Product Experience Associate Director, Release Coordination - Evinova

Job Title: Product Experience Associate Director, Release Coordination - Evinova
Location: Mississauga, ON

At AstraZeneca, we pride ourselves on crafting a collaborative culture that champions knowledge-sharing, ambitious thinking and innovation – ultimately providing employees with the opportunity to work across teams, functions and even the globe. 

Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility, our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office and BlueSky Hub in downtown Toronto are purposely designed with collaboration in mind, providing space where teams can come together to strategize, brainstorm and connect on key projects. 

Our dedication to sustainability is also central to our culture and part of what makes AstraZeneca a great place to work. We know the health of people, the planet and our business are interconnected which is why we’re taking ambitious action to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, from climate change to access to healthcare and disease prevention. 

Evinova

Are you ready to be part of the future of healthcare? Can you think big, be bold, and harness the power of digital and AI to tackle longstanding life sciences challenges?  Then Evinova, a new health tech business part of the AstraZeneca Group might be for you!  

Evinova is a health-tech business, accelerating the delivery of better health outcomes by propelling the life sciences sector forward in digital health, from the inside. Through our application of science-based expertise, evidence-led rigour, and human insight, our digital solutions are deliberately designed so that everyone can reach better health outcomes together.

Transform billions of patients’ lives through technology, data, and innovative ways of working. You’re radical, decisive, and entrepreneurial. Someone excited to use technology to improve patients’ health. We’re building a new Health-tech business – Evinova, a fully-owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca Group.

Evinova delivers market-leading digital health solutions that are science-based, evidence-led, and human experience-driven. Thoughtful risks and quick decisions come together to accelerate innovation across the life sciences sector. Be part of a diverse team that pushes the boundaries of science by digitally empowering a deeper understanding of the patients we’re helping. Launch pioneering digital solutions that improve the patients’ experience and deliver better health outcomes. Together, we have the opportunity to combine deep scientific expertise with digital and artificial intelligence to serve the wider healthcare community and create new standards across the sector. 

About the Role

The Product Experience Associate Director, Release Coordination, reports to the Head of Product Experience and is responsible for overseeing the customer-focused release process of product updates within the Evinova suite. This role ensures that product releases are implemented seamlessly, providing an exceptional experience for our customers. You will coordinate cross-functional teams through the planning, pre-release, deployment, and post-release stages, ensuring that each release meets customer needs and contributes to a cohesive product experience. This role involves fostering a positive culture as part of the broader Evinova team globally.

Key Responsibilities:

• Establish and document the release management workflow, including handoffs between teams, approval gates, and escalation procedures.
• Facilitate alignment across Product, Engineering, QA, Marketing, Commercial, Training, Delivery and Support teams to ensure smooth release execution.
• Oversee the preparation and dissemination of internal and external release communications, ensuring messaging is clear, informative, and customer-focused.
• Lead cross-functional coordination efforts, ensuring that each stage of the release process contributes to a seamless customer journey.
• Oversee the creation of customer-facing release notes, guides, and training materials to enable smooth adoption and implementation.
• Maintain detailed release documentation, including hot fixes, known bug reports and Release Impact Assessment (RIA) reports outlining GXP risks associated with each release.
• Collaborate with training teams to ensure the creation and update of training materials, including videos and documentation, to support team readiness prior to general availability (GA).
• Facilitate effective communication, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across functions to drive efficient and high-quality releases.
• Identify and resolve any cross-team dependencies, conflicts, or bottlenecks that may impact the release timeline or customer experience.
• Collaborate with customer success and implementation teams to gather feedback and address any experience gaps.
• Analyze release metrics, customer feedback, and post-mortem findings to find opportunities for process optimization and customer experience enhancements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional leaders to implement process improvements and standard methodologies for future releases.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends and innovations in release management and customer experience to drive Evinova's competitive edge.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience.
• Proven experience in release management, product management, or project management, preferably within the pharmaceutical or healthcare technology sectors.
• Strong understanding of the product development lifecycle and release management processes, with a focus on customer experience.
• Understanding of the drug development process and regulations related to clinical trials is a plus.
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional teams and delivering high-quality product releases that prioritize customer experience.
• Experience in global organizations, adept at navigating and collaborating effectively with geographically dispersed collaborators and teams.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively, consult with collaborators, present ideas clearly, and influence decisions at all organizational levels.
• Excellent organizational and leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities simultaneously.
• Expertise in analytical and problem-solving techniques, applying data-driven insights to drive decision-making and process improvements.
• Passion for delivering outstanding customer experiences and a commitment to fostering a positive team culture.

Nice to Have:

• A master's degree in Business, Computer Science, Information Systems, Life Sciences or a related field with 5+ years of relevant experience

Why Evinova (AstraZeneca)?

Evinova draws on AstraZeneca’s deep experience developing novel therapeutics, advised by insights from thousands of patients and clinical researchers. Together, we can accelerate the delivery of life-changing medicines, improve the design and delivery of clinical trials for better patient experiences and outcomes, and think more holistically about patient care before, during, and after treatment.  We know that regulators, healthcare professionals, and care teams at clinical trial sites do not want a fragmented approach. They do not want a future where every pharmaceutical company provides its own, different digital solutions. They want solutions that work across the sector, simplify their workload, and benefit patients broadly. By bringing our solutions to the wider healthcare community, we can help build more unified approaches to how we all develop and deploy digital technologies, better serving our teams, physicians, and ultimately patients.  Evinova represents a unique opportunity to deliver meaningful outcomes with digital and AI to serve the wider healthcare community and create new standards for the sector.  Join us on our journey of building a new kind of health tech business to reset expectations of what a bio-pharmaceutical company can be. This means we’re opening new ways to work, pioneering innovative methods, and bringing unexpected teams together. Interested? Come and join our journey.

Where can I find out more?

• Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/astrazenecacareers/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/astrazeneca_careers/?hl=en
• Learn more about Evinova www.evinova.com

Ready to make an impact? Apply now!

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by  emailing AZCHumanResources@astrazeneca.com. 

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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.