Position Summary:
The Director, Network Supply Planning is a senior leadership role within the Global Supply Planning, Network Strategy & Business Development Team in Astra Zeneca Alexion Rare Disease Business Unit (RDBU), accountable for leading the end-to-end tactical supply planning agenda across the network over a 0–3-year horizon. The role ensures integrated planning and supply oversight across all supply chain nodes, with responsibility for delivering strong performance in service, inventory, and cost while supporting broader business and portfolio objectives. This role leads the Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE) process, driving alignment across demand, supply, inventory, and operational priorities to enable informed decision-making and effective management of trade-offs and supply risks for the network. The Director provides leadership across cross-functional teams to ensure robust plan validation, proactive issue resolution, and timely escalation of critical risks through the appropriate governance channels. In addition, the role is responsible for strengthening network planning capabilities and governance by embedding structured risk management, improving planning discipline, and advancing mitigation plans that support business continuity, launch readiness, supply reliability, and network resilience. The position also contributes to strategic decision-making by highlighting emerging risks, scenario impacts, and operational considerations that may influence portfolio execution and mid to long-term supply performance. The ideal candidate should possess significant experience in global supply planning, network operations, supply chain strategy, and cross-functional leadership, particularly in complex, matrixed, and regulated environments. They should demonstrate strong leadership in supply chain operations, with the ability to collaborate across functions, make sound operational decisions, manage risk, drive continuous improvement, and turn strategic priorities into effective execution.
Principal Responsibilities:
- Lead the Network Supply Planning Team for the Alexion RBDU, setting clear direction for the team and ensuring supply planning activities support business priorities, patient needs, regulatory requirements, and market-specific considerations.
- Provide strong people leadership to the global network supply planning team by building capability, driving performance, coaching talent, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Own the end-to-end network supply planning strategy and execution, ensuring robust supply plans are in place across the global network to deliver reliable product supply, appropriate inventory levels, and effective capacity utilisation.
- Translate strategic business priorities into operational supply plans, aligning mid to longrange objectives with tactical and short-term execution across manufacturing sites, external partners, and distribution networks.
- Establish and embed best-in-class supply planning standards, processes, and governance to improve consistency, transparency, decision-making quality, and compliance across the network.
- Lead risk management and disruption mitigation activities within supply planning, identifying vulnerabilities early and ensuring proactive plans are developed and executed to minimise impact to patients and the business.
- Ensure effective exception management and escalation, making informed decisions in complex situations while balancing patient supply, financial impact, operational feasibility, and compliance requirements.
- Enhance & lead the global Sales & Operations Execution (S&OE) process, ensuring strong integration between demand, supply, capacity, inventory, and business priorities across the network. Evaluate trade-offs, resolve imbalances, and enable timely decisions related to supply constraints, prioritisation, allocation, and network performance.
- Monitor and report on critical performance indicators such as service levels, backlog, on-time delivery, inventory value, months on hand, plan attainment, and supply reliability, using insights to drive accountability and performance improvement.
- Drive data-led operational decision-making by leveraging planning insights, supply scenarios, and performance trends to guide actions and support effective issue resolution.
- Support financial planning processes by providing robust supply inputs for budget cycles, business reviews, and resource planning, ensuring operational plans are aligned to financial commitments.
- Partner closely with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders across regulatory, quality, finance, internal / external manufacturing, product management, technical operations, and logistics to ensure aligned planning and execution.
- Build strong and trusted stakeholder relationships across the organisation, enabling effective collaboration, alignment on priorities & rapid resolution of supply issues.
- Drive continuous improvement & digitalisation across supply planning processes, identifying opportunities to simplify workflows, reduce inefficiencies, improve responsiveness, and strengthen planning accuracy.
Qualifications:
- Extensive experience in biopharmaceutical operations, global supply chain, supply planning, network operations, or related disciplines within a complex, global, and highly regulated environment, typically gained over 10+ years.
- Demonstrated leadership experience in supply planning, product supply, network planning, or end-to-end supply chain management, with a strong track record of delivering results across global and matrixed organisations.
- Strong understanding of end-to-end product supply across manufacturing, external supply, distribution, and market delivery, with the ability to manage trade-offs across service, inventory, capacity, cost, and compliance.
- Experience in supply risk management, supply continuity planning, network strategy, launch readiness, or product lifecycle planning is strongly preferred.
- Deep knowledge of operational risk management principles, methodologies, and tools, including experience leading or contributing to complex risk assessments involving multiple stakeholders and functions.
• Proven ability to lead through influence and drive alignment across complex organisational interfaces, with success in working cross-functionally across supply chain manufacturing, quality, regulatory, finance, commercial, and external partners. • Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving capability, with the ability to interpret complex data, assess network and supply risks, and translate insights into practical mitigation and execution plans.
• Strong decision-making capability in fast-paced and ambiguous environments, with the judgment to balance short-term operational needs and long-term business objectives. • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, including experience engaging senior leaders, leading governance discussions, and facilitating cross-functional decision-making forums.
- Experience establishing governance, performance metrics, and operating models to improve supply chain effectiveness, enhance visibility, and drive business performance.
- Experience developing, monitoring, and driving global KPIs to assess and improve supply planning performance, network health, service outcomes, inventory management, and risk mitigation effectiveness.
- Track record of driving continuous improvement across processes, tools, reporting, and ways of working to enhance consistency, transparency, decision-making, and organisational resilience.
- Working knowledge of GMP, quality systems, and regulatory requirements, with demonstrated commitment to compliance, inspection readiness, record management, and continuous improvement of quality-relevant processes within area of responsibility.
- Advanced familiarity with digital planning, reporting, and project management tools, including platforms such as Smartsheet or similar systems, is desirable.
Education:
- Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, supply chain, operations, business, or a related discipline is required.
- An advanced degree, such as an MBA, MS, or other postgrad qualification, is desirable.
- 10+ years of equivalent multi / cross functional experience
Date Posted
01-Jul-2026
Closing Date
14-Jul-2026
Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.
