Job Title: Head of Statistical Programming

Introduction to role:

Are you ready to set the global programming strategy that accelerates life-changing therapies for people with rare and devastating diseases? This role leads the statistical programming function at enterprise scale—defining how data, analytics, and automation come together to deliver submission-quality outputs that stand up to the highest scientific and regulatory scrutiny.

You will shape the roadmap for programming across our portfolio, build AI-enabled capabilities that increase speed and quality, and guide a community of leaders who deliver results study by study and submission by submission. Your decisions will determine how efficiently we generate evidence, how reliably we submit global dossiers, and how quickly we reach the patients who need our medicines. How will you mobilize leaders and partners to deliver at pace without compromising on excellence?

Accountabilities:

• Programming Strategy and Direction: Set the strategic direction for statistical programming within Quantitative Sciences, aligning therapy areas and enterprise priorities to deliver consistent, submission-ready outputs.
• AI and Technical Innovation: Lead the evolution of advanced analytics, automation, and AI strategies that improve data analysis and operational delivery, from standards-based programming to intelligent tooling.
• Quality and Compliance Oversight: Define and own the programming strategy for quality oversight across the drug portfolio, ensuring compliance with CDISC and other global standards while embedding automation for reliability and reproducibility.
• People and Leadership: Lead a group of programming leaders; craft and execute the people development strategy to build deep technical excellence and leadership capabilities across the function.
• External Partnerships and Outsourcing: Shape and govern outsourcing strategies with Contract Research Organisations and other partners to ensure on-time, high-quality deliverables; contribute to global partner governance.
• Statistical Analysis Environments and Tooling: Oversee the development, implementation, administration, and budget management of statistical analysis environments used for development, reporting, and global regulatory submissions.
• Budget and Strategic Planning: Plan and manage a complex departmental budget; forecast quarterly, annual, and multi-year needs; provide inputs to the corporation’s strategic planning process.
• Portfolio and Capacity Management: Lead portfolio-level programming capacity planning across therapy areas/R&D, ensuring resources are proactively aligned to enterprise priorities.
• Continuous Improvement and Change: Drive continuous improvement and large-scale change initiatives within the function and across R&D, increasing efficiency and elevating quality.
• Regulatory and Payer Submissions: Provide strategic, scientific, and programming guidance for submissions to global regulatory and payer authorities, ensuring clarity, traceability, and inspection readiness.

Essential Skills/Experience:

• Proven track record setting the strategic direction of Programming within Quantitative Sciences.
• At least 10 years experience leading the development of Programming strategy within a business unit while contributing to enterprise-wide Programming strategy, including leadership of broader Quantitative Sciences strategy.
• Major contributions to or leadership of strategic initiatives, including developing and executing AI and other technical strategies related to data analysis and operational delivery.
• Responsibility for people development strategy within a programming function and leadership of a group of leaders.
• Accountability for the programming strategy for quality oversight of a drug portfolio.
• Expertise developing and executing outsourcing strategies to maintain the highest quality of programming deliverables; contributions to global governance of external partners (e.g., CROs).
• Experience with the development, implementation, administration, and budget management of statistical analysis environments utilized in the development, reporting, and submission of global regulatory dossiers.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and manage complex departmental budgets, with accountability for quarterly, annual, and multi-year forecasting and input to corporate strategic planning.
• Accountability for compliance to standards and automation usage (including AI, CDISC, etc.) across therapy areas/R&D units.
• Delivery of continuous improvement and large-scale change projects within the function or across R&D.
• Leadership of portfolio-level programming capacity management for a therapy area/R&D unit.
• Provision of strategic, scientific, and programming advice to teams regarding submission of programming deliverables to global regulatory and payer authorities.
• Leadership of leaders within a Programming organization.

Desirable Skills/Experience:

• Advanced degree in statistics, biostatistics, computer science, mathematics, engineering, or a related discipline.
• Deep expertise with CDISC standards and modern statistical programming languages and tools (e.g., SAS, R, Python) and their application in validated environments.
• Hands-on leadership establishing and operating scalable statistical computing environments, with a strong track record in global dossier submissions.
• Experience building AI governance and automation frameworks that improve quality, speed, and reproducibility in clinical programming.
• Demonstrated success governing CROs/strategic suppliers at scale, including quality oversight, KPIs, risk management, and inspection readiness.
• Change leadership across large R&D organizations, including operating model evolution and capability-building.
• Background in rare disease, orphan indications, or other complex therapeutic areas; experience with payer/HTA submissions is a plus.

When we put unexpected teams in the same room, we unleash bold thinking with the power to inspire life-changing medicines. In-person working gives us the platform we need to connect, work at pace and challenge perceptions. That's why we work, on average, a minimum of three days per week from the office. But that doesn't mean we're not flexible. We balance the expectation of being in the office while respecting individual flexibility. Join us in our unique and ambitious world.

Why AstraZeneca:

Here, the urgency and purpose of helping people with rare and devastating diseases meet the scale, resources, and data-rich environments of a global biopharma. You will work with cutting-edge tools and standards, sit shoulder-to-shoulder with clinical, regulatory, and data science peers, and turn bold ideas into inspection-ready submissions. We bring unexpected teams together to solve complex problems, value kindness alongside ambition, and empower leaders to stretch beyond their lane to define what comes next. Your leadership will shape how evidence is generated and delivered—accelerating therapies to patients while building capabilities that raise the bar for our industry.

Pay Transparency:

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $257,140 - 385,711 USD annual. Base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition, our positions offer a short-term incentive bonus opportunity; eligibility to participate in our equity-based long-term incentive program (salaried roles), to receive a retirement contribution (hourly roles), and commission payment eligibility (sales roles). Benefits offered included a qualified retirement program [401(k) plan]; paid vacation and holidays; paid leaves; and, health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage in accordance with the terms and conditions of the applicable plans. Additional details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, employee will be in an “at-will position” and the Company reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time, including for reasons related to individual performance, Company or individual department/team performance, and market factors.

Call to Action:

Lead the future of statistical programming—bring your vision, build lasting capabilities, and help deliver therapies that change lives faster.

Date Posted

Closing Date

Our 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.