Head of Projects & Portfolio Management

Macclesfield (UK)

Introduction to role:

Join us as the Head of Projects, GCS&S, where you will establish, lead, and manage an efficient and effective Supply Chain Project Management Group. Your role will be pivotal in delivering key Supply Chain projects and change programmes. You will also be responsible for establishing and running portfolio management for GSC&S and individually leading large / complex projects.

Why AstraZeneca?

With constant new products and launches, there's never been a better time to join Supply Chain and shape our future with a big contribution to life-changing medicines. The challenge to stay ahead in rapidly changing markets is what keeps us driving forward, as we continuously seek new and better ways to deliver medicines all the way to our patients. Our resilience helps us to thrive as we innovate and evolve.

Key Accountabilities:

For projects you lead and those led by your team you will:

• Provide overall direction, leadership and decision-making across transformational or strategic programmes / project teams
• Have the ability to lead large complex, and often confidential programmes, with strong delivery focus but ensuring risks are visible and mitigation plans in place
• Establish program vision and define an approach to ensure benefits realisation is established and integrated into the business
• Handle senior level Steering Committee expectations in line with project requirements. Ensuring streamlined transition into business areas and ensuring controlled hand-overs to users and business as usual processes
• Establish and maintain relationships with key senior/executive stakeholders within AZ/Operations leadership team, to ensure understanding and commitment to project objectives, and development and refinement of project deliverables
• Establish and maintain relationships with key senior/executive stakeholders within AZ/Operations leadership team, to ensure understanding and commitment to project objectives, and development and refinement of project deliverables.
• Handle interdependencies between programmes and ensure successful delivery and co-ordination of workstreams
• Be responsible for the development of strategic risk analysis and subsequent control plans for programmes and actively uses these to assess the effect of changes in terms of risks, costs, timescales and resources; involves other organisations/collaborators when necessary
• Oversee the development and implementation of communication strategies for different programmes.
  
  
  

As the lead of a large team of project management professionals you will:

• Inspire, develop and coach the team, ensuring they are at the leading edge of Project & Change Mangement expertise and Digital / Lean capability
• Define project resources, conduct project performance reviews and post implementation evaluations and review high- level deliverables across GSC&S
• Ensure Project and Change Management standards are continually refined and adhered to
• Represent GSC&S on the PMO Operations network, focusing on improving project and change management capabilities, standards and ways of working across the organization
• Establish and manage Portfolio Management in GSC&S to ensure that projects are effectively prioiritised, tracked and communicated, to effectively deliver business objectives
  
  
  

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Business or scientific Degree or the equivalent level of experience
• Significant experience in programme/project management in particular within Supply Chain
• Extensive Supply Chain experience
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills. Ability to influence others including senior leaders to achieve objectives
• Experience of defining the business strategies and influencing the key collaborators of the vision for the business area
• Evidence of leading and developing innovative solutions that have a major impact within the business area and organization
• Experience in senior stakeholder management, critical thinking and change leadership capabilities
• Managing, developing and leading a team of people in different locations
• Proven track record in delivering high risk programmes and decision-making
• Validated skills and experience of managing and controlling large budgets
• Ability to handle negotiations across a complex matrix organization
• Significant supply chain experience
  
  
  

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That’s why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we’re not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Are you ready to embrace constant challenges? For us they are intellectually stimulating opportunities to learn more. A chance to come back stronger and hungry for more. We keep going, pushing the boundaries as we work on implementing the best systems with cutting-edge science and manufacturing.

Apply now to be part of our diverse, multigenerational team of experts. We are connected across the globe, interpreting the science, connecting it with the business need to apply manufacturing excellence. If you are driven, take smart risks and are able to act quickly, then this is the place for you.