and integrating insights, biosamples, capabilities and accelerating clinical trial delivery through our industry-leading academic ecosystem.


Specific responsibilities include ownership of External Science Panels and the generation of milestone-informing insights that support individual tumor and asset strategies as well as the overall Oncology R&D Strategy. It will drive cross-functional collaboration across Early Oncology, Late Oncology, Tumor Councils, and ORD Strategy teams. This role will lead critical team-wide initiatives and workstreams.

In this role you will utilize your experience, leadership, and extensive expertise in oncology to lead effective cross-functional working teams of internal stakeholders in Oncology, Haematology and Cell Therapy R&D and leverage the vast AZ network of external experts in order to drive and deliver the AZ Oncology strategy.


What you will do:

  • With senior ORD & CTU leadership, identify highest-priority strategic topics for External Engagements and integrate learnings and insights into strategic plans.
  • Lead the External Science Panel portfolio, and deliver ESPs end-to-end
  • Manage multiple cross-functional, cross-disciplinary working teams to deliver External Engagements.
  • Work with ORD-LT members to socialize and integrate critical outputs, actions, and recommendations into strategic plans.
  • Maintain up-to-date knowledge of AZ pipeline, strategy, vision, and SBDA priorities.
  • Collaborate with broad functional teams across the early and late-stage oncology organization (Early Oncology, Late Oncology, Tumor Councils, and SBDA).
  • Lead subset of External R&D internal workstreams in close collaboration with other members of the Leadership Team.
  • Manage Key External Expert (KEE) relationships and participate in meetings with external partners; prepare and deliver external presentations.
  • Contribute to budget management, governance processes, and annual planning processes.
  • Maintain compliance with all company compliance and regulatory guidelines governing external interactions.


Qualifications:

  • PhD or MD (desirable) in life sciences, biomedical sciences, healthcare, or a related field, with experience working in or consulting with the pharmaceutical industry.
  • Management consulting, investment banking, private equity, or other similar professional experience.
  • Critical strategic thinker comfortable with designing and executing workplans and communication cascades within a highly matrixed organization.
  • Highly collaborative with exceptional interpersonal skills and the capacity to influence stakeholders across Oncology departments
  • Excellent written and verbal communications comfortable engaging and leading conversations with senior leadership.
  • Highly organized with demonstrated strength in project management, and cross-function team management
  • Experience working in a matrixed organization with demonstrated ability to influence across an organization.
  • Experience representing an organization to external stakeholders and experts. xwzovoh
  • Knowledge of Oncology drug development, strategy and process.


CV Submission Closing Date - 13th August

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