Do you want to be part of an inclusive team that works to develop innovative therapies for patients? Every day, we are driven to develop and deliver innovative and effective new medicines to patients and physicians. If you want to be part of this exciting work, you belong at Astellas!
Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are committed to turning innovative science into medical solutions that bring value and hope to patients and their families. Keeping our focus on addressing unmet medical needs and conducting our business with ethics and integrity enables us to improve the health of people throughout the world. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.com .
This position is based in Northbrook, Illinois. Remote work from certain states may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines. Candidates interested in remote work are encouraged to apply.
Purpose and Scope:
Strategic Planning & Administration (SP&A) – a group within the Medical & Development Strategy & Operations (MDSO) division - facilitates transformational initiatives within and across Medical & Development (M&D) organizations to improve how Astellas delivers innovative medicines to patients. These improvement programs include internal initiatives ranging from organizational changes, process improvement, and IT platform implementation. SP&A also ensures alignment of these cross functional initiatives with M&D’s forward-looking business strategy.
The Strategic Planning Sr. Manager will be responsible for supporting business case development, managing program delivery, drafting program deliverables, and ensuring alignment with other initiatives impacting M&D. Facilitating teams to embed global transformational changes will require a strong grasp of business analytics, stakeholder management, project coordination, and change management faculties.
Essential Job Responsibilities:
Responsible for supporting project leadership by translating ideas into delivery from project vision through design, build, implementation, and sustainability.
Responsible for developing, implementing, and coordinating program deliverables for assigned internal improvement initiatives, which may include process improvement, organizational, or technical implementation.
Contribute to building business cases and project strategy documentation for proposed initiatives in partnership with program leadership, sponsors, and central operations teams
Support project/program leadership with facilitating workshops, performing options analyses, and defining requirements.
Support project/program leadership to drive project, scope, schedule, resource, cost, risk, management plans
Support project/program leadership to build a delivery plan, critical path, translation into timeline, and alignment of resource assignments.
Support project/program leadership to identify/track dependencies/interdependencies impacting project delivery and adjust plans accordingly
Responsible to drive project/program execution according to established management plans
Manage conflict within any program in an effective, timely, and appropriate manner
Proactively track, manage, & escalate risks to leadership, including developing options for mitigation
Capture/share best practices to enhance learning & improvement within the operations organizations
Actively manage project team members through the completion of their assigned responsibilities, raising delivery risks when necessary.
Responsible for supporting internal SP&A operations activities required for continued growth and ongoing success.
Quantitative Dimensions:
Responsible for evaluating program value and aligning with M&D priorities
Responsible for budget, resource, and timelines associated with assigned initiatives as well as periodic reporting to leadership
Organizational Context:
Position reports to the Director of Strategic Planning within SP&A. Collaborates with transformational project leads, business process owners, system owners, cross functional peers, subject matter experts, and functional leaders and all functions within M&D to drive initiatives forward and ensure deliverables are met.
Qualifications:
Required
BA/BS is required
Minimum 3-5 years in the pharmaceutical industry and/or management consulting group focused on R&D, clinical development, regulatory affairs or medical affairs.
Strong command of project management capabilities, including facilitating the creation of project plans, developing and managing timelines, organizing and proactively managing project information, meetings, tracking tasks and actions and managing budgets, and risks, as well as experience with matrixed leadership & facilitation and business case development.
Strong command of business analytics, including analyzing current state operations, building and defining recommendations, defining processes and requirements, as well as implementing those changes.
Demonstrated leadership skills in a matrix organization with a successful track record of accomplishing high quality results through leading team level performance.
Proven track record of facilitating process optimization and process change initiatives in a cross-functional setting from setting project strategy through providing tactical support and leadership.
Ability to adapt, be flexible and manage time across multiple projects as needed; need to be transparent with commitments and ability to complete.
Excellent listening, oral and written communication, and presentation skills, in English, with an ability to interact at all levels of personnel.
Demonstrated ability to be decisive, identify and gather data and present compelling business presentations.
Experience working cross-functionally and cross-culturally in support of business processes and/or systems, especially as they impact and influence multiple departments and levels of management
Strong and effective strategic thinker and problem solver with high degree of emotional intelligence, with the ability to both recognize and anticipate problems in order to effectively advise and lead teams.
Demonstrated ability to effectively build business relationships and influence without authority as part of a matrix organization.
May require up to 10% international travel.
Excellent understanding of the interdependencies of the various disciplines (CMC, Pharm/Tox, PK, Clinical, Data Management, Regulatory, Marketing, Compliance, and Legal)
Excellent computer skills (MS Office Suite, including MS Visio and MS Project Plan)
Preferred
Advanced degree, MBA, MS or equivalent
Project management certification, PMP/LSS or equivalent
Knowledge of system development life cycle (SDLC) steps and coordinating technical project delivery
Benefits:
Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation, Sick time, plus national holidays including Heritage Days, and Summer and Winter Breaks
401(k) match and annual company contribution
Company paid life insurance
Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions
Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions
Referral bonus program
#LI-SS
Category Strategic Planning & Administration
Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.
EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans