Head of Make CoE in Macclesfield

Location: Macclesfield

Hybrid Working: Minimum 3 days per week in the office

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to shape the future of how we make life-changing medicines across a global manufacturing network? As Head of the Make Center of Excellence, you will set the strategy and roadmap that transforms end-to-end Make processes, partnering with sites and central teams to deliver safer, higher-quality, more sustainable, faster and more productive operations. Your leadership will enable our vision for autonomous manufacturing and top-decile performance, turning ambition into outcomes for patients and the business.

Based in Macclesfield (UK), Södertälje (Snackviken and Gärtuna, Sweden), or selected Americas sites, you will orchestrate a complex portfolio through robust governance, enterprise alignment and rigorous Business Process Management. Do you thrive on questioning the status quo, integrating digital and process innovation, and coaching a high-performing team to deliver enterprise-wide results?

Accountabilities:

• Strategy and Roadmap Leadership: Shape, maintain and communicate the Make CoE strategy and multiyear roadmap; ensure clear priorities and measurable value delivery.
• Governance and Alignment: Lead the Make steering committee, co-lead the Make IT Strategy steering committee and actively contribute to Smart Factory and Advanced Data & Analytics governance, achieving enterprise alignment across sites, functions and regions.
• Senior Decision-Making: Formulate compelling business cases, improvement plans and recommendations; present at senior forums to drive decisions that improve quality, performance and productivity.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Partner closely with IT, Data & Analytics, PT&D and GTO to integrate process technology with operational processes, ensuring holistic solutions that scale.
• Smart Factory and Advanced Analytics: Shape and deliver capabilities that advance digital, autonomous and data-driven manufacturing, aligning standards and architecture with business needs.
• End-to-End Process Optimization: Improve integration across the value chain and enabling processes, breaking silos and unlocking flow, reliability and responsiveness.
• Team Leadership and Development: Coach and develop the Make CoE team to excel in collaboration, communication and influencing; build a culture of ownership, curiosity and continuous improvement.
• Business Process Management Excellence: Design, own, maintain and communicate global standards; drive adherence; define global KPIs; monitor and improve performance; codify and spread good practices; strengthen BPM capability across the network.
• Customer Focus and Value Creation: Embed voice of the customer across process networks; deliver solutions that advance Safety, Quality, Sustainability, Lead-time and Productivity.
• Risk and Issue Management: Proactively identify issues and risks; escalate effectively; ensure portfolio transparency and course correction.
• Facilitation and Ways of Working: Run effective meetings and workshops; maintain the Transformation Map; ensure team awareness of interdependent programs and initiatives.
• Digital Integration: Partner with IT and Digital/Autonomous teams to integrate digital and IT solutions with operations processes, staying current with internal and external trends.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• 10+ years of broad experience in pharmaceutical operations, particularly within the area of manufacturing and preferably also in other functional areas of Operations.
• Proven ability to effectively partner and collaborate with senior leadership across multiple Operations functions in order to reach optimal enterprise-level decisions that incorporate diverse perspectives and insights.
• High level of proficiency in collaborating and influencing at many levels of the company through well-developed communication and interpersonal skills. Must be able to build productive relationships with colleagues across a range of functions including supply sites, IT, Quality, PT&D/GTO, and GERE, amongst others.
• Demonstrated strength in verbal, written and presentational skills which are clear and concise, and the ability to communicate effectively to a wide range of groups across many nationalities and cultures.
• Proven ability to lead and coach teammates both in direct-line and dotted-line organizational models.
• Broad understanding of IT systems and digital/autonomous solutions, and how these elements integrate with manufacturing processes.
• Keen interest and strength in the area of leveraging data to drive business value, as well as a strategic mindset towards the governance and evolution of data and analytics standards and capabilities.
• Thorough understanding of regulatory and GMP compliance standards for pharmaceutical operations.
• Demonstrated high level of capability and proficiency in Business Process Management principles and their application, with experience from cross-functional, global process work. Genuine belief in and passion for the benefits of BPM.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Track record leading global, cross-site process transformations in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Experience delivering Smart Factory, Industry 4.0 or autonomous manufacturing capabilities at scale.
• Mastery of Lean methods to drive productivity, flow and defect reduction across networks.
• Success defining global KPIs and using advanced analytics to steer performance improvement.
• Experience operating in complex matrix structures and engaging site, regional and functional leaders.
• Credibility presenting at executive governance forums and influencing strategic decisions.
• Exposure to end-to-end value chain integration, from technology transfer through commercial supply.
• Familiarity with sustainability-by-design approaches within manufacturing environments.
• Willingness to travel globally, approximately 15%.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Why AstraZeneca:

Here you will join a community that blends cutting-edge science, digital manufacturing and Lean discipline to move medicines from idea to impact faster and more affordably. We bring unexpected teams together to solve complex problems, pairing bold ambition with genuine kindness and support. With significant investment in smart factories, data and analytics, and sustainable practices, your leadership will be visible on the shop floor and in the boardroom—accelerating delivery to patients while developing your craft through real-world challenges and global collaboration.

Step in to lead the Make agenda at scale—shape the roadmap, elevate performance and help deliver life-changing medicines faster; take the next step in your impact-driven career today!

Date Posted: 22-May-2026

Closing Date: 25-Jun-2026

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.