Director, R&D IT - Portfolio Practices & Governance PMO

Are you a true leader with a growth mindset who possesses expertise in, and passion for, leading portfolios and improving processes? Would you like to apply your expertise to impact a company that follows the science and turns ideas into life-changing medicines? If so, AstraZeneca might be the one for you!

AstraZeneca, a global biopharmaceutical company, is dedicated to discovering, developing, and commercializing prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious diseases. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies.

At AstraZeneca, we're proud to have a unique workplace culture that inspires innovation and teamwork. Here, employees are empowered to express diverse perspectives - and are made to feel valued, energized, and rewarded for their ideas and creativity.

Accountabilities:

Key Activities for Sr. PSO Manager Role:

Portfolio Management:

• Lead portfolio management and process transformation initiatives.
• Oversee and improve portfolio management and governance processes.
• Lead demand intake and prioritization processes.
• Conduct regular reviews of demand, project, and platform status.
• Ensure delivery of portfolio and project management process development with urgency.

Customer Management:

• Maintain strong partnerships with business and IT leaders.
• Maintain relationships across Business, IT, and vendor partners.

Collaboration and Process Improvement:

• Collaborate with Program, Project, and Platform Management as well as Capability Areas and Strategy and Performance teams.
• Drive development, improvement, and automation of processes across R&DIT.

Leadership of PSO Managed Service:

• The Sr. PSO Manager leads and is accountable for the following activities within the led service, ensuring they are completed effectively by the respective teams, rather than personally performing them.

Accrual Management:

• Track and handle the accrual process to ensure financial accuracy.
• Collaborate with finance teams to align accrual entries with financial forecasts.
• Implement systems and processes to improve accrual accuracy and reporting efficiency.

Cross-Charge Management:

• Develop and manage processes for cross-departmental cost allocations.
• Ensure transparency and fairness in cross-charge methodologies.
• Maintain clear documentation and communication regarding cross-charge policies.

Resource/People Recharge Management:

• Oversee the allocation and distribution of people resources across projects.
• Implement recharge mechanisms to balance workload and optimize resource utilization.
• Monitor resource utilization and adjust recharges as necessary for efficiency.

Forecast vs. Budget Management:

• Conduct regular analysis to compare actual financial performance against forecasts and budgets.
• Identify variances and work with relevant collaborators to address discrepancies.
• Provide insights and recommendations to enhance financial planning and management.

SNOW Management:

• Administer and manage ServiceNow (SNOW) processes, ensuring alignment with organizational needs.
• Facilitate configuration and updates to support evolving business requirements.
• Ensure effective use of SNOW functionalities for service management and reporting.

Purchase Order Management:

• Oversee the end-to-end purchase order process, from creation to fulfillment.
• Ensure compliance with organizational procurement policies and procedures.
• Work closely with vendors and procurement teams to resolve issues and streamline processes.

Portfolio Management:

• Continuously evaluate and align project portfolios with strategic goals.
• Ensure that projects within the portfolio deliver value and support business objectives.
• Prioritize projects and resource allocation based on organizational priorities.

Resource Onboarding:

•  Develop and oversee onboarding processes for new resources to ensure smooth integration.
• Collaborate with HR and team leads to facilitate training and orientation.
• Monitor onboarding experiences and outcomes, making improvements as needed.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree
• Minimum 7+ years of experience
• IT and Financial Management: Over 5 years of progressive experience in IT business or financial management.
• Leadership Experience: At least 3 years leading cross-functional teams and fostering consensus.
• Project Management Experience: At least 10 years in project management, ideally within a Pharmaceutical IT environment.
• Global Organizational Experience: Proven track record of working in global organizations with the ability to navigate cultural differences effectively.
• Agile Methodologies: Proficient in Agile methodologies.
• Senior Leadership Engagement: Strong skills in engaging and interacting with senior leaders.
• Supplier Collaboration: Experience working with and managing third-party suppliers.
• Process Optimization: Demonstrated ability to successfully deliver process improvement initiatives.
• Relationship and Influence: Exceptional skills in relationship management and influencing collaborators.
• Innovative Approach: Entrepreneurial approach with a history of creating innovative solutions.
• Communication and Organizational Skills: Exceptional organizational, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

Desirable Skills/Experience

• Master's degree is preferred.
• Azure DevOps Framework Experience: Previous project management experience with Azure DevOps Framework (ADF) in both Agile and Waterfall environments.
• Business Management Knowledge: Demonstrated knowledge in business management areas such as finance, labor, portfolio, and supplier management.
• IT Risk and Issue Management: Working knowledge of risk and issue identification within the IT landscape.
• Certifications: Preferred certifications in Program/Project Management, such as Prince2, PMP, MSP, Agile – Scrum, or SAFe.
• Lean Portfolio Management: Experience in driving Lean Portfolio Management processes using Design Thinking methodologies.

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.

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $142,741 to $214,111. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

At AstraZeneca, we leverage technology to impact patients' lives directly. Our work transforms our ability to develop life-changing medicines by combining cutting-edge science with leading digital technology platforms. We empower our business to perform at its peak by driving cross-company change through data analytics, AI, machine learning, and more. Join us at this crucial stage of our journey as we become a digital and data-led enterprise.

Ready to make a difference? Apply now!

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 authorisation and employment eligibility verification requirements.