Executive Director, Oncology Global Programme Management in Cambridge

Preferred Location: Cambridge, UK. Cambridge is the preferred location for this role, however, applicants from Gaithersburg, Boston, Barcelona and Mississauga will also be considered.

About GPPM Oncology

GPPM Oncology is embarking on an exciting transformation journey to become trusted partners in portfolio and project strategy and execution. The continued success of the Oncology pipeline requires a team of highly skilled leaders to guide the creation of comprehensive programme strategies that integrate clinical, scientific, and commercial insights to shape portfolio decisions and delivery.

About the role

We are looking for strategic thinkers and scientific experts with an accomplished background in programme delivery to join GPPM Oncology. You will become a trusted partner and voice in key decision‑making forums such as Tumour Councils, TALT, ESPC and LSPC. You will expertly influence across the full breadth of the organisation, connecting Discovery, Early, Late and Commercial to navigate the governance pathway. You will have end‑to‑end accountability for modality portfolio insights, strategy, and execution, influencing decision making across the value chain to enable optimal portfolio delivery in both quality and speed. Through the Oncology Global Project Managers (GPMs), you will ensure Global Project Teams (GPTs) deliver at pace and with confidence by translating complexity into clarity, anticipating issues and influencing outcomes using insights. Operating as a player–coach within a High Performing Team (HPT) environment, you will balance enterprise leadership, direct delivery, and enabling others to succeed. This is a critical and exciting opportunity to use your scientific knowledge and strategic expertise to lead and influence decisions that will have a direct impact on patients’ lives. Working at the highest levels, you will ensure the decisions we make best position AstraZeneca for maximum return on investment and positive patient outcomes.

To be successful, you will need:

• Deep scientific acumen in TDR/DDR/Epigenetics and pharma experience to guide and navigate strategy, prioritisation and portfolio decisions
• Clear and organised thinking with the ability to simplify and prioritise complex problems
• The application of strong, data‑driven analysis to translate strategy into action
• The ability to establish and maintain credibility with senior audiences
• In‑depth experience of developing and driving high performing teams
• The ability to build credibility through expertise, relationships, and trust to persuade and align others without formal authority

Key Accountabilities

• Hold end‑to‑end accountability for modality portfolio insights, shaping TA strategy and influencing critical investment and prioritisation decisions across the full drug development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with and influence SVP/VPs, Functional Heads, and Tumour Council leadership to navigate governance pathways and ensure coherent end‑to‑end modality strategy and pipeline delivery.
• Provide clear, evidence‑based and actionable guidance on portfolio optimisation and investment decisions, ensuring the modality remains ahead of emerging scientific, clinical, and commercial opportunities.
• Connect the organisation from Discovery to Commercial and maintain active presence in key decision‑making forums across Early, Late, and Commercial to ensure alignment and informed enterprise‑level decisions.

• Deliver the AZ scorecard for your modality
• Provide clear, evidence based and actionable guidance on portfolio optimisation and investment decisions.
• Serve as the accountable leader for the modality across platforms, ensuring strategic priorities translate into effective execution.
• Be deployed into Tumour Councils while maintaining a direct connection with the modality leadership, enabling integration between scientific modality expertise and therapeutic area strategy.
• Ensure modality knowledge and insights are embedded within teams, enabling dissemination of expertise and strengthening cross‑organisational capability.
• Translate modality strategy into clear, actionable plans through GPMs, optimising resource utilisation, capacity planning, and operational delivery.

• Operate as both leader and active contributor, modelling the behaviours of a self‑leading, empowered High Performing Team environment.
• Agile leader with the ability to accelerate opportunities and unblock issues
• Balance strategic leadership of the modality with delivery and execution of key priorities whilst enabling and coaching teams to succeed
• Navigate complexity and simplify decision landscapes, bringing clarity, focus, and momentum to portfolio execution.

• Establish insight‑driven operating rhythms across Global Project Teams and Tumour Councils that enable clarity, pace, and confident delivery.
• Empower and enable GPMs to deliver the pipeline
• Ensure clear and compelling communication of modality strategy, progress, and priorities to diverse audiences, maintaining transparency and organisational alignment.

• Bring an enterprise leadership mindset helping to link people, process and portfolio insights from across the value chain
• Leverage advanced analytics and AI‑enabled insights to strengthen portfolio understanding, decision making, and strategic foresight.
• Contribute to a future‑ready organisation, strengthening capabilities, fostering innovation, and developing the next generation of leaders.
• Support talent development pathways, including progression of GPMs to GPL and other critical roles across the enterprise
• Regarded as expert coach, go to mentor, and is trusted by senior leaders including Franchise Heads, Clinical Heads etc.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Deep Scientific Expertise: Advanced degree (e.g. MSc or PhD in life sciences or MD) + 10 years of experience in life sciences
• Oncology expertise: Deep understanding of specific modality with proven experience in the pharmaceutical industry or consulting contributing to strategic planning and portfolio decisions
• Executive presence and leadership: Ability to interact and communicate effectively with senior executive teams, with demonstrated ability to lead and influence experienced professionals in a fast‑paced, highly matrixed work environment
• Strategic thinking: Ability to think critically, creatively and to anticipate and solve problems, with excellent analysis and fact‑based decision‑making capabilities
• Agility and impact orientation: Highly intellectually capable with agility and adaptability, motivated by working in a fast‑paced field with clear societal impact

Preferred Skills/Experience

• Strategic planning expertise: Experience in strategic planning processes and tools, with ability to translate business needs into coordinated plans and develop creative solutions to complex problems
• Financial acumen: Strong financial background and understanding of forecasts, budgets, and financial tools to support strategic decision‑making
• Global perspective: Ability to work across global teams and priorities delivering operational effectiveness and prioritisation in a fast‑growing, highly matrixed organization

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.