Senior Director, Portfolio Excellence and Transformation

Senior Director, Portfolio Excellence and Transformation 

Gaithersburg, MD

Global Portfolio & Project Management

Hybrid Work- on average 3 days/week in office

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

AstraZeneca Oncology is leading a revolution to redefine cancer care with a portfolio of launched products providing transformative outcomes for patients around the world and a full suite of modalities fuelling future innovative treatments. In Global Portfolio and Project Management (GPPM), we play a critical role in advancing the pipeline by closely partnering with Research & Development, Commercial and Operations to support decision-making, project management, resource management and governance across the AstraZeneca portfolio. Come join a team-oriented and fast-paced environment that requires integrity, problem solving and agility!

The Senior Director, Portfolio Excellence & Transformation is a senior enterprise leadership role created to fundamentally improve how GPTs deliver at scale to help accelerate the Oncology pipeline. This is a transformation role for someone who can see what is possible, build the case for change, and bring people with them. Reporting to the Head of Oncology Portfolio Strategy and Management, this individual will lead the Portfolio Excellence and Innovation agenda across GPPM Oncology, defining where AI, advanced analytics, and modern ways of working can create the greatest step-change in GPT ways-of-working, portfolio decision-making, process quality, and organisational efficiency, and expand the impact to other TAs where appropriate. They will translate that ambition into reality through collaboration, influence, and a focus on impact. 

What you'll do

Portfolio Excellence and Innovation Strategy 

• Define and own the Portfolio Excellence and Innovation agenda for GPPM Oncology — setting a clear, prioritised vision for where AI, analytics, and process transformation will deliver the greatest impact 

• Identify high-value opportunities across the drug development and portfolio management lifecycle, from decision support and scenario modelling to process simplification and capability building, and drive the delivery of high-impact initiatives 

• Stay closely connected to the external landscape, bringing in emerging thinking, technologies, and best practice to continuously improve how GPPM can deliver 

AI-Enabled Transformation 

• Lead the design, piloting, and scaling of AI-enabled capabilities that improve the speed, quality, and consistency of GPT ways-of-working and Enterprise portfolio decision-making 

• Partner with Digital, Data Science, IT, Global Business Services and R&D teams to co-develop solutions that are robust, scalable, and embedded into day-to-day ways of working 

• Drive adoption through demonstrated value, clear communication, building genuine enthusiasm for new approaches across the organisation 

• Establish guardrails and governance to ensure AI innov