Director, Business Transformation
Location: Central Cambridge
Salary: Competitive
At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.
Global Portfolio and Project Management (GPPM) brings life-changing medicines to patients faster through excellence in portfolio & pipeline delivery and orchestrating impactful, data-driven decisions
What you’ll do
In this role, you will lead enterprise-wide initiative to deliver transformative value. You will be accountable for the strategic and operational design and delivery of organizational transformation and change management projects. You’ll play a pivotal role collaborating with teams across the enterprise, while solving complex business questions, driving strategic change, operational excellence, and implementing the successful adoption of the transformation.
Responsibilities include:
Shape and communicate strategic priorities and impact for transformation: Actively defines the desired outcome-based future state, articulates the purpose behind the change, and ensures every initiative directly supports the organization’s long-term objectives.
1. Build the business case for change, including senior executive level presentations
2. See the “big picture” and understand how different parts of the organization interconnect
Drive execution of complex, transformational projects through rigorous project and program management: Organize cross-functional efforts, define and monitor progress against key milestones, and ensure that resources, risks, and dependencies are effectively managed to deliver measurable outcomes.
3. Own and drive the operational delivery of 1 or more transformational workstreams
4. Apply appropriate project management methodologies
5. Define KPIs for continuous monitoring and evaluation, taking action where needed to pivot and ensure ongoing progress
6. Manage budgets, timelines, dependencies, and risks with precision.
Conduct analyses to support data-driven decisions: use data insights to pivot strategies, ensuring the transformation stays relevant and impactful in a changing environment.
7. Analyze performance data to guide actions and demonstrate progress.
8. Embrace ambiguity and foster a culture of continuous improvement.
9. Rapidly adapting plans with data-driven decisions by senior leaders
Lead and manage change through effective stakeholder engagement: Build trust by listening to concerns, aligning diverse perspectives, and guiding people through uncertainty using structured change management approaches.
10. Build communication and engagement plan in line with change management and delivery roadmap
11. Tailor communication to different audiences, from executives to frontline teams.
12. Create consistent, compelling narratives to maintain momentum and buy-in.
Essential for the Role:
13. Strong track record experience in management consultancy and/or leading transformation programs
14. Undergraduate degree with preference for graduate degree (MBA, Masters, MD or PhD preferred) or additional certification
15. Strong analytical and communication skills
16. Effective interpersonal and relationship management skills with consultative approach and ability to interact and build trust
17. Operational effectiveness, highly organized process with follow through
18. Strong initiative to understand our core business goals and establish processes or programs to set direction, generate alignment and push forward
19. Financial background and understanding of forecasts, valuation, budgets, financial activities and tools
20. Strong stakeholder management and influencing skill at senior executive level
21. Resourceful, motivated, influential and proactive; able to prioritize in a fast-growing organization
22. Experience in strategic planning processes and tools and/or project management tools
Desirable for the Role
23. Background/ experience in life sciences
24. Understanding of the pharmaceutical business (including R&D, Operations, Commercial)
25. Experience in leading and managing alliances or strategic partnerships
26. Experience in translating business needs into a coordinated business proposal and plan for cross-functional senior leadership team
27. 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, and always committed to lifelong learning, growth and development. We’re on an exciting journey to pioneer the future of healthcare.
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.
We welcome your application not later than 29th March 2026
Date Posted
13-Mar-2026
Closing Date
29-Mar-2026Our 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.