Business Unit Vice President - Respiratory and Immunology

Business Unit Vice President, Respiratory and Immunology (R&I)

Location: Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

About AstraZeneca

At AstraZeneca, we are united by our purpose to push the boundaries of science to deliver life-changing medicines. We combine scientific excellence, deep disease area expertise, and a patient-focused mindset to transform the future of healthcare. As a leader within AstraZeneca Canada, the Vice President, R&I Business Unit will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategy for our R&I Biopharmaceuticals portfolio and advancing our reputation as a trusted partner across the healthcare ecosystem.

Role Summary:

As the BU VP R&I, you will report directly to the Country President for Canada and be an influential member of Global R&I and Canadian leadership. In this role, you will be responsible for direct management of employees in sales and marketing along with responsibility for setting the direction for critical cross-functional teams that support the BU.  Your primary role is to deliver the revenue and contribution for this large business unit and ensure overall success of BBU delivery.

You will also champion the transformation of your BU and work collaboratively with peers across BBU to prepare for substantial growth over the next decade, with particular focus on the transformation strategy and role that R&I will play in the company success.  You will be an active partner with critical functions to shape the relevant Access, Medical and Regulatory strategies for your brands. You will play a leadership role building positive relationships and strategies with external partners. 

Key Accountabilities:

Head of the R&I Business Unit

• Provide end-to-end leadership and full P&L accountability for each R&I asset, the collective portfolio, and prepare for any new indications or launches, responsible for over $500M in Revenue.
• Ensure the BU's strategic direction aligns with enterprise and global strategy, and champion Canadian needs and stakeholder management with key global teams, as an influential member of Global R&I.
• Ensure AstraZeneca continues to be recognized as a leader by healthcare professionals and all relevant institutional decision-makers and influencers.
• Monitor developments in the external environment, and analyze AZ's product performance, competitiveness and market share development.
• Ensure all BU activities follow applicable internal and external regulations (policies, procedures, standards, guidelines and Code of Conduct) and collect and report Adverse Events in line with AstraZeneca policies and SOPs.
• Champion the Canadian strategy to transform the go-to-market approach and capabilities for the BBU portfolio for mid- to long-term success. Define the key shifts the business needs, then build alignment on and deliver the go-to-market strategy.
• Prepare the business and cross-functional organization to launch differentiated Brand Strategy Plans for future molecules and indications.
• Champion digital and AI-enabled innovation across commercial and patient support capabilities. Identify and prioritize opportunities that improve customer engagement, execution and productivity, in partnership with enterprise and global digital teams, and apply them responsibly under AstraZeneca's data, privacy and compliance standards.
• Drive a strong pipeline of launches and new indications while sustaining the momentum of established brands, with proactive lifecycle planning and smart investment across the portfolio.

Functional Leadership

• Lead and develop senior leaders and commercial professionals with a function size of over 200 employees including Head Office commercial teams as well as both a Primary Care Sales team and multiple Specialty Care field teams
• Foster inclusion, innovation, accountability, and improvement.
• Build succession plans and leadership pipelines.
• Coach leaders to strengthen performance and talent development.
• Manage budgets and resources to deliver priorities.
• Maintain compliance with regulations, policies, and the IMC Code.
• Ensure effective governance, risk, and compliance processes.

Essential Requirements:

• University Degree in Pharmacy, Life Sciences, Business or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of progressive pharmaceutical leadership experience and success in Commercial functions.
• P&L accountability with strong budget management and resource allocation experience across a portfolio
• Success leading complex pharmaceutical organizations and cross-functional teams.
• Strategic decision-making skills in highly matrixed organizations.
• Expertise in building external relationships with institutions, associations and the healthcare ecosystem.
• Strong budget management and resource allocation experience.
• Deep knowledge of compliance requirements and the IMC Code.
• Exceptional communication, influencing, and executive leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• MBA, MSc, or other advanced business or scientific qualifications are an asset.
• Strong knowledge of the Canadian healthcare landscape is an asset with significant experience working on Medical and Market Access strategies
• Experience in respiratory and/or immunology across Primary Care and Specialty and Biologics
• Track record of leading through organizational transformation and capability building

Why AstraZeneca

This is an opportunity to shape the future of healthcare in Canada by leading one of the country's most influential Business Units. The Vice President, R&I will have the opportunity to deliver life-changing medicines to patients across Canada and drive a significant portion of the Canadian business.

We are using AI as part of the recruitment process.

This advertisement relates to a current vacancy.