Director, Project Lead for Cell Therapy

Overview

We are looking for a high caliber candidate to play a pivotal role to lead the compound/ asset- level team and being accountable for the development Strategy, Regulatory strategy and execution from pre-clinical stage to the final commercial launch for our cell therapy projects. The individual will develop a range of strategic and tactical options, secure governance and budget approval, and secure cross-functional resource for the projects and then take accountability for execution, monitoring and reporting of progress / issues. The individual will articulate the project goals, strategy and the underlying science and clinical need to internal and external audiences with clarity and credibility.

In this role you will work with AZ global Product Leader (GPL) and China stakeholders, as well as external experts to develop integrated project plans which can be delivered across functional boundaries. You will ensure that diverse views within the project team are heard and that a strongly empowered and motivated team is created.

You will demonstrate highly visible leadership within the community, both within AZ China, global and externally, and support the broader goals beyond the projects they hold accountability for.  In this role, you will develop strong networks with the disease area leadership, downstream customers and with external experts will articulate the unmet clinical need and the commercial opportunity addressed.

This role will directly report to Head of Cell Therapy Clinical Development.

Key Deliverables

As a Project Leader for Cell Therapy

• Lead the compound/ asset- level team and being accountable for the development Strategy, Regulatory strategy and execution from pre-clinical stage to the final commercial launch Responsible for all aspects of new project strategy including clinical development, patient selection, regulatory, paediatric, intellectual property, CMC
• Accountable for the delivery of project according to quality, time, budgets and resources
• Establish and drive an effective CNPT to ensure timely and effective decision-making and the delivery of a greed objectives. This includes utilizing agile sub-team
• Ensure, together with functional leaders in and outside Clinical Operation, Clinical Science, Biometrics, PV, RA, QA team and other relevant teams that the project team is appropriately resourced and ensure resources from functions are managed effectively in the project team
• Ensure that there are robust processes, plans and data to enable Governance Bodies to make investment decisions and prioritize projects across the portfolio

Culture

• Create a vibrant, entrepreneurial and externally facing team focused on the delivery of successful PoCs that supports the overall new assets through effective collaboration
• Build a culture which values focused innovation, is open to challenge and new ideas and allows all team members to deliver to their maximum through an open and inclusive culture

Talent Management & Development

• Provide high quality feedback and coaching to deployed reports and mentor key talent in the organization
• Collaborate with AZ Global and China stakeholders, and deployed functions to build outstanding project leadership within the pipeline

External

• Champion projects, the broader AZ portfolio and disease area science to build external profile and support portfolio development
• Develop key external networks to access external talent and assets

As a member of the Projects group

• Serve as the primary contact for the Global Product Leader (GPL), and also as the sole representative from the China team
• Support development of a winning disease area strategy, driving portfolio value
• Support portfolio delivery by seeking the appropriate tiering for their own projects and supporting higher priority projects led by others when appropriate

Essential Requirements – Education, Experience and Capabilities

Education

• MD/PhD, with medical license and post-MD patient care training including residency, preferably with board certification in hematology/oncology/immunology (or equivalent in a recognized jurisdiction)

Experience

Required

• Deep knowledge and broad experience (likely ≥5 years) of drug discovery and early phase clinical development including significant experience of cross-functional project team working
• Good awareness of the oncology or immunology therapeutic area
• Demonstrated leadership and decision making in a cross-functional project team environment and at significant governance interactions
• Good awareness of commercial, regulatory, and broader strategic aspects of drug development and understanding of relevance of competitor environment
• Demonstrated experience of building external networks and fostering effective relationships with external experts

Desirable

• Proven leadership skills in delivering projects
• Proven enterprise leadership skills in working to maximize value of whole portfolio

Capabilities

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and with an entrepreneurial mindset. Partners effectively with colleagues from wider business to ensure alignment
• Has built high performing teams
• Building a shared team vision
• Building team culture which values innovation and is open to challenge
• Has built high levels of credibility with key senior stakeholders, both internal and external network of experts
• Has strong communication skills with the ability to describe complex issues concisely & effectively and secure stakeholder buy in to cross functional investment proposals
• Is resilient: able driving team performance and delivering plans whilst under pressure. Able to distil out key issues in complex problems and proactive in identifying potential solutions
• Is decisive: Highly effective in dealing with ambiguity and reducing complexity

Date Posted

18-9月-2025

Closing Date

27-2月-2026

AstraZeneca embraces diversity and equality of opportunity.  We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse team representing all backgrounds, with as wide a range of perspectives as possible, and harnessing industry-leading skills.  We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be.  We welcome and consider applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of their characteristics.  We comply with all applicable laws and regulations on non-discrimination in employment (and recruitment), as well as work authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.