AstraZeneca Hiring for R&D Finance Director Job at Cambridge, East of England, England Full Time

Join a place built on innovation and creativity. Where different views and perspectives are welcomed and valued. An environment that champions inclusion, and teams that reflect the diversity of the communities that we serve.

You will be based in Cambridge, one of the most exciting bioscience hotspots in the world. The city is home to our global headquarters and one of AstraZeneca’s three strategic, global R&D Centres, alongside Gothenburg and Gaithersburg, which plays a central role in our mission to deliver life-changing medicines to patients.

In this role you are the Finance Director for the R&D restructuring project – you will provide all finance support to ensure the strategic and operational goals of the project are delivered on restructuring dollars invested and benefits / RoI perspective. You will be a key part of the Reno R&D Project Management Office (PMO) Leadership Team in owning decision making on spend.

Be an active member in shaping strategies and approaches; identifying and suggesting performance improvements (e.g. speed of delivery, value of savings, customer service, improvements to systems or tools). Collaborate with Finance Business Partners across AZ to ensure appropriate reporting to the central PMO. This role will also include oversight and support of Redefining Clinical Data Flow Programme; a key enabler of the restructuring programme.

You will be fully responsible for providing expert Cost Controllership advice & benefit tracking, guidance and support, dictating the reporting rhythm and content of the Restructuring R&D Management Information pack. Owning all financial information that is used including FTE / headcount, benefits cases, actuals, forecasts and budget cycles while ensuring that all AZ Policies and Standards are met, and that reliable information is provided.

You will be responsible for:

Project Spend Strategy & Decision Support

• Work with project sponsors, other key stakeholders and R&D Leadership on identifying the key drivers, requirements, assumptions and constraints for the project.

• Prepare and agree with stakeholders an insight-led finance delivery plan for the project; monitor and report the progress, managing key risks and resolving issues.

Business Strategy & Decision Support

• Contribute to the R&D restructuring strategic development by providing financial input that shapes strategies and develops business and operational plans

• Review and develop short and long-term financial strategy for R&D in the context of the restructuring; maintain an up-to-date understanding of all developments which may affect the benefits case and assess business impact.

Business Performance

• Develop and provide a management information cycle that enables fact-based decision making throughout the project lifecycle, pro-actively managing your stakeholders and colleagues and challenging assumptions and behaviours through analysis of your granular and robust source data and reporting

• Accountability for the accuracy of forecasts and leveraging sound understanding of the operating model and financial drivers to challenge and influence the key cost drivers. Lead the financial planning cycle for Reno R&D, setting stretch but attainable performance targets and incentives, aligned to strategy and operational plans.

• Manage the Programme P&L; ensure the Project provides reliable operational and financial forecasts that ensure resources are allocated to maximize value. Lead the creation of processes required to enable the robust source data you need to support the Project and project decision making

Success in this role is acting as a strong leader and a true finance partner across the project; you will lead key finance processes; always challenging behaviours that don’t align to central Restructuring Programme.

Essential skills and experience

• Demonstrated experience managing Complex >$50m Programme budgets

• Experience of working across a global organisation

• In-depth understanding of regulatory/statutory requirements and governance principles/SOX

• Team leadership / management experience

• Project Management and Project accounting experience

• Strong commercial negotiation acumen

• Strong attention to detail

• Stakeholder management & presenting results at senior forums

Opening date: 1.12.2021

Closing date: 15.12.2021