Program (Project) Management Lead, Precision Medicine
Astellas Canada –
At Astellas, we strive to become a cutting-edge, value-driven life science
innovator. This means working at the forefront of healthcare change to turn
innovative science into VALUE for patients.
What sets us apart is our focus on patients, our pioneering innovation, our
collaborative culture, and the passion of our talented people.
Making a positive impact on patients’ lives is the purpose behind everything we
do. At Astellas, we are relentless in our pursuit of scientific progress and in
tackling unmet medical needs, demonstrated by our legacy in oncology, overactive
bladder and transplant and our impressive pipeline in women's health, blindness
and regeneration, genetic regulation, immuno-oncology, mitochondria and targeted
protein degradation.
About Us:
We are a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Japan, with a team of
more than 14,000 managing operations in approximately 70 countries around the
world. We are in the Top 30 global biopharma company based on global revenues
and are predicted to be one of the Top 10 Cancer Drug Makers of 2024 by Fierce
Pharma.
In Canada, we are growing to meet the exciting opportunities realized by our
legacy brands and rich pipeline of innovative treatments.
We are looking for candidates who will thrive in our entrepreneurial and
empowering environment where talent and leadership flourish. Do your values
align with our Astellas Way - patient focus, ownership, results, openness and
integrity? Then we would love to hear from you.
From the first day in role, everyone at Astellas has a responsibility for
creating a brighter future for patients around the world. We nurture exceptional
relationships with our employees to allow them to thrive, foster innovation, and
deliver exceptional business results. We work to create a culture where our
people feel empowered to pursue brave ideas and ambitious outcomes, to have the
confidence to be accountable for a higher standard of performance and embody a
competitive and solutions-oriented mindset.
Our expertise, science and technology make us a pharma company. Our open and
diverse culture is what makes us uniquely Astellas.
This opportunity is based in Canada and is within Global Brand Strategy &
Marketing function unit.
Purpose & Scope:
As Program (Project) Management Lead, you will oversee strategic and operational
project management to support global marketing and align with corporate goals.
Your role includes ensuring effective product strategy execution, operational
coordination, and integration across functions, while promoting innovation in
global launches and lifecycle management.
You will collaborate with global and functional teams to implement processes,
manage risks, and achieve organizational outcomes. Additionally, you will help
integrate Brand Centered Operational Model and Agile practices by modeling
Astellas Values & Behaviors and working closely with the Global Strategic Brand
Lead and team.
Responsibilities & Accountabilities:
Strategic Enablement
- Provide frameworks, tools, & forums that enable constructive debate &
well-informed decisions; Ensure insights are surfaced and woven into brand
narratives & planning.
- Coordinate strategic processes (e.g. Global Brand Planning, Operational
Planning), & ensure priorities are translated into executable plans.
- Act as a trusted collaborator with internal teams & external experts
(vendors, partners, etc.), structuring insights to enable data-driven
discussions and decision-making.
Operational Leadership
- Oversee and coordinate key co-creation activities and deliverables critical
to strategy development, implementation, and lifecycle management. Accurately
document meeting minutes, decisions, and action items, and effectively
communicate relevant information to affiliates and partner functions as
appropriate.
- Coordinate and monitor project timelines, key activities, and deliverables,
ensuring alignment with both strategic planning and operational objectives.
Initiate and execute corrective actions to address timeline deviations as
necessary.
- Proactively identify, mitigate, and track risks associated with essential
activities through a structured process to minimize potential operational
impacts.
- Prepare and present detailed brand performance reports on a monthly and
quarterly basis to senior leadership, GBSM leadership, regional & affiliate
teams, and other key stakeholders.
Change Management & Communication
- Guide teams through changes and ensure adoption of new ways of working with
sustained outcomes.
- Plan and execute timely brand communications to various stakeholders to
increase awareness, understanding, and adoption.
- Document and communicate agendas, decisions, post-meeting communications
clearly across teams.
- Enhance the Brand Portal and team SharePoint with all meetings materials,
promotional materials, news and articles, calendar, monthly leadership decks,
etc.
Fiscal Management
- Coordinate development of brand budget/forecasts partnering with brand and
project leads.
- Monitor brand spend against budgeted plans and provide visibility to the team
on variances.
Innovation and Process Improvement
- Develop and implement project management tools and methodologies to establish
structure and maximize efficiency.
- Lead and embed Agile ways of working for the brand team and associated teams.
- Guide teams on when and how to apply emerging tools & processes to drive
efficiency & innovation
- Monitor adoption and performance, lead post-mortems, and ensure lessons
learned are reinforced to sustain change
Qualifications
Essential Knowledge & Experience:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Biology, Molecular Biology or
Biochemistry.
- Minimum of 10 years of experience. Minimum of 5 years program or project
management experience, preferably in marketing, pharmaceutical or related
fields.
- Solid experience in the pharmaceutical industry.
- Proven track record in consulting or client-facing project management role.
- Proven experience managing strategic and tactical programs and projects to
successfully achieve target outcomes.
- Strong analytical skills and ability to analyze complex business problems,
develop clear action plans and implement solutions.
- Continuous improvement mindset and ability to drive efficiencies across
projects and initiatives.
- Ability to lead and influence in matrixed, cross-functional, multi-cultural
environments.
- Proactive problem-solving and decision-making abilities.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, negotiation, and
influencing capabilities. Ability to communicate complex concepts to both
technical and non-technical stakeholders at various levels of the
organization.
Preferred Knowledge & Experience
- Biomarker, companion diagnostic or diagnostic experience.
- PMP certification.
- Experience with structured methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, Agile) for
project planning, risk management, and problem solving.
- Master’s degree in Business Administration.
- Experience leveraging AI to drive efficiency.
- Experience with program/project management tools.
- Knowledge of global drug development and product lifecycle management.
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
- Country Specific Retirement Savings Plan (401k, RRSP, etc.)
- Company paid life insurance
- Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions
- Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions
- Referral bonus program
Additional information:
- This is a permanent full-time position.
- This position follows our hybrid working model. Role requires a blend of home
and a minimum 1 day per quarter in our respective local affiliate office.
Flexibility may be required in line with business need. Candidates must be
located within a commutable distance of the office.
- Astellas Pharma Canada welcomes and encourages applications from people with
disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking
part in all aspects of the hiring process.
No telephone inquiries, in-person applications, or agencies please. While we
appreciate all applications, only candidates under consideration will be
contacted.
LI-TD
