Global Product Teams Finance Director, R&D Finance

Global Product Teams Finance Director, R&D Finance 
Gaithersburg, MD
Finance
Hybrid Work- on average 3 days a week from office

At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person!

About Projects & Portfolio Finance

The Oncology Project Finance team is a dynamic team focused on supporting the Global Product Teams (GPTs) and senior governing bodies, Late Stage Portfolio Committee (LSPC) and the Senior Executive Team (SET), with R&D project and portfolio decisions. You'll have direct exposure to senior management across the organization, combined with exposure to business issues affecting the Group’s current performance and strategic initiatives. 

What you'll do

• Work on a global team of finance professionals who provide strategic financial advice, support and challenge to GPTs project strategy, plans, and investment decisions. 

• Provide proactive and innovative financial analysis & scenario modelling to support the GPTs in assessing the value impact of critical project development options, including shaping clinical trial design, launch strategies, pricing and market access implications, lifecycle management opportunities, and impact of manufacturing on product value.  

• Responsible for ensuring that all investment decisions have a robust financial case supporting them.  This will require the identification, review, and challenge of the key forecasting assumptions across the whole value chain (R&D, Operations, Commercial).

• Champion good cost management during the planning and execution of clinical plans and ensure teams are engaging and using productivity initiatives in design of clinical programs. 

• Provide input to all governance body presentations (including LSPC, SET), leading the preparation of the financial sections and ensuring Global Finance functional support of the forecasts and recommendations as appropriate (e.g. Global & US Commercial, Operations). Provide input to non-financial sections as well.

• Ensure senior finance leaders are appropriately briefed ahead of key decision points, including the Group CFO and other Finance VPs as required. 

• Coordinate and lead a Finance Network for the product, both within R&D and across other SET areas to ensure appropriate sharing of information and consistency of product forecasting assumptions and approach. 

• Establish joint accountability with the GPT for the long-term R&D cost forecasts and values and monitor the impact of any key changes to project development assumptions & key deviations from plan.  Provide the GPT with analysis of options to assist in bringing project plans back to original timetable and to ensure future project milestones are met.  

• Lead or participate in cross-team initiatives as required. 
  

Provide Post Deal Management finance support for deals that fall within the responsibility of the GPT. Depending on the nature of the deal, this may include the following: 

• Providing input to the closing stages of negotiation on impending deals 

• Establishing reporting and operating mechanisms for new deals 

• Forming relationships with the Third-Party finance contacts, sometimes sitting on joint finance or product committees. 

• Monitoring and forecasting of milestones, royalties, and cost-sharing arrangements. 

• Conducting impairment reviews for intangible assets held on the balance sheet, providing recommendations to management and Group Finance. 

• As part of the post deal management team (legal, finance & business lead), manage compliance with the contractual arrangements and any issues arising. 

Essential for the role

• Bachelors degree in Finance or Accounting required

• Minimum of 9 years of finance experience

• Extensive experience in a global pharmaceutical organization with deep understanding of the drug development life cycle and/or commercial aspects

• Broad business/ financial experience

• Good experience of project/ product evaluation

• Experience working globally within multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural teams

• Demonstrated knowledge of global and corporate business context

• Analytical thinking - ability to collate & analyze data and identify key drivers of value

• Strong Excel financial modeling and financial evaluation techniques (projects, investments, etc.)

• Presentation skills/ communicating financial recommendations effectively

• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact and engage with senior leadership

• Strategic thinking and influencing

• Maintains high ethical standards and demonstrates high personal integrity

• Flexibility to respond to fast-changing business needs on short notice or with tight deadlines

• Effective in leading and being a member of multi-disciplinary teams

Desirable for the role

• MBA or CPA

Office Working Requirements

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 $144,560.80 - 216,841.20 USD as an annual base salary. 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. 

Equal Opportunities

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.

#LI-Hybrid

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.