About Astellas:
At Astellas we are a progressive health partner, delivering value and outcomes where needed.
We pursue innovative science, focussing initially on the areas of greatest potential and then developing solutions where patient need is high, often in rare or under-served disease areas and in life-threatening or life-limiting diseases and conditions.
We work directly with patients, doctors and health care professionals on the front line to ensure patient and clinical needs are guiding our development activities at every stage.
Our global vision for Patient Centricity is to support the development of innovative health solutions through a deep understanding of the patient experience. At Astellas, Patient Centricity isn’t a buzzword - it’s a guiding principle for action. We believe all staff have a role to play in creating a patient-centric culture and integrating an awareness of the patient into our everyday working practices, regardless of our role, team or division.
We work closely with regulatory authorities and payers to find new ways to ensure access to new therapies. We deliver the latest insights and real-world evidence to inform the best decisions for patients and their caregivers, to ensure the medicines we develop continue to provide meaningful outcomes.
Beyond medicines, we support our stakeholder communities to drive initiatives that improve awareness, education, access and ultimately standards of care.
The Opportunity:
The PMO Lead is a senior leadership position within the Global Business Solutions (GBS) hub, responsible for establishing and managing a centralized Program Office Centre of Enablement (CoE).
This role defines and drives governance, planning, and delivery frameworks across all GBS initiatives to ensure strategic alignment, efficiency, and budget control. Acting as the central orchestrator for planning cycles, portfolio management, reporting, and capability development, the PMO Lead strengthens execution discipline and decision-making across the hub. Through the Program Office CoE, they enable effective prioritization, cross-functional collaboration, and consistent governance practices while embedding a robust operating rhythm for GBS-wide change and continuous improvement.
Hybrid Working:
At Astellas we recognise the importance of balancing your work and home life. This role offers a remote working solution so you can optimise the most productive work environment for you to succeed and deliver.
Key Responsibilties:
- Program Governance & Leadership: Lead a central Program Office CoE, establishing governance frameworks, planning cycles, and delivery standards to ensure alignment and execution across the GBS hub.
- Portfolio Management: Own and maintain the end-to-end GBS portfolio view, consolidating roadmaps, tracking progress, dependencies, and resource allocations to support strategic decision-making.
- Planning & Prioritization: Orchestrate planning sessions and investment reviews (e.g., QIC, ABR), preparing materials, facilitating discussions, and ensuring timely approval and publication of decisions.
- Reporting & Insights: Maintain dashboards and consolidated reporting packs, delivering accurate, on-time portfolio, financial, and performance data for leadership forums.
- Delivery Assurance & Risk Management: Monitor program health and delivery performance, ensuring issues and risks are identified, escalated, and resolved to maintain delivery quality and outcomes.
- Agile Ways of Working: Embed agile practices across pods and teams, enabling adaptability, transparency, and continuous alignment to shifting priorities and business needs.
- Capability Building & Change Enablement: Coach teams on methodologies and governance, drive stakeholder engagement, and lead continuous improvement to enhance maturity and operating rhythm across the hub.
Essential Knowledge & Experience:
- Substantial experience in program/project management in complex organizations, preferably in GBS or transformation environments.
- Proven expertise in portfolio management governance, agile delivery, and standardized processes.
- Strong analytical, reporting, and dashboard development skills.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement and presentation skills.
- Values fit: structured, outcome-focused approach aligned to Astellas values of Accountability, Integrity, and Sense of Urgency.
Preferred Experience:
- Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with Agile credentials.
- Proven track record in cross-functional capability building and change management.
- Knowledge of Astellas governance frameworks or relevant pharmaceutical industry practices.
- Strong strategic thinking skills with focus on aligning initiatives to organizational priorities.
- Demonstrated influential leadership and effective stakeholder management capabilities.
- Committed to fostering a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence.
- Experience in GBS/shared services environments; cultural awareness and understanding of Japanese business culture are advantageous.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in business, project management, or related field, or equivalent.
Additional Information
- This is a permanent, full-time position.
- The position is based in Wallisellen (Zurich), Switzerland.
- This position follows our hybrid working model. Role requires a blend of home and a minimum of 1 day per week in our local office. Flexibility may be required in line with business needs. Candidates must be located within a commutable distance of the office.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Beware of recruitment scams impersonating Astellas recruiters or representatives. Authentic communication will only originate from an official Astellas LinkedIn profile or a verified company email address. If you encounter a fake profile or anything suspicious, report it promptly to LinkedIn's support team through LinkedIn Help.
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