At AstraZeneca, we lead our industry in the development of a strong and varied pipeline. This means our people are here to win, we give you a breadth of opportunities to be curious and do cutting edge, unique work that has significant impact on science and medicine.

The Global Regulatory Affairs Therapeutic area team is a strategic function and plays a key role within the Global Product Teams who work cross functionally to gather expertise and knowledge that informs our drug development programs. They are ultimately responsible for ensuring the pieces fit together to deliver for patients and physicians and provide therapy area regulatory expertise that supports regulatory interactions across the globe to secure fast submissions for our medicines in development.

What you’ll do

The Senior Director Regulatory Affairs is accountable for leading the development and implementation of the global regulatory strategy for a group of products of increasing complexity within the RIA portfolio and for ensuring that the strategy is designed to deliver rapid approval with advantageous labelling in keeping with the properties of the products and the needs identified by the business, markets and patients. The RA Senior Director possesses strategic leadership skills, has a deep understanding of global regulatory science and overall drug/biologic development processes and strategies for high profile, complex or novel development programs. Experience and knowledge of the one or more of the RIA disease areas is critical to being able to influence cross-functional discussions with Global Product Teams (GPT) and relevant stakeholders. The Senior Director has the ability to take on the Global Regulatory Lead (GRL) role for a product/group of products and as the ability to function in dual capacity by delivering the overarching global regulatory strategy as well as serve as a regional lead based on their location, respectively.

Core Accountabilities/Responsibilities:

• Leads the development and implementation of innovative global strategies of increasing complexity to maximize the likelihood of regulatory success.
• Accountable for the delivery of all regulatory milestones including assessment of the probability of regulatory success together with risk analysis and mitigation measures.
• Leads the planning and construction of the global dossier and core prescribing information
• Accountable for product maintenance and compliance activities associated with marketed brands.
• Serves as the single point of contact and Global Regulator Affairs (GRA) representative on Product Development Teams (PDT)/Global Product Teams (GPT).
• Leads the Global Regulatory Sub-team (GRST) with key contributing members from a regional perspective, emerging markets, Reg CMC as well as delivery & enablement.
• Partner with marketing company and regional regulatory affairs staff to influence developing views/guidance within leading Health Authorities on specific topics of relevance to their project or regulatory more generally.
• Monitor changes in the regulatory environment, both general and specific to the therapeutic area and support and advise Global Product Teams (GPT) accordingly.
• Capability to lead key cross-department or cross-functional projects on behalf of Global Regulatory Affairs (GRA) when necessary.
• Provide regulatory leadership as needed in product in-license/due diligence review, product divestment and product withdrawal.
• Participate in skill-development, coaching, and performance feedback of other regulatory staff working on the product/project.
• Capability and credibility in complex, business critical projects and ability to cope with ambiguity and manage senior key stakeholders.
• Has developed and actively uses external relationships with key stakeholders to reinforce AstraZeneca’s regulatory credibility.
• Provide a regional focus and interact with commercial to understand business needs  and to ensure regional commercial engagement with the proposed regulatory strategies

Essential for the Role

• Advanced degree in a science related field and/or other appropriate knowledge/experience.
• Must have previous experience in leading Major Health Authority interactions (e.g. FDA advisory committee meetings, Oral explanations, Scientific Advice, Pre-NDA/BLA, EOP2 meetings etc.).
• >10 years’ experience or equivalent of regulatory drug development including product approval/launch. Expert knowledge of regulatory affairs within one or more relevant therapeutic areas. In this case, any previous experience in vaccines/infectious disease is also useful.
• Broad background of experience working in pharmaceutical business and prior experience in several areas within regulatory affairs, e.g. Global, European, International, Marketing Company or experience at a health authority.
• Experience in relevant therapy area (small molecules & biologics) is preferred.
• Proven leadership and program management experience.
• Ability to think strategically and critically evaluate risks to regulatory activities.
• Ability to work strategically within a complex, business critical and high profile development program.
• Successful contribution to a major regulatory approval at a global level.
• A scientific and clinical understanding of the regulatory sciences.
• Must demonstrate competencies of: strategic thinking, strategic influencing, innovation, initiative, leadership and excellent oral and written communication skills.

Date Posted

Closing Date

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 authorization and employment eligibility verification requirements.