Executive Director, Oncology Business Unit Strategy

Introduction to role:

Drive innovation and impact at AstraZeneca by leading strategy for our industry-leading oncology pipeline. Collaborate with R&D and the Oncology Business Unit to shape and deliver cutting-edge therapies that improve patient outcomes and bring us closer to eradicating cancer.

As Executive Director, Oncology Business Unit (OBU) Strategy, you will lead a high-impact agenda at the intersection of science, medicine, and business. Working with a team of experts across Oncology R&D and the OBU, you will be responsible for creating and implementing strategies to deliver an industry‑leading and innovative oncology pipeline that improves patient care and outcomes. These strategies will be built through rigorous analyses, actionable insights, innovative thinking, and cross‑functional teamwork.

This is an opportunity for a motivated, collaborative, data‑driven leader to help AstraZeneca advance its bold ambition to one day eradicate cancer as a cause of death.

Accountabilities:

• Set integrated oncology strategy
  :
  Lead development and implementation of therapy area, tumour, and indication strategies that align into a single, company‑wide oncology strategy with Oncology R&D and global franchise partners.
• Engage senior leadership
  :
  Provide disciplined, insights‑driven valuations and strategic recommendations to C‑suite stakeholders to guide portfolio and investment decisions.
• Own tumor portfolio leadership
  :
  Serve as the single point of contact and “single voice” for OBU tumor strategy, chairing bimonthly tumor forums and establishing best practices and transparent coverage across priority tumors (e.g., Breast, Lung).
• Drive commercial analytics and forecasting
  :
  Lead market research, forecasting, and insight generation to shape global brand strategies, R&D decisions, supply planning, and TA scenario analyses across multiple GPTs and assets.
• Deliver robust pipeline forecasts
  :
  Produce rigorous, assumption‑based forecasts for all tumor pipeline assets through the annual cycle, clearly articulating risks, opportunities, and context for senior leaders.
• Ensure process excellence and governance
  :
  Drive clarity and consistency across key business processes (forecast reviews, investment cases, TA/portfolio reviews, business and audit reviews), including partnering with Finance VPs on annual impairment assessments.
• Navigate complex development and market dynamics
  :
  Integrate study designs, TPPs, CDPs, combination strategies, competitive and pricing landscapes, and stage‑specific disease strategies to inform prioritization and investment.
• Steward major investments and opportunities
  :
  Lead large investment requests and business opportunity assessments to optimize value creation across evolving tumor markets.
• Lead and influence across the enterprise
  :
  Guide and develop Directors/Associate Directors, maintain trusted partnerships with clinical, commercial and strategy leaders, and influence senior stakeholders across OBU and Oncology R&D without formal authority.

Essential Skills/

Experience:

• MBA or PhD

• 10+ years in biopharmaceuticals or related fields

• Extensive experience in oncology

• Strong consultative and communication skills

• A strong scientific background and strategic analytical skills

• Proven experience in pharmaceutical industry or consulting in which you have inputted to global pipeline strategy (market assessment, competitor analysis, forecasting)

• Excellent analysis and fact-based decision-making

• Experience with data and/or a science research/ bio-pharmaceutical environment

• Highly intellectually capable with agility and adaptability

• Motivated by working in a fast-paced field with clear societal impact

• Understanding of general business and core marketing principles and application to future healthcare market challenges

• Familiar with the oncology drug development process and necessary strategic and commercial touch points

• Able to influence without authority and establish and maintain credibility with senior audiences

• Resourceful, motivated, decisive and proactive; must be able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-growing organization;

• Attention to detail but also a big picture thinker & communicator

• A critical thinker with…