Head of Early Assets, Hematology

At AstraZeneca, our ambition is to transform outcomes for patients with hematologic malignancies and related hematology conditions. We aim to reset standards of care by advancing innovative therapies across a broad pipeline inclusive of assets, including bispecific T-cell engagers (TCEs), antibody‑drug conjugates (ADCs), and other emerging modalities.

Reporting into the VP, Global Head, Hematology Franchise & Cell Therapy and sitting on the Leadership Team, as Head of Early Assets, Hematology, you will operate at the commercial–R&D interface to shape our early hematology pipeline from preclinical through early clinical development—ensuring clear line‑of‑sight to patient impact and long‑term commercial value across modalities and disease segments.

You will partner closely with Oncology R&D, Global Product Teams, Business Development, Medical, Market Access/Pricing, Finance, and priority markets to build winning target product profiles, inform clinical plans, and define early go‑to‑market strategies that scale across indications. This role is highly visible within the OBU and requires a strong matrix leader who can influence without authority and translate scientific innovation into compelling commercial and development strategies.

You will be accountable for understanding industry innovations and trends across hematology and translating those insights into strategy.

• Commercial strategy for early assets:
  Lead the early commercial strategy across hematology modalities (TCEs, ADCs, small molecules, and other emerging platforms), integrating disease biology, competitive dynamics, and customer insights to shape target product profiles, positioning, and differentiation.
• R&D partnership and development planning:
  Provide strategic input to discovery and early development teams on indication prioritization, study design, endpoints, inclusion/exclusion criteria, and line‑of‑therapy to optimize clinical and regulatory line‑of‑sight.
• Insights and analytics:
  Guide and collaborate with insights/analytics to integrate hematologist/center‑of‑excellence, patient/caregiver, payer, and provider insights and competitive intelligence; partner closely to inform value stories, price/reimbursement scenarios, and risk/opportunity assessments that support commercial decision‑making.
• Evidence and access strategy:
  Partner with Market Access & Pricing on early access strategies, affordability models, and system readiness. Shape early evidence needs (clinical, RWE, PROs, HEOR) and payer value narratives tailored to hematology.
• Collaborate with lifecycle team:
  Shape lifecycle options, next‑wave indications, and inform investment cases for internal programs and external opportunities in collaboration with Search & Evaluation and BD.
• Cross‑BU collaboration and governance:
  Represent the hematology commercial and clinical view in cross‑functional forums and governance (e.g., therapy area leadership, early‑stage portfolio committees), ensuring alignment to OBU strategy and enterprise priorities.
• Market readiness and launch pathways:
  Coordinate with priority markets (notably US) to pressure‑test assumptions to enable scalable launch pathways for transitions to late development.
• Financials and planning:
  Lead Forecasting, Long‑Term Planning (LTP), scenario planning, and budget needs for early assets; provide sensitivity analyses for clinical and market uncertainties.
• External engagement:
  Build and maintain networks with key clinical experts, industry leaders, patient advocacy, payers, and hematology centers to bring the external voice into strategy and development.

• Commercial excellence:
  Demonstrated success shaping and executing commercial and development strategies for hematology assets (e.g., TCEs, ADCs, small molecules).
• Strategic thinking and financial acumen:
  Ability to synthesize science, clinical evidence, market signals, and economics into clear strategic choices and robust business cases.
• Matrix leadership:
  Proven ability to influence across R&D, Medical, Access, and Markets; skilled at alignment‑building and decision‑making in ambiguous, high‑velocity settings.
• Science and…