Associate Director, Planning & Performance
ABOUT DEPARTMENT
At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life-changing medicines. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. Procurement is a key function of approximately 500 highly skilled professionals globally that touches on all parts of the AstraZeneca business, from the identification of new drug targets to the supply of our medicines to patients. Procurement actively leads the sourcing of the highest value goods and services needed every year by AZ, building relationships with reputable suppliers and delivering against AZ’s sustainability commitments.
JOB ROLE
The role of Associate Director, Planning & Performance will make a vital contribution to Procurement’s success as we embark on delivery against AstraZeneca’s Ambition 2030 (with Procurement strategy focusing on savings, speed, and sustainability). The role requires vision, energy, and a proven track record of delivering performance management mechanisms at a suitably senior level. Once in the role, the candidate will play a fundamental role in driving performance-focused ways of working at all levels while also ensuring an appropriately balanced portfolio of activity to help underpin this.
TYPICAL ACCOUNTABILITIES
You will define and drive the Procurement function’s overall performance management approach, including the existing scorecard and progress monitoring mechanisms, as well as develop and introduce a broader suite of performance metrics to help inform our progression against our function’s longer-term strategy. A key aspect of the role will be driving the ongoing continuous improvement of the approach, with a strong emphasis on digitalisation and automation, and the application of external benchmarks and insights. In doing so, you will be working directly with the Procurement Leadership Team to help give confidence in our delivery and to highlight opportunities for improvement against peer benchmarks.
In addition, you will define and drive focused planning activities for some of the highest impact activities across the Procurement function, to drive the performance we need as part of our strategy. For example, leading a programmatic approach to the portfolio of savings projects being delivered across the function, helping to ensure that this programme is sufficiently visible, balanced and directly supportive of our strategy expectations. You are likely to include other activities within your remit, such as considering how centrally driven initiatives should align with this broader delivery programme.
ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE/SKILLS
Significant Procurement experience
Proven experience in delivering performance management approaches at a company, functional or team level.
Strong business acumen and the ability to think strategically with strong execution.
Ability to quickly understand, and apply critical thought to, business processes.
Ability to use data and insights to drive innovation. Hands-on problem-solving skills, with the ability to clearly define a problem, synthesize data to drive fact-based insights and strategic implications, and facilitate the development of clear and thoughtful recommendations.
Sound judgment combined with strong interpersonal and influencing skills – able to engage well with people at all levels of the organisation
Experience of working in a highly regulated sector.
DESIRABLE :
Knowledge of Procurement-specific performance management approaches, savings approaches, scope 3 emissions and other sustainability-related expectations.
Ability to manage conflicting priorities, stakeholder & colleague expectations and deliver consistently high-quality outputs.
Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
Inquisitive mindset with well-developed critical/analytical abilities.
Strategic thinker looking outside to bring new approaches to continually reinvigorate outputs and improve the effectiveness of approaches.
High level of integrity, able to handle highly confidential information.
Proactive with high levels of self-motivation and personal accountability, bringing enthusiasm and energy to team, peer group and tasks.
Comfortable working independently and as part of a team.
Resilient with a flexible approach.
Experience of working in a highly regulated sector.
Able to develop and maintain networks across business and cultural boundaries
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?
Join a team that supports the delivery of life-changing medicines for patients by enabling the rest of the business to run effectively and harness our transformative science. We're on a journey of growth and evolution. to find better ways to translate value for the business and our patients. A trusted partner to the business, we're on a mission to make AstraZeneca more agile, efficient and effective. Through our hybrid model of in-house delivery centres and service towers across the globe, we're reimagining how we work. Here we drive new ways of working and operating models, process simplification and innovative solutions, whilst ensuring that automation and data is at the heart of everything.
Ready to make your impact in a role that truly matters? Apply today and help us redefine the future of health!
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.
