Global Product Teams Finance Director, R&D Finance

AstraZeneca is a global, science-led, patient-focused biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialisation of prescription medicines for some of the world's most serious disease. But we're more than one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies. We work independently or in partnerships to deliver the next wave of science and address unmet medical needs.

Here you will experience a fast paced and agile environment as we continue to support the business on a journey of evolution and growth, driven by new, exciting technology and digital innovations. It's challenging and sometimes demanding, and that's why we love it.

The Project Finance team is a dynamic team focused on supporting the Global Product Teams and senior governing bodies (Late Stage Portfolio Committee (LSPC), Early Stage Portfolio Committee (ESPC), and SET) with R&D project and portfolio decisions. A position in this team offers an individual an exceptional opportunity for direct exposure to senior management across the organisation, combined with exposure to business issues affecting the Group's current performance and strategic initiatives.

You will be part of a Global team of Finance Professionals who are flexibly deployed to provide financial advice, support and challenge to Global Product Teams (GPTs). Working with multiple GPTs, you will be accountable for the robust evaluation of projects by providing high quality financial input to product investment decisions and expert financial analysis of key risks and sensitivities.

During project investment decisions you will guide AZ leaders on the financial impact of development plan decisions. This includes briefing key stakeholders at or in advance of Development Review Committee Meetings and Late Stage Portfolio Committee (LSPC) investment decisions.

In this role you will have the following accountabilities:

• As a member of the GPTs, provide strategic financial advice, support and challenge to 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 leveraging productivity initiatives in design of clinical programmes.

• 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. US, OBU, Operations). The role will also be expected to provide general broad business input to the presentation as a whole, including the non-financial sections.

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

• Co-ordinate 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.

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

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

Essential skills and experience

• The role holder will be a qualified finance professional with a significant number of years' post qualified experience (or equivalent)

• Broad business / financial experience

• Good experience of project / product evaluation

• Extensive experience of working in a global pharmaceutical organisation / deep understanding of the drug development life cycle and/or commercial aspects is required

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

• Demonstrated knowledge of global and corporate business context
• Analytical thinking - ability to collate & analyse data and identify key drivers of value

Competitive salary and benef

Date Posted
06-Jun-2022

Closing Date
19-Jun-2022

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.

AstraZeneca requires all US employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 but will consider requests for reasonable accommodations as required by applicable law.