Senior Director, Head of Alliance Management - Business Development and Licensing - Biopharma

Job Title: Senior Director, Head of Alliance Management - Business Development and Licensing - Biopharma
Location: Gaithersburg, MD

At AstraZeneca, we put patients first and strive to meet their unmet needs worldwide. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together to make the impossible a reality. If you are swift to action, confident to lead, willing to collaborate, and curious about what science can do, then you’re our kind of person.

Recognizing the importance of individualized flexibility, our ways of working allow employees to balance personal and work commitments while ensuring we continue to create a strong culture of collaboration and teamwork by engaging face-to-face in our offices 3 days a week. Our head office is purposely designed with collaboration in mind, providing space where teams can come together to strategize, brainstorm and connect on key projects. 

Our dedication to sustainability is also central to our culture and part of what makes AstraZeneca a great place to work. We know the health of people, the planet and our business are interconnected which is why we’re taking ambitious action to tackle some of the biggest challenges of our time, from climate change to access to healthcare and disease prevention. 

Introduction to Role:

The Senior Director, Head of Alliance Management BioPharmaceuticals will provide strategic leadership across the portfolio of AstraZeneca’s BioPharmaceuticals R&D collaborations. The role sets the alliance vision, builds a high-performing team, establishes joint governance, translates complex contracts into clear operating plans, and manages milestones, escalations, and renegotiations. It works closely with the deal team during contracting, oversees integration of new in-licensing deals, externalizations, and informs senior leadership on collaboration status and health. The role also requires directly managing some of the high priority strategic alliance relationships as well as closely collaborating with other alliance groups across the AZ organization. The Head of Alliance Management will lead a group of high performing Alliance Managers as well as strategically lead cross-functional efforts with Legal, Business Development, Project Management, and Finance.

Accountabilities:

• Leads a team of Alliance Management professionals; builds a high-performing, inclusive team—recruit, coach, motivate, and retain talent; enable professional growth; develop high-performing Alliance Managers and align capacity to portfolio priorities.
• Oversee alliance management activities, plan and resource the collaboration projects and portfolio.
• Develop high-performing Alliance Managers, and align capacity to portfolio priorities
• Partner with BD functions during contracting to design governance frameworks, define measurable success criteria, and translate complex contract terms into clear plans and accountabilities
• Establish joint governance (e.g., JSC/JWG cadence, decision rights, issue logs) swiftly after deal signature; track milestones and payments; manage escalations; negotiate amendments and renegotiations when scope or value drivers change
• Leads the assessment of partnership health, performance risks, and potential value proposition; provide visibility and recommendations to Senior Management and follow-up with action plans
• Ensure clear objectives, measures, and accountabilities for each collaboration. Escalate the right issues.
• Proactively obtain collaborator input and drive changes to sustain highly effective partnerships. Engage decision makers to reach solutions and protect collaboration spirit in a proactive manner
• Contribute to the process and decision making around the conclusion or termination of alliances when they reach the end of their term or any other termination event
• Lead integration post-acquisition, plan and execute externalization/wind-downs with cross-functional teams
• Leads the development of internal tools, systems, processes, and best practices for smooth operation of the alliance management function
• Coordinate Legal, Finance, Project Management, and scientific teams; ensure effective communications and stakeholder engagement across AZ and with partners

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Graduate degree (Masters, MBA) in a related field; business, legal, finance, or life sciences, etc.
• Minimum 10 years experience in relevant pharmaceutical/biotech industry
• Line management experience preferred
• Understanding of end-to-end R&D and demonstrated collaboration conflict resolution examples
• Demonstrable abilities to translate complex contract terms and conditions into operational elements for both internal and external parties
• Demonstrated ability to identify, prioritize and resolve partnership issues
• Uses tact and diplomacy in interacting with people from different cultures and at all levels of the organization
• Strong interpersonal skills, cross-cultural diplomacy, and conflict resolution; effective stakeholder management without direct authority
• Capacity to work cross-functionally and to influence people without direct authority.
• Collaborative mind-set

Where can I find out more?

• Our Social Media, Follow AstraZeneca on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/1603/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/astrazenecacareers/
• Follow AstraZeneca on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/astrazeneca_careers/?hl=en
• Our US Footprint: Powering Scientific Innovation - YouTube

Total Rewards:

The annual base pay (or hourly rate of compensation) for this position ranges from $192,944.80 to $289,417.20. Our positions offer 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.

AstraZeneca is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion and providing a workplace that is free from discrimination. AstraZeneca is committed to accommodating persons with disabilities. Such accommodation is available on request in respect of all aspects of the recruitment, assessment and selection process and may be requested by emailing [email protected].

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Date Posted

11-Feb-2026

Closing Date

24-Feb-2026Our mission is to build an inclusive environment where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees. In 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.