Executive Director, Strategy, Cell Therapy

Job description

Within the AstraZeneca Cell Therapy Enterprise, our ambition is to realize the full potential of cell therapy for people living with cancer, immune-mediated and rare diseases around the world. This unit has responsibility for the value chain from discovery through to late-stage development and commercialization. We are rapidly progressing a broad pipeline of cell therapies in collaboration with AstraZeneca’s Therapeutic Area Units. The Strategy and Commercial Executive Director , Cell Therapy Strategy and Commercial (CTSC), is a high-impact leadership role accountable for shaping and driving the end-to-end strategy for a defined indication or disease area within Cell Therapy. You will lead global commercial and strategic initiatives within the Cell Therapy Enterprise CTU)—including business development and competitive intelligence—partnering with Therapeutic Areas on clinical strategy, collaborating with in-market commercial and medical affairs on launch readiness, and aligning with global pricing and brand teams. Working cross-functionally with senior leaders, you will define early asset, disease, and portfolio strategies through PH3IDs. Reporting to the VP, Cell Therapy Strategy and Commercial, you will be a key architect of the company’s Cell Therapy strategy and lead cross-functional execution. Key Accountabilities: Deliver end-to-end Strategy, including: Clear understanding and prioritization of current and future unmet needs Indication-level strategic vision for both near-term and long-term Integrated clinical strategy across all cell therapy platforms within the same indication Work with global Clinical and ClinOps within respective TAs to develop comprehensive development strategy Competitive early pipeline / long-term portfolio and life cycle management Above-asset initiatives (e.g., Translational Medicine, Precision Medicine, Data Sciences) Own insights generation for R&D and commercial activities Oversees and guides development and integration of industry-leading competitive intelligence, customer insight, market intelligence and analytics helping the organization to frame business problems and opportunities Shape future-proofed strategies and deliver sustainably differentiated brands/early assets, business development opportunities and TA strategies Responsible for the robustness and transparency of the forecasts for PH3IDs Bring an intelligence-driven perspective to strategic recommendations by synthesizing insights from diverse sources and publicly available information at the brand and Therapeutic Area level for internal and external communication Responsible for creating and curating evidence bank from real world data sources to support the PH3ID forecasts created within the team Lead global commercial cell therapy within indication Build the referral capabilities between specific disease areas and the Cell Therapy delivery centers Partners closely across different areas of Cell Therapy, Global Commercial, in-market commercial and medical affairs teams to ensure execution of global strategy Lead and collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g., GPTs, Clinical Development, Discovery, BD, Lifecycle and Pipeline, Competitive Intelligence) to develop disease area strategy content Provide strategic counselling to Global Clinical Strategy Head (GCSH), Global Commercial and Medical Affairs leadership, and other senior leaders Basic Qualifications: BA/BS and 10 years of experience in life sciences or consulting firm with focus in life science programs OR MS/MBA and 8+ years of experience in life sciences or consulting firm with focus in life science programs OR PhD or MD and 5+ of experience in life sciences or consulting firm with focus in life science programs Ability to interact and communicate effectively with senior executive teams. Demonstrated ability to lead and influence experienced professionals. Ability to think critically, creatively and to anticipate and solve problems. Ability to navigate and be successful in a fast-paced, highly-matrixed work environment Preferred Qualifications: Strong analytical and communication skills Strong business acumen and strategic thinking skills preferably demonstrated in a pharma related environment. Effective interpersonal and relationship management skills with consultative approach and ability to interact and build trust Operational effectiveness, highly organized process with follow through Strong initiative to understand our core business goals and establish processes or programs to set direction, generate alignment and push forward Financial background and understanding of forecasts, budgets, financial activities and tools Resourceful, motivated, influential and proactive; able to prioritize in a fast-growing organization Experience in strategic planning processes and tools Scientific background Understanding of the pharmaceutical business (including R&D) Experience in translating business needs into a coordinated plan from cross-functional senior leadership team Ability to develop creative and simple solutions to complex problems Why AstraZeneca: At AstraZeneca we’re dedicated to being a Great Place to Work. Where you are empowered to push the boundaries of science and unleash your entrepreneurial spirit. There’s no better place to make a difference to medicine, patients and society. An inclusive culture that champions diversity and collaboration. Always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. So, what’s next? Are you ready to bring new ideas and fresh thinking to the table? Brilliant! We have one seat available, and we hope it’s yours. The annual base pay for this position ranges from $270,224 to $405,332. 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 (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). 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 pay (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 22-May-2026 Closing Date 18-Jun-2026 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.