[Hiring] Associate Director, Territory Operations Manager @AstraZeneca

Role Description

Are you ready to pioneer cell therapy trial operations across a dynamic region and help transform outcomes for people with cancer? This role sits at the intersection of science, operations, and patient care—where robust clinical execution and smart, data-informed decisions accelerate both trials and future commercial delivery.

As a regional expert, you will guide treatment centers through complex cell therapy workflows, from site strategy and activation to ongoing operational and clinical oversight. You will connect frontline teams with internal experts, turning standards into daily practice and removing barriers that slow patient access. Can you envision yourself setting the pace for how advanced therapies are introduced and sustained across multiple sites?

This is a remote, regional role reporting to a Regional Operations Director and partnering closely with cross-functional leaders to build scalable, patient-centered service lines that uphold the highest quality and compliance standards.

Responsibilities

• Regional Site Strategy: Partner with regional leadership to shape site selection and expansion plans that accelerate patient access and trial readiness while ensuring sustainable operations.
• Site Activation and Certification: Lead risk-based activation, certification, and training programs to bring new treatment centers online efficiently and compliantly.
• Clinical Workflow Excellence: Guide end-to-end cell therapy workflows—including apheresis, product handling, infusion, and documentation—to deliver consistent, high-quality patient care.
• Quality and Compliance Leadership: Operate within relevant regulatory and accreditation frameworks (e.g., FACT), driving audit readiness, deviation management, CAPA execution, and continuous improvement.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Align with Program Management, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Medical, Market Access, Compliance, and Commercial to ensure integrated delivery across clinical and commercial phases.
• Collaborator Engagement: Build positive relationships with investigators, physicians, nurses, apheresis teams, cell therapy labs, and site leadership to establish patient-centered service lines.
• Logistics and Supply Chain Coordination: Act as the primary operations readiness liaison, aligning site needs with supply chain timelines, COI/COC processes, and regional account changes.
• Training and Mentorship: Design and deliver training for site staff and junior team members to elevate capability and consistency across the region.
• Issue Management and Continuous Improvement: Respond constructively to SOP deviations, implement corrective actions, and share guidelines to strengthen system-wide performance.
• Reporting and Insights: Lead research and internal reporting on standards, performance, and guidelines to inform governance and strategy across multiple countries and local contexts.
• Travel: Travel up to 50% to engage with sites, support activations, and maintain ongoing operational oversight.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience with detailed knowledge/hands-on experience in Cell Therapy (preferred: nursing, Life Sciences, healthcare administration, Business).
• 8 years of clinical experience within a hospital setting and/or industry, with 6 years of CAR-T experience preferred.
• Expertise in service lines (infrastructure, resourcing, costs, quality metrics).
• Proven delivery to timelines, cost, and quality; collaboration with internal/external providers.
• Excellent knowledge of cell therapy standards/regulations.
• Experience selecting/overseeing external providers and developing contracts.

Requirements

• Advanced scientific degree or equivalent experience; broad understanding across patient operations, manufacturing interfaces, quality, regulatory, market access; project management experience.
• Program/Quality qualifications (e.g., PMP, CPHQ).
• Experience across academic/Sponsor settings and countries.
• Early-phase delivery across product lifecycle and multiple therapeutic areas.
• Salesforce or similar CRM experience.

Benefits

• The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $150,098 - $225,147 USD.
• Eligibility for various incentives—an opportunity to receive short-term incentive bonuses, equity-based awards for salaried roles, and commissions for sales roles.
• Benefits offered include qualified retirement programs, paid time off (i.e., vacation, holiday, and leaves), as well as health, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms of the applicable plans.