Head of Early Assets, Cell Therapy

At AstraZeneca our ambition is to realize the full curative potential of cell therapies across cancer. We aim to empower the immune system to attack cancers eliminate barriers standing between patients and potentially curative cell therapies and build an ecosystem that fosters access. Within Oncology we are advancing a broad pipeline spanning autologous chimeric antigen receptor T-cells (CAR T) allogenic platforms T-cell receptor therapies (TCR T) and in vivo approaches.

Reporting into the VP Global Head Hematology Franchise and Cell Therapy and sitting on the Leadership Team as Head of Early Assets Cell Therapy you will operate at the commercialR&D interface to shape our early pipeline from preclinical through early clinical developmentresetting the standard of care across hematologic malignancies and solid tumors and ensuring clear line-of-sight to patient impact and long-term commercial value.

You will partner closely with Early Oncology R&D Global Product Teams Business Development Medical Market Access/Pricing Finance and key markets to build winning target product profiles inform clinical plans and define early go-to-market strategies that scale across modalities and indications. This role is highly visible within the OBU and requires a strong matrix leader who can influence without authority and translate scientific innovation into compelling commercial strategies. You will be accountable for understanding industry innovations and trends in the hematology and solid tumor space and translating those insights into strategy.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Commercial strategy for early assets: Lead the early commercial strategy across cell therapy modalities (auto allo TCRs in vivo) integrating disease biology competitive dynamics and customer insights to shape target product profiles positioning and differentiation.
• R&D partnership and development planning: Provide strategic commercial input to discovery and early development teams on indication prioritization study design endpoints inclusion/exclusion line-of-therapy and bridging/CMC considerations to optimize clinical and regulatory line-of-sight.
• Go-to-market franchise strategy & capability building and customer model design: Define early go-to-market hypotheses and customer engagement models across hematology and solid tumors including site-of-care requirements treatment pathway integration provider economics and care delivery logistics.
• Insights and analytics: Guide and collaborate with our insights/analytics teams to integrate HCP/center-of-excellence patient/caregiver payer and provider insights and competitive intelligence; partner closely to inform value stories price/reimbursement scenarios and risk/opportunity assessments that support commercial decision-making.
• Evidence and access strategy: Partner with Market Access & Pricing on early access strategies affordability models and system readiness. Shape early evidence needs (clinical RWE PROs HEOR) and payer value narratives.
• Collaborate with lifecycle team: Shape lifecycle options next-wave indications and inform investment cases for internal programs and external opportunities in collaboration with Search & Evaluation and BD.
• Cross-BU collaboration and governance: Represent the commercial view in cross-functional forum and governance (e.g. therapy area leadership early stage portfolio committees) ensuring alignment to OBU strategy and enterprise priorities.
• Market readiness and launch pathways: Coordinate with priority markets (notably US) to pressure-test assumptions assess site readiness and supply/logistics feasibility and establish scalable launch pathways for future transitions to late development.
• Financials and planning: Lead Forecasting Long-Term Planning (LTP) scenario planning and budget needs; provide sensitivity analyses for clinical and market uncertainties.
• External engagement: Build and maintain networks with key clinical experts industry leaders patient advocacy payers and cell therapy centers to bring the external voice into strategy and development.

Skills and capabilities

• Commercial excellence: Demonstrated success shaping and executing commercial strategies for cell therapy in Oncology.
• Strategic thinking and financial acumen: Ability to synthesize science clinical evidence market signals and economics into clear strategic choices and robust business cases.
• Matrix leadership: Proven ability to influence across R&D Medical Access Operations and Market Companies; skilled at alignment-building and decision-making in ambiguous high-velocity settings.
• Science and clinical acumen: Strong grasp of cell therapy science and clinical development; able to challenge and partner with R&D on endpoints comparators and platform/CMC trade-offs.
• Problem solving and execution: Structured data-driven approach with a track record of translating ideas into action and delivering results through others.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication; compelling storyteller who can distill complexity for senior stakeholders and governance bodies.

Requirements / qualifications Education

• Bachelors degree in Business Life Sciences or related field required; advanced degree (MBA MSc PhD MD/PharmD) preferred.

Experience

• Must have: Prior cell therapy commercial experience (local global or both).
• 10 years in biopharma including experience at the commercialR&D interface and in early asset strategy or early commercial roles.
• Must have: Prior strategic management consulting experience in pharma and/or biotech.
• Experience across hematology and/or solid tumor oncology; direct exposure to cell therapy modalities (autologous allogeneic TCRs; in vivo cell engineering preferred).
• Demonstrated experience shaping product profiles and early clinical plans amid evolving datasets; familiarity with CMC and supply/logistics considerations for cell therapy.
• Broad commercial experience including pre-launch strategy forecasting market research pricing & reimbursement competitive intelligence and early go-to-market design.
• Evidence of building investment cases and collaborating with BD/Search & Evaluation on external opportunities.
• Experience engaging external stakeholders: clinical experts centers of excellence payers patient advocacy and provider systems.

Other qualifications

• Successful people leadership or significant matrix leadership experience.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and establishing new-to-world commercial models for emerging modalities.

Location travel and work pattern

• Based in Gaithersburg MD; full-time role within the Oncology Business Unit.
• Some domestic and international travel to R&D sites priority markets conferences and centers of excellence should be expected.

Why AstraZeneca We strive to be at the forefront of pioneering the latest cell therapy technologies and to build an ecosystem that fosters access to potentially curative cell therapies. Youll join an agile purpose-driven organization that invests in people fosters continuous learning and builds leaders.

Diversity and inclusion Were committed to building an inclusive and diverse team. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and will provide reasonable accommodations as needed throughout the recruitment process.

Compensation and benefits A competitive compensation package with short-term incentive eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program will be offered commensurate with experience and market.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $270221 - $405332. Hourly and salaried non-exempt employees will also be paid overtime pay when working qualifying overtime hours. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors including market location job-related knowledge skills and addition our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles) to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles) and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program 401(k) plan; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and health benefits including medical prescription drug dental and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired employee will be in an at-will position and the Company reserves the right to modify base pay (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time including for reasons related to individual performance Company or individual department/team performance and market factors.

Date Posted

Closing Date

Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and furtherance of that mission we welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their protected characteristics. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation please complete the corresponding section in the application form.