Strategy and Operations Lead, Medical & Scientific Affairs

Position: Strategy and Operations Lead, Medical & Scientific Affairs
Work pattern: Home based, with expectation to be in AZUK Head Office a minimum of 1-2 days/week

Competitive Salary & Excellent Company Benefits

Applications Closing Date: 2 November 2026.

Introduction to the role

Are you an experienced professional with a passion for strategy, transformation and operational excellence?

As Strategy and Operations Lead, Medical & Scientific Affairs, you will help shape and deliver the strategic direction of Medical & Scientific Affairs across the UK. Reporting to the Medical Director and working as a member of the Medical Leadership Team, you will translate the long-term strategy into clear priorities, plans, resources and measures of success across the function.

You will oversee the Medical & Scientific Affairs book of work, Regional scorecard, budget and resource planning, ensuring that priorities are aligned and delivery is effectively monitored. You will also lead the functional transformation portfolio, support the adoption of digital and artificial intelligence capabilities, and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and release capacity for higher-value activity.

In addition, you will own the Medical Excellence and capability agenda, functional governance, internal communications and engagement approach. Acting as the key interface with Global, Regional and enterprise colleagues, you will help ensure that Medical & Scientific Affairs delivers meaningful impact for patients, the NHS and AstraZeneca.

Accountabilities

Strategy, planning and performance

You will work with the Medical Director and Medical Leadership Team to develop and embed the long-term strategy for Medical & Scientific Affairs. You will translate this into the functional book of work, sub-function and therapy area plans, the Regional scorecard, and associated budget and resource cases.

You will maintain a consolidated view of activity, priorities, resources and deliverables, providing analysis and recommendations to support decision-making. You will monitor delivery, identify risks and build the evidence base demonstrating the contribution of Medical & Scientific Affairs to patients, the NHS and the organisation.

Transformation, digital and artificial intelligence

You will define and govern the functional transformation portfolio, ensuring that programmes are prioritised, sequenced and delivered against agreed outcomes. You will identify future capability requirements and develop recommendations on whether capabilities should be built, bought or borrowed.

You will lead the compliant adoption of digital and artificial intelligence solutions, from use-case identification through to implementation, adoption tracking and benefits realisation. You will also identify low-value activity and support the redeployment of released capacity.

Medical excellence and capability

You will own the Medical Excellence framework, including standards of medical practice, quality expectations and assessment approaches across head office and field medical teams.

Working with therapy area and field medical leaders, you will define and deliver capability and training priorities, provide performance reporting to Global Medical Excellence, and benchmark standards against internal and external best practice. You will also oversee the insight and performance infrastructure for Medical and ensure that role profiles, career pathways and onboarding materials remain current.

Governance, engagement and communication

You will design and maintain the governance and decision-making framework for Medical & Scientific Affairs, ensuring that the right issues are discussed, decisions are recorded and actions are completed.

In partnership with the Medical Director, you will manage the Medical Leadership Team agenda, leadership forums, business reviews and functional town halls. You will also lead internal communications and the engagement agenda, including Pulse survey analysis, action planning and delivery.

Global, Regional and enterprise collaboration

You will coordinate directorate-level engagement with Global and Regional Medical colleagues, managing functional requests, returns and process requirements. You will represent UK Medical & Scientific Affairs in relevant forums, influence the development of wider processes and ensure that the Medical Leadership Team is briefed on changes and innovations relevant to the function.

Essential qualifications and experience

- Graduate-level degree in life sciences, business, clinical science or a related discipline.
- Substantial experience in Medical Affairs, including responsibility for medical strategy, operations or delivery.
- Experience translating strategy into plans, resource decisions and measurable outcomes.
- Experience developing medical excellence, capability or training frameworks.
- Experience leading business and budget planning within Medical Affairs or another regulated function.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to turn performance and resource data into clear recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders across a complex matrix organisation.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience preparing materials for executive audiences.

Desirable qualifications and experience

- Advanced degree or professional qualification, such as an MSc, PhD, MBA, MD, pharmacy or nursing qualification.
- Knowledge of the ABPI Code of Practice and Good Practice (GxP) environments.
- Experience working across local, Regional and Global structures.
- Experience implementing digital or artificial intelligence solutions in a regulated environment.
- Experience in cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, respiratory, immunology or vaccines.
- A track record of leading complex transformation and realising measurable benefits.
- Line management and capability-development experience.

Key working relationships

You will work closely with the Medical Director, Medical Leadership Team, Heads of Therapy Area, Field Medical Leads, Population Health and Pathways, Evidence, Regulatory, Medical Information and Medical Ethics colleagues.

You will also partner with the UK Leadership Team, Finance, Human Resources, Global and Regional Medical and Medical Excellence teams, as well as external industry networks and approved transformation, capability and training partners.

Why AstraZeneca?

At AstraZeneca, Medical & Scientific Affairs plays a critical role in ensuring that our decisions and partnerships are grounded in robust evidence, high standards of medical practice and a clear focus on patient and NHS impact.

This role offers the opportunity to shape the future of Medical & Scientific Affairs in the UK by connecting strategy, medical excellence, transformation and operational delivery. You will work across cardiovascular, renal and metabolic, respiratory, immunology and vaccines, while partnering with colleagues locally, regionally and globally.

If you are a strategic, analytical and collaborative Medical Affairs leader who enjoys turning ambition into action, we would like to hear from you.

Join AstraZeneca and help shape the future of Medical & Scientific Affairs.

Date Posted
12-Oct-2026

Closing Date
02-Nov-2026

Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.