Associate Director, Project Management

Job Title: Associate Director, Project Management

Location: Cambridge, MA

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to lead enterprise-scale transformations that accelerate how we deliver medicines to patients? This role sits at the heart of our R&D organization, where scientific ambition meets operational excellence. You will drive complex, high-visibility projects that strengthen our pipeline and help promising science reach people who need it sooner.

As a key leader within our Site Management & Monitoring function, you will shape standards, orchestrate cross-functional delivery, and turn strategy into measurable outcomes. With a global remit and direct exposure to senior leaders, you will guide initiatives from concept to deployment, creating clarity, pace, and impact. Can you see yourself uniting diverse teams, harnessing data-driven insights, and lifting performance across an entire function?

Accountabilities:

• Strategic Transformation Leadership: Spearhead high-impact transformation and improvement initiatives across Site Management & Monitoring, taking them from inception through global deployment and ensuring integration across R&D functions to unlock tangible value.

• End-to-End Ownership: Report to the Global Head of Site Management & Monitoring and exercise day-to-day authority to deliver within agreed time, cost, quality, scope, benefits, and risk tolerances; produce outcomes that achieve the defined business benefits.

• Portfolio and Stakeholder Alignment: Liaise with portfolio, programme and partner teams to avoid overlaps and drive alignment; influence senior stakeholders on strategy and advise on deviations from plan to enable timely decisions.

• Project Standards and Governance: Prepare and agree baseline management products with project teams and assurance roles, including the project brief and description, project plans, benefits management approach, stage/exception plans and work packages.

• Reporting and Controls: Establish robust reporting and control mechanisms, including issue reports, end stage reports, exception reports and end project reports, to enable transparent, data-informed governance.

• Team Leadership and Ways of Working: Lead and empower the project management team, set clear behavioral expectations, and ensure adoption of quality and compliance standards, policies and procedures; support project assurance activities.

• Risk, Value and Benefits Management: Identify, manage and, when appropriate, escalate risks and issues; steward benefits and value realization with clear metrics, adapting course to protect outcomes.

• Internal Delivery and Continuous Improvement: Support the Global Head and wider group on departmental initiatives; contribute to the development and maintenance of project management standards and guidelines; drive continuous improvement and knowledge sharing across programs.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in business or scientific field (or Project Management related field) with 4 plus years of experience.

• Expertise in programme/project management, with a proven track record.

• Demonstrate strong communication and relationship building skills with the ability to influence others to achieve objectives.

• Experience of defining business strategies and influencing key stakeholders of the vision for the business area

• Strong networking/consulting skills with good internal/external links

• Ability to interpret and communicate technical information into business language and in alignment with AstraZeneca business

• Consistent record in delivering high-risk programme/projects and decision making

• Ability to convince and lead negotiations across a complex group

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Strong experience in transformation type projects with a deep understanding and practical application of design thinking principles and methodologies to drive innovation, user-centric solutions, and customer experience enhancements.

• Robust understanding of processes with a significant emphasis on R&D

• Formal qualifications in project management, change management, and/or process improvement methodologies.

• Experience of working in a global organisation with complex/geographical context

• Pharmaceutical Industry 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.

Why AstraZeneca:

Here, science moves with purpose and pace. We bring unexpected teams together to spark bold ideas, pairing cutting-edge technology with deep disease understanding to turn lab breakthroughs into real-world treatments. You will operate in a highly collaborative environment that values kindness alongside ambition, where data, digital and AI help you solve complex problems and where your leadership directly shapes how quickly patients benefit from innovation. Your impact will be visible, your voice will be heard, and your growth will be enabled by diverse experts united by a shared mission to improve lives.

Step into this role to lead transformation at scale and help turn ambitious science into life-changing outcomes—make your move today!

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $125,056.80 - $187,585.20 USD Annual.  Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles and commissions for sales roles. Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.

Date Posted

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In furtherance of that mission, we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please complete the corresponding section in the application form.