Executive Director - Asset Management

The Asahi Kasei Group operates with a commitment of creating for tomorrow.  Our business sectors, Materials, Homes, and Health Care, contribute to the development of society by anticipating the changing needs of those around the world. We look for candidates that offer a fresh perspective and a variety of skills to help us achieve our commitment.

Asahi Kasei Therapeutics is the global specialty pharmaceutical business of Asahi Kasei. We are a commercial-stage company committed to positively impacting health by expanding therapeutic options that improve the lives of patients around the world. Drawing upon our strong heritage of scientific innovation, we aim to help reshape care in transplantation, nephrology, immunology, infectious diseases and other underserved conditions.

Job Description:

The Executive Director, Asset Management is a senior strategic leader within Pharmaceutical Operations & Technologies responsible for translating enterprise and functional strategy into an integrated portfolio of high-impact initiatives. This role provides leadership across strategic planning, project and program management, portfolio governance, operational transformation, technology strategy, and execution.

The Executive Director partners closely with senior leaders across Pharmaceutical Operations, Technology, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Regulatory, Finance, and other business functions to ensure that strategic priorities are clearly defined, appropriately resourced, effectively governed, and successfully executed.

This leader serves as a key advisor to executive management, providing an enterprise view of the organization’s strategic portfolio, investment priorities, risks, dependencies, and progress toward business objectives.

The base compensation range for this role is $270-300K. Base Compensation is influenced by many factors including, but not limited to: time in the role, previous experience, skills, knowledge, performance, work requirements, internal equity, and business / economic conditions.

Summary of Key Responsibilities:

Strategy & Business Leadership

• Provide input to the strategic roadmap for Pharmaceutical Operations & Technologies in alignment with overall company objectives.
• Translate corporate and functional strategies into actionable priorities, programs, and measurable outcomes for PO&T by project.
• Lead strategic planning processes, including annual operating plans, multi-year roadmaps, and strategic investment priorities.
• Provide executive-level recommendations regarding priorities, resource allocation, investments, risks, and organizational capabilities.
• Establish and lead an integrated portfolio management framework for all projects within PO&T.
• Oversee a portfolio of complex, cross-functional programs from strategy and business case development through implementation and benefits realization for PO&T.
• Ensure projects are appropriately prioritized based on strategic value, business impact, risk, complexity, and resource requirements for PO&T.
• Establish governance structures, decision-making forums, performance metrics, and escalation mechanisms for PO&T.
• Monitor portfolio performance, milestones, dependencies, risks, financial commitments, and resource utilization for PO&T.
• Provide clear executive reporting and recommendations to ensure timely decisions and successful execution for PO&T.

Operations & Technology Transformation

• Lead strategic transformation initiatives designed to improve pharmaceutical operations, organizational effectiveness, technology capabilities, and business performance.
• Identify opportunities to leverage digital technologies, data, automation, analytics, and innovative operating models for PO&T.
• Partner with technology and business leaders to develop technology strategies that support operational and strategic objectives for PO&T.
• Drive adoption of standardized processes, tools, governance, and best practices across PO&T.
• Ensure transformation initiatives deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, quality, compliance, scalability, and business value for PO&T.

Organizational Leadership

• Build, develop, and lead a high-performing team of portfolio and strategy professionals for PO&T.
• Establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and disciplined execution.
• Mentor project and program leaders and develop future organizational talent.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and career development pathways.
• Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the executive leadership team and senior functional leaders for PO&T.
• Facilitate alignment across business functions and resolve competing priorities, dependencies, and resource constraints.
• Prepare executive-level presentations, portfolio reviews, strategic recommendations, and investment proposals for PO&T.
• Represent Pharmaceutical Operations & Technologies in enterprise-level planning and governance forums.
• Build strong relationships across internal stakeholders and external strategic partners.

Financial & Resource Management

• Partner with Finance and functional leaders to develop business cases, budgets, investment proposals, and financial forecasts.
• Optimize allocation of people, capital, technology, and external resources across the strategic portfolio for PO&T.
• Establish financial and value-delivery metrics for major programs for PO&T.
• Ensure PO&T initiatives remain aligned with approved business cases and expected benefits.

Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure strategic PO&T initiatives operate within applicable pharmaceutical, regulatory, quality, compliance, cybersecurity, and corporate governance requirements.
• Establish proactive risk-management practices across the PO&T portfolio.
• Identify and escalate significant risks, issues, dependencies, and decisions requiring executive intervention for PO&T.
• Ensure appropriate documentation, governance, and accountability throughout the project lifecycle.

Required Qualifications and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, life sciences, technology, operations, or a related discipline.
• 15+ years of experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, healthcare, technology, operations, or a related industry.
• Significant experience leading complex, enterprise-level programs and strategic initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience in portfolio management, program management, operational strategy, or business transformation.
• Proven ability to influence and lead across a complex, matrixed organization.
• Experience presenting strategic recommendations and portfolio performance to senior executives.
• Strong financial, analytical, organizational, and strategic-planning capabilities.

Preferred

• Advanced degree such as an MBA, MS, or equivalent preferred
• Experience establishing or maturing a Project Management Office (PMO) or Enterprise Portfolio Management function.
• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent program/project management certification.
• Experience with enterprise transformation, organizational change, or operating-model design.

Core Competencies

• Enterprise strategic thinking
• Portfolio and program leadership
• Financial and business acumen
• Organizational change leadership
• Stakeholder management
• Risk management
• Decision-making and prioritization
• Talent development
• Continuous improvement
• Ability to operate effectively in a complex, global, matrixed organization

Success in this role will be demonstrated through:

• Strong alignment between the strategic portfolio, enterprise business priorities and PO&T leadership.
• Improved execution and predictability of major strategic programs.
• Effective prioritization and allocation of organizational resources within PO&T.
• Delivery of measurable financial, operational, technological, and strategic benefits for PO&T.
• Improved portfolio visibility and executive decision-making for PO&T.
• Increased organizational maturity in project management for PO&T.
• Development of a high-performing strategy and portfolio management organization.

#LI-EM2 #LI-AS1 #LI-LH1 #Hybrid

As an equal opportunity employer, Asahi Kasei believes a diverse workforce will provide us with the ability to continuously support the changes in the economy, society, and environment.

As an equal opportunity employer, Asahi Kasei believes a diverse workforce will provide us with the ability to continuously support the changes in the economy, society, and environment.