AstraZeneca

Associate Director, Global Product Planner - Cell Therapy

AstraZeneca • $124K — $186K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Logistics, Sciences, Engineering, or equivalent.
  • 7+ years of experience in a supply chain environment focusing on manufacturing and planning.
  • Knowledge of planning Cell Therapy supply chains is essential.
  • Understanding of regulatory pathways and compliance requirements for supply chains.
  • Experience with temperature-controlled storage and logistics for cell therapy.

Responsibilities

  • Own the end-to-end tactical planning process for cell therapy products.
  • Lead Clinical Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) for the product portfolio.
  • Manage the supply chain configuration to align with strategic goals.
  • Coordinate product collaboration and respond to supply chain changes.
  • Support the development of new systems and process improvements for digital collaboration.

Benefits

  • 401(k) retirement plan contributions.
  • Paid vacation and holidays.
  • Health benefits including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
  • Paid leaves.
  • Short-term and long-term incentive bonuses.
Full Job Description

As aGlobal Product Planner, you will play a pivotal role in turning scientific innovation into reliable patient supply.

You will shape the integrated supply chain strategy for a portfolio of autologous, allogeneic, and/orin vivocell therapy products in clinical development. By connectingCMC Program Strategy, Clinical Operations, Technical Operations, and Supply Chain,you will translate ambitious development plans into clear, executable supply strategies that bring the right product to the right patient at the right time.

Working at the forefront of a rapidly evolving field, you will navigate complex supply networks, anticipate challenges, align critical resources, and enable confident decision-making across the organization. Your expertise, collaboration, and leadership will help accelerate the development of transformative therapies and contribute to AstraZeneca27s ambition to improve outcomes for patients around the world. This role can be based in either Tarzana, CA, or Gaithersburg, MD.


Key Responsibilities

  • Integrated End-to-End Planning:Maintain the integrated supply chain planning view for assigned cell therapy products, connecting CMC development strategy, clinical plans, technical operations, manufacturing, and logistics. Ensure alignment of drug substance, drug product, raw materials, production activities, and distribution across the end-to-end supply chain.
  • Supply Planning and Continuity:Translate CMC and clinical development plans into operational supply plans and forecasts. Determine study product requirements and proactively address supply risks to support continuous patient supply while balancing capacity, lead times, inventory, cost, and flexibility.
  • Scenario and Risk Planning:Build and maintain detailed supply models for complex clinical and CMC scenarios. Assess operational feasibility, identify constraints and dependencies, evaluate alternative strategies, and provide clear recommendations for risk mitigation and decision-making.
  • Clinical Supply and Operations Planning:Lead the product-levelS&OPprocess, reviewing demand, supply, capacity, inventory, risks, and assumptions. Facilitate cross-functional decisions and escalate trade-offs requiring leadership alignment.
  • Supply Chain Configuration:Own and maintain the product supply chain configuration and value stream map, including planning parameters, lead times, production steps, suppliers, logistics routes, capacity assumptions, site dependencies, and CMO relationships.
  • Product and Supply Chain Leadership:Serve as the primary supply chain planning liaison across Clinical Operations, CMC Program Strategy, Technical Operations, and other key functions. Lead the relevant supply chain subteam, establish effective ways of working, and ensure that decisions, risks, assumptions, actions, and timelines are clearly communicated and executed.
  • Launch and Change Management:Lead the global supply planning response to product and network changes, including new indications, country expansion, CMC activities, manufacturing changes, site transfers, supplier changes, process changes, and other development or supply chain initiatives.
  • Stakeholder and Partner Collaboration:Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, manufacturing sites, CMOs, suppliers, logistics providers, and other external partners. Align stakeholders on supply requirements, constraints, risks, and mitigation plans.
  • Systems, Data, and Process Improvement:Support the development and adoption of planning systems, advanced digital technologies and AI, master data, and standardized processes. Improve planning visibility, data quality, process maturity, and scalable collaboration across the enterprise.
  • Continuous Improvement:Identify and implement opportunities to improve planning accuracy, scenario analysis, supply resilience, decision quality, and execution effectiveness.


Key Competencies

  • Strategic and Analytical Thinking:Ability to interpret complex supply chain, CMC, clinical, and operational information; evaluate scenarios; and make sound, data-driven recommendations.
  • Cross-Functional Leadership:Ability to lead through influence, build alignment, and coordinate decisions across functions, regions, organizational levels, and external partners.
  • Execution and Accountability:Strong ownership, organization, prioritization, and follow-through in a dynamic, ambiguous, and highly regulated environment.
  • Communication:Ability to communicate complex planning issues, risks, assumptions, scenarios, and recommendations clearly to technical teams, business stakeholders, and senior leadership.
  • Problem Solving:Demonstrated ability to identify constraints, anticipate supply risks, develop practical mitigation strategies, and make timely recommendations.
  • Adaptability:Comfortable operating in an evolving cell therapy environment where demand, clinical plans, manufacturing processes, regulatory requirements, and supply chain configurations may change rapidly.

Education and Experience

  • Education:Bachelor27s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Logistics, Life Sciences, Engineering, or a related discipline. An equivalent combination of education and relevant experience may be considered.
  • Professional Experience:At least7 years of experiencein biopharmaceutical supply chain planning, manufacturing, operations, technical operations, or a related field, including experience supporting clinical or commercial product supply.
  • Planning and Modeling:Experience developing integrated supply plans, forecasts, capacity models, scenario analyses, and risk mitigation strategies.

Preferred Experience

  • Certifications:CPIM, CSCP, or an equivalent supply chain certification is preferred.
  • Continuous Improvement:Lean, Six Sigma, or similar process improvement certification or experience is an advantage.
  • Cell and Gene Therapy Experience:Demonstrated experience with cell therapy, gene therapy, or other complex, patient-specific, temperature-sensitive, or highly regulated supply chains is strongly preferred. Experience with clinical development supply planning is highly desirable.

The annual base pay for this position ranges from $124,069.60 - $186,104.40. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentivesan 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.

#CellTherapy

#LI-Hybrid


Date Posted

02-Oct-2026

Closing Date

29-Oct-2026

About AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca is a British-Swedish multinational pharmaceutical company that specializes in the research, development, and manufacturing of prescription drugs. The company was formed in 1999 through the merger of Astra AB and Zeneca Group plc. AstraZeneca's products are used to treat a wide range of medical conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and diabetes. The company has operations in over 100 countries and employs more than 76,000 people worldwide. AstraZeneca is committed to developing innovative medicines that improve the health and well-being of people around the world.
Learn more about AstraZeneca
Size
83,100 employees
Market Cap
$211.5 billion
Industry
Net Income
$3.1 billion
Founded
1999
5 Year Trend
+10.2%
Revenue
$26.6 billion
NASDAQ

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