{"id":3467831,"url":"https://alion.io/job/astrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead","title":"Director, Academic Alliance Lead","company":{"id":13195,"name":"AstraZeneca","domain":"astrazeneca.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/astra-zeneca","size_band":"1001-5000","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Workday","truth_index":{"grade":"A","score":93,"open_postings":165,"ghost_share":0.006,"stale_share":0.388,"repost_share":0.103,"time_to_fill_p50_days":19,"computed_at":"2026-11-05T05:54:30Z"}},"role":"Sales","role_family":"Sales","seniority":"head","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Cambridge, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":164000,"max":246000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":246000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":8,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-10-29T15:56:07Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-29","last_verified_at":"2026-11-05T04:10:27Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":6,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":6},"description":"AstraZeneca is building a more connected, end-to-end approach to academic collaboration across BioPharma R&D. We are looking for an experienced Academic Alliance Lead to help establish this capability within our new Academic Alliances team and to make high-value collaborations work in practice.\nBased at our new R&D site in Kendall Square, Cambridge, you will work at the center of one of the world’s most dynamic life-science ecosystems. You will connect leading academic science with AstraZeneca’s R&D priorities, helping alliances move from agreement to delivery, learning and impact.\nThis role has two equally important dimensions:\nLead a portfolio of major strategic alliances directly, serving as the dedicated alliance manager and accountable point of contact. \nEnable a broader portfolio of academic collaborations that are led day to day by scientific or functional colleagues, giving them the structure, tools, coordination and issue-resolution support needed to deliver well. \nWhat you will do\nLead selected strategic alliances\nServe as the primary AstraZeneca alliance contact for a defined portfolio of high-priority academic relationships, including partnerships as they are established. \nWork with internal and external leaders to set a shared direction, establish effective governance and translate agreements into practical operating plans. \nCoordinate delivery across scientific, Legal, Business Development, Finance, Project Management and other contributors. \nKeep commitments, milestones, decisions and risks visible; address obstacles early and lead escalations when needed. \nPrepare and support Joint Steering Committee and other governance meetings, ensuring decisions are clear and followed through. \nMaintain trusted institutional relationships and identify opportunities to strengthen or extend alliances where this supports R&D priorities. \nSupport amendments, renegotiations and, where appropriate, the orderly transition or conclusion of alliances. \nEnable delivery across the wider alliance portfolio\nAct as an accessible point of contact for colleagues who directly manage academic collaborations within their scientific or functional areas. \nHelp collaboration owners put proportionate governance, delivery plans, decision rights, milestone tracking and risk management in place. \nProvide practical guidance, templates and problem-solving support without displacing the accountable project or relationship owner. \nConnect teams to the right expertise across AstraZeneca and help resolve cross-functional or institutional issues that could slow delivery. \nMaintain a coherent view of the portfolio, surfacing themes, dependencies, risks and opportunities for Academic Alliances and senior stakeholders. \nBuild a community of practice for alliance management, sharing lessons and raising consistency while keeping the approach appropriate to each collaboration. \nBuild the capability with us\nHelp define how alliance management operates within the new Academic Alliances team, from governance standards and ways of working to reporting and measures of partnership health. \nBring external best practice and adapt it to the needs of academic research collaborations and BioPharma R&D. \nContribute to the shaping of new alliances so that delivery, governance and relationship considerations are built in before signature. \nCreate stronger continuity across the partnership lifecycle and bring learning from active alliances back into future opportunity and portfolio discussions. \nEssential skills and experience\nBachelor's degree in life sciences, or a related discipline. \nAt least 8 years of relevant professional experience, including experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder alliances, collaborations or programs in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, academic research or a related life-sciences environment. \nStrong understanding of drug discovery and development, with the ability to connect scientific objectives to portfolio and delivery priorities. \nDemonstrated experience working with external partners, ideally including academic institutions and major research organizations. \nAbility to lead some alliances directly while enabling other accountable owners to manage their collaborations effectively. \nStrong alliance, project and portfolio management capabilities, including governance, milestone tracking, risk management, decision support and reporting. \nAbility to translate complex contract terms into clear operating plans, decision rights and accountabilities. \nExcellent communication and relationship skills, with confidence engaging senior scientific and business leaders internally and externally. \nAbility to navigate ambiguity, influence without direct authority and resolve partnership issues with sound judgement, tact and diplomacy. \nStrategic thinking combined with attention to detail and a strong focus on execution. \nDesirable experience \nAdvanced scientific degree (preferably MS, PhD)\nExperience leading strategic academic alliances with major US universities or research institutions. \nFamiliarity with research collaboration agreements, contractual obligations, amendments and escalation pathways. \nExperience supporting Joint Steering Committees or comparable senior governance forums. \nExperience establishing or improving an alliance management capability, operating model or community of practice. \nWhy join us?\nThis is more than a role managing established partnerships. It is an opportunity to help build a new academic alliance management capability, shape how a new team works and create the conditions for some of AstraZeneca’s most important academic collaborations to succeed. You will have the breadth to influence the wider portfolio and the depth to lead major alliances personally. From Kendall Square, you will work alongside world-class scientists and institutions, bringing together external ideas, internal expertise and disciplined delivery to advance science and benefit patients. We welcome applications from candidates who meet many of the requirements and are energized by the opportunity to build productive, long-term partnerships.\nThe annual base pay for this position ranges from $164K to $246K. Our positions offer eligibility for various incentives-an 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.\nDate Posted\n29-Oct-2026Closing Date\n11-Nov-2026Our 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.","description_format":"text","description_chars":7049,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":8,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Biotechnology","Oncology Therapeutics","Rare Disease Therapeutics","Cardiometabolic Therapeutics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-29T15:56:07Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":90,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.903,"p_room":1,"age_days":6,"expected_fill_days":19,"reasons":["conf:1","velocity","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-11-05T05:54:30Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":246000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/astrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/astrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-05T09:21:42Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":11967,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-06T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":13195},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=13195"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/astrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fastrazeneca-director-academic-alliance-lead"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":3467831}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"astrazeneca.com","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":3467831},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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